Publication:Navy Annual 2005/Keep Navy Safe - More Than Just Words
BY SUB LIEUTENANT ALEX BINNS, RAN
KEEP NAVY SAFE became an official phrase in Navy's lexicon when it first appeared in Navy's strategy Map. Today, the phrase KEEP NAVY SAFE is much more than a strategic theme; it is the principle of conduct by which Navy must live if it is to build a positive and generative culture of safety. Since the last Navy Annual, much has happened to promote the essential message that everybody involved with Navy has an important part to play to KEEP NAVY SAFE.
Following the safety Culture survey of 2003, Navy developed and published its Navy safety Culture Blueprint including its guiding principles and safety goals. The survey also initiated the development of the Safety Management System - Navy (SMS-N), which was a natural broadening of the work already done to improve safety within Navy. importantly, if the original design, construction and testing of our equipment and workplaces is carefully considered and planned, then the chances of these same things not performing properly and being potentially hazardous to people is significantly reduced. For this reason SMS-N brings Certification, test and Evaluation and the existing safety rules and tools together.
The Navy safety Culture Blueprint and SMS-N were both launched by the Chief of Navy at the Navy symposium in September 2004. Shortly after this, the Navy safety roadshow visited more than 3,200 personnel during 42 presentations across Australia to explain the Blueprint and SMS-N.
The message of the Navy safety roadshow was simple. SMS-N aims to reduce hazards and incidents by identifying, managing and preventing issues before they have a chance to injure Navy personnel or affect Navy's operational capability. Understanding the risks involved and reducing them to as low as reasonably practicable is fundamental to SMS-N.
Safety Management systems - Navy enables Navy people to connect with, and contribute to, safety management within Navy. to do this, newly completed safety tools including the Hazard risk Management Process for OHS incident reports (OHSIRS), the Navy Hazard log, and the Navy safety Audit tool have been developed. Some more familiar safety communication tools like 'seaworthy' in Navy News, Operation STAYSAFE and various safety posters and videos have been improved and newer items are being produced. In response to a common concern raised during the Navy safety roadshow open forums, work has also recently been completed with the University of South Australia Centre for sleep research to produce a non-prescriptive approach to fatigue management. And finally, by the time this Annual has been published, Navy will have presented its inaugural Navy safety Awards.
Safety governance has also moved forward. Hazards are more systematically managed by the most appropriate agencies. SMS-N allows the safety Boards and the Navy safety Council to delegate the management of minor issues to more appropriate levels, so that the Boards and Council can concentrate on higher issues and improving safety through oversight and the management of SMS-N.
The results are already starting to show. Navy's OHSIR reports have increased to an average of 1100 reports per year. Serious personal injury rates are the lowest since centralised records have been kept and continue to become fewer with each quarterly review. Interestingly, due to the openness and frequency of OHSIR reports, the minor injury rates have peaked during the year but current indications are that they too are beginning to trend down. As Navy gets better at managing risk and learning from the experiences of others, these will continue to move in the right direction.
Fundamentally, safety requires personal involvement. The commitment of Navy leadership, the organisations in place, the systems and the tools provided are excellent. However to KEEP NAVY SAFE, Navy personnel will continue to be interested and willing participants, and draw on each other's honour, integrity, honesty, courage and loyalty. SMS-N enables everyone to impact on Navy safety better than ever, to make a difference and KEEP NAVY SAFE.
We ARE the Navy: Our Safety IS our business
