NEWSLETTER copy for IAP Worldwide Services's Leading Edge Newsletter

Kabul team focuses to stay safe in a war zone

The IAP/Readiness Management Support team in Kabul, Afghanistan, has against incredible odds avoided having either an OSHA recordable incident or lost time accident for more than three years.

That’s a perfect record for more than 700,000 man-hours from May 5, 2005, the contract start, through this August.

 Dodging Taliban rockets at the Kabul International Airport (KIA) and wearing body armor when working at six remote satellite communication stations are all in a days work for the group led by RMS Site Manager Gene Dillon and Deputy Site Manager Bill Cairns. Workers bunk down in bare-necessities 8-by-10 foot pods.

“It takes a special kind of person to be able to do their job and do it safely here. Afghanistan isn’t a third world country, it’s a fourth world country. This is a no-kidding war zone,” Gene says.

But unlike some other war zones, such as Iraq, where there is pervasive U.S. military support, the Afghan arena is under the auspices of NATO.

“We are very much on our own here,” Gene says.

Through a USAF contract the Kabul team provides military and commercial em route air traffic control of the entire Afghan airspace and terminal control at the Kabul International Airport. The group supports about 6,000 air traffic approach operations at month at KIA and 21,000 en route Afghan airspace operations a month.

“If you take a vacation to India, your flight over Afghanistan will be guided by RMS team members,” Gene points out.

There’s a 25 percent annual employee turnover rate for the Kabul project as workers fulfill their year contract and move on to less intense environments. And yet the team, which includes 70 workers subcontracted from Lockheed Martin and Midwest ATC, has been able to maintain an impressive safety track record.

Gene and Bill sustain continuity by being determined cheerleaders for safety on the contract. Bill was honored for his safety efforts with a IAP/RMS quarterly safety recognition reward for the first quarter of 2008.

            “Bill and I are constantly preaching safety. We’re always looking ahead to anticipate what might bite us,” Gene says. “The biggest danger of all is complacency. The moment you become complacent is the moment you’re likely to get hurt.”         

            RMS team members carry red “stop work” cards, and are empowered and encouraged to stop any work process when they observe safety violations. If a welder is seen welding even a small, short job without mask, for example, a card goes down.

            “We all pull together to remind each other to do things the right way, not to take the smallest chance,” Bill says.

Sidebar – Systematic approach to generating meaningful CSIs

Rather than relying solely upon individual sparks of CSI inspiration the Kabul team has taken a systematic approach for generating a full complement of CSIs.

The team’s methods offer food for thought for other IAP teams who continue to seek ways to create a safer environment.

Team leaders Gene Dillon, Site Manager, and Bill Cairns, Deputy Site Manager, began seeking hard data to help determine the root causes for safety hazards on the project in early 2007.

They used data from worker-generated Hazard Observation Cards (and later from Safety Observation Cards and Hazard Action Cards) to identify accidents just waiting to happen.

“The statistics for our analysis weren’t complex, but the statistics did help us gain insight into our problem areas,” says Gene, who has used the systematic approach to determine problems and solutions since his early career as an educator.

After safety hazards were quantified team members were brought together to discuss the problems and potential solutions, which led to the generation of numerous CSIs.

“The people on the front line are the ones who are in the best position to offer insights into safety problems and solutions. We had some great brainstorming sessions,” Bill says.

            Among 126 safety hazards identified were failing lights, floors and vehicles, potholes, unsafe parking practices and dangerous snow and ice build up.

            “We’re a bit like Denver. The Kabul International Airport is at 5,800-feet of elevation and surrounded by mountains,” Gene says. “The winters are cruel here.”

            Solutions to safety problems included remedies such as building stairway covers, obtaining Ice Melt from the U.S. Army and performing regular vehicles checks.

            “Many of the safety hazards required management action. Bill and I to get materials and equipment needed to the solve problems,” Gene says.

Gene applauds ATM Program Manager Jim “Mitch” Mitchell, director of task orders for USAF contracts, for providing the project with needed safety equipment and materials to fulfill CSIs.

“When we discover a legitimate need for improvement to keep our people safe, he helps get us what we need no matter what it takes,” Gene says.