The season for safety is year-round; Don't let your guard down

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachel Hammes
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  As autumn and winter approach, the Academy can become an increasingly hazardous environment. Slick roads, extreme cold weather, and other winter dangers all demand Airman and civilian attention.

To that end, the Academy Safety Office released a Fall Safety "Alive & Alert" newsletter, detailing hazards and prevention techniques for day-to-day life.

The newsletter detailed the importance of being a wingman, and looking out for fellow service members or civilians at the Academy during the upcoming seasons.

"Understanding safeguards is key for whatever we are doing," Academy Safety Office director Lt. Col. Rico Aragon wrote in the newsletter. "Humans have short memories so we cannot let ourselves get into a false sense of security and let our guard down. Rather, we need to be even more vigilant and willing to enforce correct standards. Both on and off duty, each of us are the safety officers -- for our units, our wingmen, our neighbors, our families and of course for ourselves."

An opportunity for wingmanship was recently pointed out by Academy Exchange general manager Patricia Austin, who noticed customers leaving their vehicles while refueling at the Army and Air Force Exchanges Service Express here. This tendency increases the chance of fuel spills with the potential for fire or explosions, she said.
"Many people tend to forget that refueling your vehicle is the transfer of a hazardous liquid," Austin said. "Filling up your vehicle takes under four minutes on average to complete. Staying with your vehicle during those few minutes greatly reduces the risk of spillage or fire."

While all modern gasoline pumps are equipped with automatic shutoff valves designed to detect when the vehicle's tank is full, there is always an unlikely chance the feature could fail, causing the pump to continue while gasoline spills on the ground, she said.
Austin said Airmen can protect themselves and others by reporting those who leave their vehicle unsupervised at the pump.

Visit www.afsec.af.mil for more safety information.