Risk Management Magazine

From Fiscal Years (FY) 2020-24, an ineffective safety culture was one of the most cited causes of Army on-duty mishaps. Creating a positive safety culture is essential to ensuring the well-being of Soldiers and civilian employees, as well as the overall success of an organization in supporting the Army’s mission. A strong safety culture not only reduces preventable mishaps that result in personnel loss due to injuries or damage to equipment, but also boosts productivity, morale and organizational efficiency.

As we usher in the New Year, this is the perfect time to reflect on the past and plan for a safer, healthier future in our workplaces. The U.S. Army is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all its personnel, and there's no better moment than now to reinforce our safety programs and strategies.

Mundane tasks are hurting Soldiers. The Army expects us to do the same or more with less time and resources, which negatively affects unit morale, retention and even safety. Laundry lists of tasks continue to pile on and, unfortunately, leaders may forget or choose to skip important steps, such as risk management, in the planning process. This came back to bite my unit when the routine task of reorganizing a storage container turned into a partial finger amputation – a Class B mishap.