Be safety conscious. Always remain alert to
possible danger. Use your senses of sight, smell, touch,
and hearing.
Always inspect equipment and associated
attachments for damage before using the equipment.
Check the safety precautions that pertain to each piece
of equipment. Be sure the equipment is suited to the job.
For example, never use a 10,000-rpm grinding wheel on
a grinder that operates at 15,000 rpm.
Master-at-arms/Safety Force
The master-at-arms (MAA)/safety force is a vital
link in the unit safety organization. You may be assigned
as a division safety petty officer or as a member of the
safety force because you are a petty officer. The
MAA/safety force acts as a roving inspector for hazards
and risks (unsafe work practices) that could result in
injury to personnel or damage to equipment. The safety
force also assists the safety officer in keeping the safety
program visible to all personnel as well as ensuring that
the program is a workable system.
A good safety program is improved through
MAA/safety force inspections and through a system of
internal reporting. These inspections focus command
attention on material deficiencies and operating
practices that may harm personnel and equipment. As a
division safety petty officer, you should make every
effort to support the members of the MAA/safety force,
as they are the key to a safe working environment.
Promoting Safety
Why do we always promote safety? The Navy
wants to keep you as safe as possible for as long as
possible. That’s where the safety program comes in.
By promoting safety on and off the job, you improve
your chances of living a long life and having a fulfilling
naval career.
You can promote safety within your division in
various ways. One way is through the use of posters. A
picture is said to be worth a thousand words; but, in this
case, a picture may be worth a thousand lives. Use
posters as safety reminders. Change or rotate safety
posters regularly to different workspaces to draw
attention to them. When personnel see the same posters
in the same place for months, they start to view them as
part of the bulkhead. They then begin to ignore the
posters; write on them; and cover them with notices,
schedules, and watch bills.
Warning and caution signs are also effective in
promoting safety. For example, figure 6-1 shows signs
indicating the type of personal protective equipment a
person should use when involved in a potentially
hazardous operation. Other signs are shown in figures
6-2 and 6-3.
Another helpful method of promoting safety
within a division is periodic safety patrols or
inspections made by the division safety petty officer.
6-3
CAUTION
EAR PROTECTION
MUST BE WORN
IN THIS AREA
CAUTION
EYE PROTECTION
MUST BE WORN
IN THIS AREA
CAUTION
FACE SHIELDS
MUST BE WORN
IN THIS AREA
CAUTION
HARD HATS
REQUIRED IN
THIS AREA
CAUTION
FOOT
PROTECTION
MUST BE WORN
IN THIS AREA
CAUTION
RESPIRATORS
MUST BE WORN
IN THIS AREA
CAUTION
HAND
PROTECTION
MUST BE WORN
IN THIS AREA
EAR PROTECTORS
To inform workers that they must use ear protection
while in confines of a noise zone [where the noise
level exceeds 85 dB (A weighting) ]
EYE PROTECTORS
To inform workers that they must wear eye protection
while in certain areas or while performing a certain task.
FACE SHIELDS
To inform workers that they must wear face protection
while in certain areas or while performing certain tasks.
HARD HATS
To inform workers that they must use hard hats in
certain areas or performing certain tasks.
FOOT PROTECTION
To inform workers that they must wear foot protectors
(i.e., safety boots and shoes, spats, metatarsal protectors,
etc.) while in certain areas or performing certain tasks.
RESPIRATORS
To inform workers that they must use respirators while
in a certain area or performing certain tasks.
HAND PROTECTION
To inform workers that they must use hand protectors
(i.e., gloves, gauntlets, palm protectors, etc.) while
performing certain tasks or performing work in certain
areas.
MRP3f0601
Figure 6-1. Personal protective caution signs.
