Workers Score!
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44,000,000,000,000 ssafeafe hhoursours — wworkersorkers sscore!core! — PPageage 3 ((DoDo nnotot ppassass ggo,o, ddoo nnotot ccollectollect $$200,200, ggoo ddirectlyirectly toto jail.jail. ComputerComputer securitysecurity cancan touchtouch eeveryone.veryone. FForor mmore,ore, sseeee PPageage 4.)4.) ((PhotoPhoto bbyy MMigig OOwens)wens) Letters to the Editor Reader recommends Marshallese translations Recently I had the opportunity to I realize how inconvenient a bi- A written handbook of the safety return home after a long absence. lingual approach in one setting briefi ng in Marshallese with graph- I arrived via Kwajalein airport and would be. I understand the im- ics and summaries could be of- was thus subject to the visitor portance of the information being fered. safety briefi ng. I was amazed that shared as the safety and well being Large placards in Marshallese no portion of the briefi ng was of- of the visitor and facility must be highlighting and summarizing im- fered in the native dialect of the addressed. portant and dangerous situations Marshallese language. I know that the intent of the could be placed around the brief- I have been residing in the Unit- briefi ng is to be as minor an incon- ing room. ed States since my absence from venience as possible to the traveler A version of the visitor’s fi ll-in my homeland thus I feel I have a so that they can move onto their form should also be available in decent understanding of the U.S. fi nal destination. I applaud the Marshallese. English language, however, this facility in the manner which they Communicating in a bi-lingual was of no avail as I found much address these needs. environment makes true commu- of the briefi ngs’ discussion, termi- However, I believe their steward- nication quite diffi cult if only one nology and instruction not under- ship would be further served if language is used. standable. their briefi ng also addressed the I believe this action could better I feel my fellow Marshallese trav- language and cultural diversity of serve the Marshallese community eling from the outer islands into the Marshallese people. and display to the Marshallese this environment are equally, if not A recording of the visitor safety people that this facility values more, perplexed by this procedure. briefi ng in Marshallese on com- them and recognizes them as Why is the Kwajalein visitor pact disc, cassette or TV played partners and the best of the best safety briefi ng information not simultaneously during the English friend. available in the native dialect of presentation could be an offered the Marshallese language? option. Ano Lautiej Huffi ng, puffi ng Character building requires good examples During the Halloween weekend, two unwarranted have solid information before calling law enforcement calls were made to Kwajalein Police Department. The on someone? calls were to report people “huffi ng” at the Richardson This incident caused a great deal of fear and embar- Theater. Both calls proved to be false. The people were rassment for the children and anguish for the parents. simply watching the movie unaware that an overzeal- If a person wants to exercise great personal character ous person was scanning the moviegoers for illegal by being attentive to the possibilities of illegal drug use, drug use. then shouldn’t they also have the same character to The second call for huffi ng just so happens to in- apologize when they are wrong? volve my 11-year-old son and four other children who None of these children ever received an apology for were sitting together in the bleachers. KPD arrived and the false accusation and subsequent chain of events pulled the fi ve children out of the bleachers. They per- that ensued. Children learn good character from their formed a presumptive test for huffi ng on the children. elders, and events like this. These children could have The test proved to be negative, but because of KPD pol- learned a great lesson through this adult that when icy, the children were taken to the police department. you make a grand stand and you are wrong, you The parents were then called to claim their children. should apologize for your actions and the problems I have high regard for the residents of this island who that they caused. Now that would be good character! want to keep it a safe and great place to live, and some- times that means sticking our neck out to protect those who don’t want to be protected. Isn’t it our duty to Annette Butler The Kwajalein Hourglass sarily offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Govern- Commanding Offi cer..........COL Beverly Stipe ment, Department of Defense, Department of the Army Public Affairs Offi cer....................Sandy Miller The Hourglass is named for the insignia of the or USAKA. It is published Wednesdays and Saturdays U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, which liberated the in accordance with Army Regulation 360-1 and using a Editor..................................Nell Drumheller island from the forces of Imperial Japan on Feb. 4, network printer by Kwajalein Range Services editorial Assistant Editor........................Mig Owens 1944. staff. Graphics Designer......................Dan Adler The Kwajalein Hourglass is an authorized pub- P.O. Box 23, APO AP 96555 Reporter.............................Elizabeth Davie lication for military personnel, federal employees, Phone: Autovon 254-3539; local 53539 contractor workers and their families assigned to Printed circulation: 2,000 Circulation...........................Will O'Connell USAKA. Contents of the Hourglass are not neces- The Kwajalein Hourglass 2 Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005 KRS reaches without-a-lost-time injury milestone Four million safe hours By Mig Owens “Occupational injuries requir- times seen as being safe to an- Assistant editor ing medical treatment greater other. than first aid, known as OSHA “Perceptions and attitudes A wise sergeant once told COL [Occupational Safety and about safety do differ,” he Beverly Stipe, U.S. Army Kwaja- Health] recordables, are down explained. “The majority of lein Atoll/Reagan Test Site com- 84 percent. KRS injury rates people come to work each day mander, “Accidents hurt. Safety are 88 percent below industry and want to remain safe and doesn’t. And being safe is like averages according to Bureau uninjured. Very few choose to breathing. You don’t ever want of Labor Statistics data,” said ‘push the envelope.’ But he said, to stop.” Feldman. “taking shortcuts will eventually As the installation command- Mike Moore, Safety and Oc- catch up with you and you will er, and therefore the island’s cupational Health manager for get hurt.” official safety officer, it’s Stipe’s USAKA, functions as the prin- job to promote active and ag- cipal staff advisor and technical Safety roles gressive safety programs that consultant to Stipe on safety KRS and its safety staff work teach the workforce to operate and occupational health issues. with Moore to ensure OSHA and in this dangerous environment. “USAKA has not had a serious Army Safety Program standards “There is no worse excuse military or government employee are used by military and civilian in leadership than a failure or accident for over a year and a workforces to include Host Na- breakdown of good and enforce- half,” Moore said. tion personnel. able safety habits,” she said. He explained that events such “Mr. Pickler [KRS president] “And no accident is unavoidable as Safety Day, held Oct. 15, help has been very proactive in the if we place the right amount of people to learn more about what safety arena. His military back- focus and attention on every- it takes to come to work healthy ground and corporate knowl- thing we do.” and return home the same way. edge has been a tremendous Kwajalein Range Services’ and “Safety encompasses many asset to safety,” Moore said. “He USAKA’s approach to safety has elements: training, protective understands that a good leader paid major dividends over the equipment, attitudes, behaviors, sets the standard for safety by past three years with significant low to high-risk work activities, demonstrating commitment and improvement in safety perfor- analysis and team work to keep ‘walking the talk.’ He also gets mance, according to John Feld- people from getting hurt,” Moore out of his office and sees what is man, KRS Safety manager. On said. happening.” Moore said that by Tuesday, KRS achieved a major talking with people, Pickler has milestone — 4,000,000 hours Defining safety a better understanding of where continually worked (almost a Among the things Moore said the known or potential hazards year) without a lost-time injury. he has learned in his 15 years are and in turn can take action He added that all employees as a safety professional is what to make things safer. should be congratulated for is unsafe to one person is some- Pickler said he totally embrac- their efforts. es a zero-accident philosophy and submits that safety is “the top priority in everything we do here in KRS. KRS safety statistics “There is absolutely nothing Injury rate — 200,000 hours worked that we do that is so important as to compromise any aspect or principle of safety. From the first day an employee or family member is assigned to a KRS project team site — here, in CO- NUS or in Hawaii — that person should be made aware of the recordable injury rate — 2.9 recordable injury rate — 2.4 recordable injury rate — .5 fact that their health, safety and lost-time injury rate — 0.31 lost-time injury rate — 0.32 lost-time injury rate — 0.00 well-being are our primary con- 2003 2004 2005 cerns, and I have always related See SAFETY, Page 6 Wednesday, Nov.