1. October 2010
By Derek Nelson, Head Media Division
What’s the issue?
Although most issues of “Deckplate Dialogue” deal
with problems, hazards and dangerous habits, this time
we have some great news: the Navy’s most successful
summer safety campaign since the Naval Safety Center
started keeping track of the data.
What’s going on?
The summer of 2010 saw a 42% reduction in Navy off-duty
fatalities compared to last year. This was almost half of our
10-year average, establishing a new 10-year low. We also
tied or established 10-year lows in the number of deaths
involving motorcyclists, pedestrians, and during off-duty/
recreation. Alcohol-related fatalities were down 71%.
What does this data mean?
This dramatic and encouraging reduction in mishaps was
no accident. It was the result of myriad Sailors, throughout
the chain of command, making logical plans and good
decisions, managing risks and looking out for each other.
Mishaps get prevented when you do things like the
following:
• Wear PPE, even when it is uncomfortable or
inconvenient.
• Check the instructions or follow a checklist, even
though you’re sure that you know the guidance
or the steps by heart.
• Teach someone the right way to do something,
instead of some half-baked technique that just
hasn’t bitten you yet.
• Speak up when you see someone about to do
something dumb or wrong.
If you do the kinds of things on this list, the message is
simple: Keep up the good work. There are always more
risks to manage and changes to confront.
And while we recognize our current success, we must
still realize that 14 Sailors died in mishaps this summer,
including one during Labor Day weekend (according
to preliminary reports, alcohol-related). Nearly all were
traffic-related, and nearly all would have been easy
to prevent had the victims taken some simple, well-
established precautions.
Summer Success—and the Way Ahead
What you can do
1. Join your local chapter of CSADD, the Coalition
of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions, and if your
command doesn’t have a chapter yet, start one. The
safety advocates of CSADD make a difference in the
lives of their shipmates and their families. Find out more
at https://www.cnic.navy.mil/cnrma/Programs/CSADD/.
2. Contribute your innovative ideas to your command
safety programs. You probably know what doesn’t
work—help us figure out what does work as we
redouble our efforts to reach that 5%-10% who aren’t
getting the message.
3. Many of our fatalities still fall in the “easy-to-prevent”
category. Keep an eye peeled for these opportunities to
step in and break the chain.
Supervisors: Use this page to guide safety discussions with your personnel
Send your feedback to: safe-mediafdbk@navy.mil
(you can also sign up to receive this resource by email)