Proactive Safety: Taking control Published July 7, 2014 By Senior Master Sgt. Terry Shook 908th Airlift Wing MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- It is easy for any safety office to bark out "it is everyone's responsibility to proactively manage risks and mitigate hazards." However, if we've never shown you how to do this, or provided you with the necessary tools, then how can we expect you to take control of your environment and be successful at it? We can't! It is our job as safety specialists to come beside you and help you proactively take control of your work environment. So I say, let's continue to roll up our sleeves and work together to change our culture of safety. Your goal (and your responsibility), should be to identify hazards before they turn into incidents or accidents, and then take the necessary steps to reduce the safety risks. This can seem like daunting task, and is often misunderstood and misapplied. One of the many "tools for success" in being proactive is our Safety SharePoint site, a dynamic and interactive site that provides you with a multitude of tools, benchmark programs, safety briefings, and access to your unit's open hazards and our recommended corrective actions. The site is designed to save you time while assisting you in making your work environment as safe as possible. As you maneuver around the site, you'll see it is designed so each group, squadron, flight and shop has a place to electronically store their pertinent safety information. By storing on SharePoint, it not only gives you a safe place to maintain it, but it gives our office the opportunity to help you ensure it is relevant to your workplace and correct prior to inspection. You may be concerned about the security of your electronic products once they are placed into the SharePoint environment. Well, don't be. Our site is set up so each folder is protected with unique permission settings. Only a predetermined amount of individuals (that you select) can make changes or deletion. Finally, the site provides you access when you are deployed, TDY, or at home wanting to stay ahead. All you need is a CAC-enabled computer. Our Airmen deserve a work environment where unnecessary hazards are eliminated and necessary hazards are understood and mitigated. You are an integral part of creating a "culture of safety" in your workplace. You set the example, positive or negative. We are here to serve you. Next in this series: "How to Make Your Safety Inspection Work for You."