Falls from peak are the second-leading unintentional deadly office occasion, in keeping with the Nationwide Security Council. Employees within the building trade are most in danger, with essentially the most nonfatal circumstances involving days away from work and 20% of all nonfatal fall-from-height circumstances annually.
In its first yr, NAVSAFECOM’s native space assessments famous 168 fall safety discrepancies, starting from poorly maintained handrails to an absence of a unit fall safety program. Since 2017, the Navy has incurred 4 deadly falls, of which three may have been mitigated underneath the Fall Safety Program, primarily based on information from the Danger Administration Data security reporting system.
These statistics underscore the significance of the working group’s objective. Throughout the first two days, the working group carried out a complete evaluation of OPNAV M-5100.23, Chapter 13, and OPNAVINST 5100.19F, Chapter 13 in an effort to replace the chapters to mirror modifications in regulatory necessities.
“The intent is to finally merge these two chapters into one cohesive chapter that encompasses all fall safety necessities for all warfare areas, offering the tip person a singular doc for all fall safety necessities,” mentioned Charles Gum, Shore Directorate deputy director, NAVSAFECOM. Necessities which might be particular to a selected warfare space or group might be added as an addendum to the singular chapter.
Forming one, cohesive fall safety chapter throughout all warfare communities will make it simpler to know and permit individuals to entry only one place to seek out coverage, mentioned Gum.
Earlier than the group received began, Gum supplied a fast refresher of the present security and occupational well being hierarchy:
- Division of Protection Instruction (6055.01-SOH)
- DoN Security Program (SECNAVINST 5100.10)
- Navy Security Program Guide (5100.23)
- Group-Particular Security Steering (OPNAVINST 5100.19, 3750, and so on.)
- Headquarters/Instant Superior in Command (ISIC) Steering, Native Normal Working Procedures and Directions
- Group-Particular Security Steering (OPNAVINST 5100.19, 3750, and so on.)
- Navy Security Program Guide (5100.23)
- DoN Security Program (SECNAVINST 5100.10)
Gum famous OPNAV M-5100.23 offers the “what” within the regulatory necessities. The instruction outlines the Echelon 1 perspective and is restricted in some areas solely to make sure consistency and uniformity.
The Headquarters, ISIC and native directions describe the “how, what and who” performs the necessities spelled out within the OPNAV instruction. Each group executes its processes a bit in another way. These native directions enable organizations to tailor their processes in a means that works finest for them, so long as they meet the necessities, mentioned Gum.
“The 5100.23 is the Navy’s top-tier instruction,” mentioned Gum. “One of many causes we’re merging is to alleviate the tip person from having to seek out a number of directions; 5100.23 would be the one instruction. Not will individuals say, ‘I’m from the afloat group, so I’m solely going to learn the afloat instruction.’”
Gum famous there was a time when 5100.23 was named the ashore guide. It now not says that as a way to reinforce it’s the Navy’s overarching Occupational Security and Well being Guide that every one different security manuals throughout all warfare areas ought to align to.
The working group additionally targeted on eradicating duplicative or out of date data from the directions. Proposals have been made to make clear and take away ambiguous phrasing and guarantee processes have been updated and aligned with present coverage. For instance, the working group eliminated the necessary minimal cumulative training-hour necessities for numerous positions inside the fall safety program and changed them with coaching syllabus subjects required for the place to permit instructions extra flexibility in coaching their personnel.
The final two days of the assembly have been spent revising the Fall Safety Information, which was final up to date three years in the past.
“There’s been a misunderstanding that the information is definitely coverage, and it isn’t,” mentioned Gum. “There’s steering within the entrance of the information that leads individuals to imagine it’s coverage. It was supposed to be designed as a information – to not mimic coverage. That understanding has been blurred.”
To appropriate this notion, the group up to date the glossary and eliminated out of date and duplicate definitions. Proposed feedback have been made all through the doc to take away any language that was directive in nature.
The group additionally clarified sections and terminology all through, tightening the verbiage and guaranteeing consistency.
“The information is a vital asset for Sailors and Marines, and we imagine the updates will improve their fall safety applications and function a complement to the OPNAV coverage,” mentioned Gum.
The up to date Fall Safety Information is anticipated to be launched to the naval enterprise in late September 2023. The up to date Chapter 13 of OPNAV M-5100.23 might be launched subsequent yr as a result of time it takes for all stakeholders to concur on content material.
