Photo By Scott Sturkol | Installation Safety Manager Edson De Leon and Safety Specialist Dale Marsolek with the...... read more read more
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The fall season for 2023 is beginning and with that means days are getting shorter, nights are getting longer, and weather is getting colder, and safety should continue to be at the forefront of people’s minds, said Fort McCoy Installation Safety Manager Edson De Leon with the Installation Safey Office.
“Labor Day marks the official end to the 101 Days of Summer and the beginning of our transition into fall,” De Leon said. “Fall brings with it much cooler temperatures and shorter hours of daylight. As we shift seasons, it’s also important to make the necessary preparations for the change of conditions which bring with them different hazards.
“Risk management is a continuous cycle, and we must adapt ourselves on how we manage those hazards,” De Leon said.
From October through March, the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center places a special emphasis on winter and cold weather safety. Cold-weather injuries such as frostbite and hypothermia, as well as slippery conditions, present significant challenges during that time of year, the center states, and they provide a wide variety of information to support.
During the 2022 Army fall and winter safety campaign, the center also offered the following tips to people to remember about being ready:
— Safety has a direct correlation to unit and individual readiness.
— All service members and civilians have an obligation to themselves, their battle buddies or co-workers, and to their families to manage risk and take action to correct problems. Safety is such a constant part of a service member’s life. Everyone should stay engaged about safety.
— According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 160 people in the United States die annually from carbon monoxide produced by non-automotive consumer products. These products include malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, ranges, water
heaters and room heaters; engine-powered equipment such as portable generators; fireplaces; and charcoal burned in homes and other enclosed areas.
— Carbon monoxide poisoning, rather than burning, often is the cause of
death during a residential fire.
— According to Federal Emergency Management Agency statistics, annually an estimated 364,500 residential fires account for 2,450 deaths and 13,900 injuries.
— Having a working smoke detector more than doubles one’s chances of surviving a fire. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be checked regularly to ensure they’re functioning properly and so occupants become familiar with the alarms. (U.S. Fire Administration)
— The National Weather Service reports that 70 percent of fatalities related to ice and snow weather conditions happen in automobiles.
— Twenty-four percent of weather-related vehicle crashes occur on snowy, slushy or icy
pavement and 15 percent happen during snowfall or sleet. More than 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 people are injured in vehicle crashes on snowy, slushy or icy pavement annually. Every year, nearly 900 people are killed and nearly 76,000 people are injured in vehicle crashes during snowfall or sleet. (Source: Federal Highway Administration)
— Understand that weather conditions may change after you get on the road. Don’t be in a hurry. Give yourself sufficient time to complete your journey and add extra time to your planning to accommodate unexpected development.
— Black ice, snow, sleet and any combination of freezing precipitation can develop quickly and create hazardous driving conditions.
— Technology such as smart phones and GPS devices can only help you if they’re
charged.
— If you think the weather is too hazardous for travel, or if it changes when you’re on the road, don’t try and force the issue. Waiting for better weather is worth the delay.
— A list of recommended items that should be in your vehicle for winter travel is available at Ready.gov and other websites.
— Servicemembers are being injured and losing their lives to negligent discharge accidents. Some of the most common reasons that negligent discharges occur are failure to follow proper clearing procedures and a lack of muzzle awareness.
— When performing any type of maintenance on a weapon, your first step should always be to clear it in accordance with the owner’s/operator’s manual.
— Service members should never assume that because they’re familiar with one type of
weapon they’re an expert on all weapons.
— Practicing proper muzzle awareness, making sure that you keep the weapon pointed in a safe direction while performing maintenance and ensuring that you never point a weapon at anything you don’t intend to shoot, will prevent a tragedy in the event of a clearing error.
— Remember, never point a weapon at anything or anyone you don’t intend to shoot – this applies even if you know a weapon is unloaded. Many service members have lost their lives to what they believed were unloaded weapon.
Learn more safety tips and information by visiting https://safety.army.mil. And at Fort McCoy, learn more about the installation safety program by visiting the Installation Safety Office in building 1678.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.
(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office and the Fort McCoy Installation Safety Office.)
| Date Taken: | 09.19.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2023 01:25 |
| Story ID: | 453716 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 580 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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