MAY 20, 2019 – In the land of ‘make believe,’ occupational hazards wouldn’t be a problem, because a wave of a magical wand would simply make any safety concerns disappear. Unfortunately, the Hawaii Air National Guard doesn’t have any wands, but it now has the next best thing – the Airman Safety App.
The Airman Safety Action Program, also known as ASAP, is an online resource which has enabled users to report work safety issues since it was created in 2009. Now, through the Airman Safety App, members can anonymously report safety issues whenever they are encountered.
Within minutes of identifying a potential hazard, such as a hole in the ground or an improperly designed aircraft part, a mobile report can be initiated on-site and submitted directly to the ASAP Safety Center. All data is matriculated to the appropriate major command, where practices can be improved and resources can be allocated to resolve problems.
The program is being held to promote a healthy safety culture and a work environment where everyone’s voice is important, especially in the occurrence of human error.
“We need people to know how valuable it is when they speak up for safety issues while on-the-job,” said Maj. Nicholas Rodriguez, 154th Wing chief of safety. “This app gives them a way to do that without going through any lengthy administrative processes or having to identify themselves or deal with any form of retribution. This way we can take actions and make everyone else aware, so the same mistake is not repeated.”
The U.S. Air Force modeled ASAP after similar programs which are practiced throughout the aviation industry. According to the U.S. Air Force Safety Center, more than 70 U.S. airlines have been reporting upwards of 50,000 potential hazards every year and global reports are approximately ten times larger.
“Throughout aviation history,” said Rodriguez, “we’ve noticed that mishap rates have been going down, down and down over the years and eventually it kind of leveled off. But through our safety culture we are trying to facilitate, we are hoping to get the mishap rate down even further than it has ever been before by encouraging our Airmen to participate and identify hazards when they see them before they turn into mishaps.”
While the program has been designed to raise safety standards in the aviation department, reports submitted in the app are not limited to the flight line. Hazards can be reported from virtually any location, to include deployed environments, can be reported and will promptly be evaluated by ASAP Safety Center team members.
To download the Airman Safety App on a mobile device, visit the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
Story by Senior Airman John Linzmeier
154th Wing Public Affairs