6-1CHAPTER 6SAFETY AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALSPersonnel safety is the responsibility of all hands.Without personnel safety, many injuries and deathswould occur. The Navy has lost many man hours andgood people because safety procedures were notpracticed continuously. As you study this chapter, youwill see the various aspects of personnel safety.Personnel safety is important to each of us, and thischapter explains why.SAFETYLearning Objectives: Recognize the necessity for workcenter and job site safety. Identify the procedures toaudit the tag-out log.…out of this nettle, danger, wepluck this flower, safety.—William Shakespeare,Henry IV, I.3Safety rules and regulations concern all of us,regardless of the job to which we are assigned. All typesof tasks, from the simplest to the most hazardous, havesafety regulations. We often will not observe safetyprecautions unless we are fully aware of the dangersinvolved. Therefore, as a petty officer, you areresponsible for ensuring that other personnel are awareof the dangers and know the safety precautions tocombat these dangers.The objective of any safety program is to improveoperational readiness by reducing personnel deaths andinjuries and by decreasing material loss and damage. Toachieve that objective, you should ensure safety is anall-hands effort that is set in motion and monitored bythe entire chain of command.ORGANIZATIONALSAFETY RESPONSIBILITIESUltimate responsibility for the safety of the unit lieswith the commanding officer, and each individual playsa part in that safety. The commanding officer canenhance the safety program of the ship or unit, but youare also important to the success of the program.Specific safety responsibilities of the commandingofficer, safety officer, department and division safetyofficers, and master-at-arms/safety force can be found inBasic Military Requirements, NAVEDTRA 12018.You may be involved in the program at many differentlevels. For example, you may be assigned the duty ofdivision safety petty officer early in your career. Later,you may be responsible for training others in safety.Division Safety Petty OfficerThe division safety petty officer reports directly tothe division safety officer in all matters concerningdivision safety. In performing this duty, the divisionsafety petty officer is responsible for the following:Becoming thoroughly familiar with all safetydirectives and precautions concerning thedivisionConducting assigned division mishap preventiontraining and maintaining appropriate recordsAssisting in mishap investigations as directedMaking recommendations about the safetyprogram to the division safety officerAssisting the division safety officer in theexecution of assigned safety dutiesActing as a technical adviser on mattersof mishap prevention within the divisionServing on the safety committeeIndividual ResponsibilitiesSAFETY IS AN ALL-HANDS RESPONSI-BILITY. So what are your responsibilities for safety?Your personal responsibilities for safety—everywhereand at all times—are as follows:Observe all the precautions related to your workor duty. You may have gotten by with being
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