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Robins unit receives OSHA safety award

The 402nd Software Maintenance Group at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., has been named a “Star Site” by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The group is the first government organization at Robins, and the first maintenance unit in Air Force Materiel Command, to receive the designation.

Star Site is OSHA’s highest level of recognition under the Voluntary Protection Program, which recognizes performance-based safety excellence that builds on existing safety and occupational health programs.

An OSHA auditing team spent three days with the group in early June, touring eight facilities, reviewing hundreds of records and interviewing many of its 900 employees.

Melanie Clearman, the VPP program manager at Robins, said earning the recognition is a “very big deal” and puts Robins on track for its ultimate goal of having the entire base declared a Star Site.

The 402nd has put up bulletin boards upon which photos of family members and even pets are posted to remind workers why they should be safe. Work areas also have boards where employees can anonymously alert leadership to safety hazards. Each computer also has a safety “dashboard” where team members can track VPP-related information.