It’s that time of year again and summer is just around the corner! Have you already made your vacation and adventure plans for the summer, or are you a “spur of the moment†type of planner? Every year the Air Force Safety Center kicks off the 101 Critical Days of Summer Campaign which takes place between the Memorial Day and Labor Day holiday period; this year’s campaign runs from May 25 through Sept. 4.
According to the AF Safety Center, “The objective of the Air Force Critical Days of Summer Campaign 2012 is to call attention to the tragic loss and or injury of Airmen during summertime and to make them realize that safety is personal for their families, friends, co-workers and themselves. Counting back to Oct. 1, 2002, the Air Force has experienced 218 fatalities during the Critical Days of Summer (201 off-duty and 17 on duty). The Air Force’s vision is to ensure all of our Airmen have zero preventable mishaps and an injury-free summerâ€.
The 452 AMW is not immune to loss, since we tragically lost one of our members last summer in a traffic accident. In addition, we also had 18 other reportable accidents during the 101 CDS Campaign; many, if not all, were preventable. Common causal factors during these mishaps were lack of situational awareness, inattention and inadequate risk assessment. Many members tell us they felt rushed or were in a hurry to meet a deadline, or weren’t paying attention.
Mishaps normally have a chain of events leading up to the accident; our challenge for mishap prevention is to break the chain of events. If something doesn’t look right, feel right, or smell right, stop and assess the situation and determine the best course of action in order to break the chain.
Wing members will be receiving weekly briefings on this year’s campaign beginning May 25. These briefings will be centered on various sports, recreational and leisure activities, as well as traffic safety topics.
Off-duty traffic mishaps are often the result of alcohol and excessive speed. It’s just not worth the risk to drive while impaired.
Look for the first week’s topic beginning 25 May, “Wingmen: It’s Personal — Take Care of Each Other.â€
If you have any questions or would like a copy of the 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign, please give us a call at 951-655-4481 or email us at 452amw.se@us.af.mil and we’ll be glad to help. Let’s all have a safe and mishap free summer!
