Photo By Jack Adamyk | MCLB Barstow has been recognized for its safety practices by the Department of...... read more read more
Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California’s culture of safety has earned it the Marine Corps Achievement in Safety Award for 2019.
“We were informed by Headquarters Marine Corps on June 24 that we were chosen to receive the annual award,” Ray Aguilar, Base Safety Office director said. “This is the seventh time in 14 years that MCLB Barstow has been chosen for this recognition.”
Sara Montez-Diaz, safety specialist, prepared the package MCLB Barstow submitted to Headquarters Marine Corps for consideration.
“One of the elements taken into account is how many accident reports we file in a year for a base or civilian industry our size,” she explained. “Our Total Case Incident Rate, TCIR, is 83 percent below the national average rate for other Marine Corps installations or civilian industries our size.”
Even more impressive is the extremely low number of days off lost to work related accidents or mishaps aboard base.
“Our Days Away Restricted Time (DART) rate was 92 percent below the national average,” Montez-Diaz said. “That has resulted in a savings of more than $10,400,000 in lost time and medical costs for the Department of Defense.”
The base is no stranger to being recognized for its safety protocols and practices.
“In 2008 we became the first Marine Corps installation to receive the (Voluntary Protection Program) Safety Star recognition and the only one to be recertified twice for the VPP Star, as well,” Montez-Diaz said.
That award from the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Health and Safety Administration plus other awards from the Department of Defense and the Department of the Navy, has resulted in a huge amount of recognition for the base’s safety culture.
“Since 2006 when we actively began our efforts to achieve VPP Star status, we have earned a total of 30 awards for safety,” Aguilar said.
“We also mentor other organizations, military and civilian, on how to get their own VPP Star,” he said. “We send Special Government Employees to their locations to conduct training, and all five of the Marine Corps installations we’ve mentored have achieved Star status.”
Winning the Marine Corps Achievement in Safety Award automatically puts MCLB Barstow in the running for the Department of the Navy Safety Excellence Award, Aguilar noted. MCLB Barstow has won that particular award six times since 2006.
“The Achievement in Safety award is not being given to the Safety Office, but to the entire base,” Aguilar said. “Teamwork is critical in building the culture of safety aboard base that makes it second nature to active duty Marines and civilian personnel to think safety first, last, and always. This recognition is one that everyone aboard MCLB Barstow can be proud of and take part in.”
“To be sure, this is an ‘all hands’ award and one in which the entire Base should all take great pride,” agreed Col. Craig C. Clemans, commanding officer, Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow. “Ensuring everyone accomplishes their mission each day and goes home unharmed to their friends and family each night is priority number one. There is no compromise or short cut for ensuring the safety of ourselves and those around us.
“Every Base employee is a Safety Officer,” the CO concluded. “This award is a reflection of the tireless care and concern both the civilian and active duty Marines’ show for each other at MCLB.”
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.10.2020 12:26 |
| Story ID: | 373713 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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