July’s featured NNS Safety Principle is “safety requires both management and personal ownership.” Below are examples of shipbuilders practicing this safety principle:

• X36 Foreman Matthew Wiggins in involved with the X36 Safety Task Team and spends time with his team on the deckplate to reinforce the importance of safety and to set a good example.
• Larry Bullock (X36) never has to be reminded of safety rules. He often takes time to correct fellow shipbuilders in his role as a make-up foreman and in his day-to-day work as a craftsman.
• Apprentice Tiffany Harper (O27/X33) recalls working in a ballast tank and being approached by an X11 tank inspector. Although Harper was wearing the correct PPE, she had only one source of light – a headlight – instead of the required two because both of her hands were occupied and she couldn’t hold a flashlight. The inspector informed Harper that she should have had another source of light nearby, such as in her pocket or within arm’s reach. Harper accepted the correction, and owned up to her mistake.

Look for information about August’s featured NNS Safety Principle – the best way to control a hazard is to eliminate it – in an upcoming edition of Currents.