Safety office encourages injury reporting

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sandra Marrero
  • 23d Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  As the days get longer and the Georgia heat intensifies, more people look to the outdoors for recreation. Along with the increased temperatures, the number of Team Moody injuries tends to elevate with it.

"We have people out doing high-risk activities more in the summertime because the weather permits," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. AmyLynn Koehler, a 23d Wing ground safety NCO in charge of hazard abatement and reporting.

The reporting of injuries is meant to help improve conditions for Team Moody, especially during the summer months.

"I think that we should probably stress that wing safety is here for everybody else," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jarrod Armes, a 23d Wing ground safety NCO in charge of hazard abatement and reporting. "We're not here to get anyone in trouble. We're here to improve everybody else's surroundings and how they work and make sure they're safe at all times."
In order to make changes that keep Airmen protected, it is necessary for the safety office to gather information in relation to the types of injuries that occur.

"You should tell your supervisor any time you're injured," said Koehler. "We would rather know than not know."

Armes added, "By reporting it we can track all of the mishaps and eventually [we see if] trends are happening. If we find any trends in mishaps and everybody is breaking their ankles on one sidewalk because they're tripping on it, then we know that something needs to be done with the sidewalk."

Sometimes it turns out that an injury is greater than originally thought, and it is helpful to have a record that it occurred in the first place, said Koehler. All injuries requiring medical treatment also merit filing a safety report, she added.

Each mishap should be reported through the chain of command. An Airman should tell his or her supervisor about any injury or accident, on or off duty. It is then the supervisor's responsibility to fill out an Air Combat Command Form 164, the ground mishap report, within three duty days of the mishap, said Armes.

Additionally, all car accidents should be reported, regardless of the time and location or if there were any injuries.

"I think it's important that they know how to properly fill out [an ACC Form] 164. That's the biggest problem that we have," said Koehler.

Koehler said thorough explanations of the mishap are necessary in order for risks and damages to be properly assessed.

"I want the whole story," she said. "We need to know the whole picture. That's the biggest part. We need to know the who, what, when, why and where - not just, 'I was walking down the street and I fell down.' That doesn't help me."

Once completed, the ACC Form 164 goes up the chain of command until it reaches the wing commander, who implements necessary changes.

"[The commander] can make a recommendation, and he can make decisions based on the information that we provide him" said Koehler. "Every single report that comes through [this office] he looks at."

Although Airman cannot control the rising temperatures this summer, it is possible to reduce the amount of injuries that occur. By properly reporting injuries this summer, Airmen can contribute to the overall safety of Team Moody.