or no thought in their selection, can have a negative effect on the viewer. Films selected with care can increase mishap prevention awareness. Viewers will remember what they have seen in the films in future situations. Continual monitoring of the mishap prevention program at each level of responsibility will reveal problem areas. Once the problem areas have been recognized, further training that deals with these areas can be carried out. This training can be conducted at the work center or command level, as required. SAFETY INSPECTIONS Safety inspections must be organized on a regular, systematic basis because unsafe conditions are always being created. First, all things wear out with use. Pipes corrode, cable strands break, insulation rots away, and hand tools develop defects. In the process, unsafe conditions are born. Secondly, the actions of people create unsafe conditions. Materials are occasionally left in hazardous locations. Tools are occasionally abused and rendered unsafe for the next person to use. Guards are sometimes removed and not replaced. Safety devices are sometimes made inoperative. Wherever people work, unsafe conditions are created. Unsafe conditions may be created through honest ignorance, gross neglect, or deliberate action. The result is a steady trickle of unsafe conditions into virtually every place of work. The situation is somewhat like a boat with a leaky bottom. Unless the water is bailed out regularly, the boat is soon flooded. Similarly, unless regular safety inspections are held, most workplaces are soon flooded with unsafe conditions. That is when mishaps begin to occur. Inspections are one of your most important tools for  maintaining  mishap-free  work  conditions. Inspections also help you ensure proper work habits and follow job progress. Types of formal and informal inspections include the following: Special. Those which focus on a specific problem Periodic. A thorough and systematic inspection of an area on a regular basis Continuous. A constant inspection as part of the daily routine Intermittent. Unannounced or unscheduled inspections Several points should be considered when making an inspection. Know what to look for by knowing the job and the worker’s responsibilities. Practice observation. Think about what you see— or should see. Keep an open mind at all times. Do not be satisfied with general impressions. Guard against habit and familiarity. Prepare and use a checklist. Start corrective action immediately. Inspections provide several important benefits. They are a means of checking on the adequacy of past training. They promote on-the-spot corrections and develop cooperative attitudes toward mishap prevention. They can reveal better job methods. They make personnel aware of unsafe acts and conditions. They can also be used to promote awareness of hidden hazards that have become part of the daily routine and are no longer recognized as hazards. Inspections by outsiders can also have many benefits. These inspectors will see habits and other things ignored or unrecognized by the personnel who live with the hazards on a day-to- day  basis.  These  outside  inspections  may  be conducted by personnel from another work area or from a higher level of command, such as a squadron staff. Informal safety surveys are also conducted by the Naval Safety Center. Daily informal inspections should be conducted with the aim of discovering hazards and preventing damage or injury. First-line supervisors should conduct  inspections  during  the  course  of  the workday on a random basis to identify hazards. Inspections should be conducted by all levels of management, formally and informally. Inspections should always be made in the presence of personnel normally associated with the space. That will make them immediately aware of all unsafe practices or conditions. SAFETY PROGRAMS In 1974 the President of the United States adopted safety programs consistent with Occupa- tional Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for government employees. During recent years the Navy has set up specific programs using OSHA standards as guides. That has resulted in most Navy safety programs being even stricter than OSHA requirements. Remember that OSHA has the authority to inspect naval activities. Basic guidance for Navy Occupational Safety and Health (NAV- OSH) is contained in OPNAVINST 5100.23B. In this section, we will discuss some of the safety programs developed to provide us with safe working conditions in sometimes not-so-safe environments. 6-3