JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
"Safety - It's Personal" ... "Live to Play, Play to Live" ... "Take 5 for Safety."
Various safety campaigns are in place during the spring and summer months throughout the Department of Defense. The Army's "Take 5 for Safety", Navy's "Live to Play, Play to Live" and the Air Force's "Safety - It's Personal" are 2012 safety campaign themes. Campaign names and durations vary but the ultimate goal is the same - to reduce or eliminate the number of preventable fatal mishaps and injuries.
This year, May 25 through Sept. 4 is designated as the Air Force Safety Center's "Critical Days of Summer" safety campaign. The 15-week campaign, "Safety -It's Personal," is designed to remind us that when it comes to safety, individual decisions can directly impact loved ones, friends, co-workers and the entire Air Force family. This year's vision is to ensure all members have zero preventable fatal mishaps and an injury-free summer.
The objective of the Air Force's Critical Days of Summer Campaign 2012 is to call attention to the loss and/or injury of members during the summer and to make them realize that safety is personal for them, their families, friends and co-workers.
Why the need for a summer safety campaign? Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, more Airmen die in off-duty mishaps than at any other time of the year. Since Fiscal Year 2002, the Air Force has experienced 218 fatalities during the Critical Days of Summer; 201 off-duty and 17 on-duty. Last summer, off-duty mishaps claimed the lives of 18 Airmen. Seventy-two percent of these fatalities involved private motor vehicles and almost half of these fatalities were alcohol related. In some cases, victims did not wear seat belts.
Air Force senior leaders remind us, "Because one lost life is too many, we urge all Airmen to look out for one another, especially during the Critical Days of Summer." Proper planning, sound risk management and wise decision making is very important. Smart choices may include steps as simple as starting a trip with proper rest, using personal protective equipment, observing posted speed limits, avoiding driver distractions like cell phones and never drive under the influence of alcohol. These decisions save lives.
Safety campaign names and themes change but the bottom line is they're all about safety.