Danger ahead; safety in mind: 319th Civil Engineer Squadron

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Xavier Navarro
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  When it comes to the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron's work ethic, it isn't shocking to see them get down and dirty, working hard to keep the base running.

The electrical systems shop is in charge of maintaining all electrical infrastructures while the power production shop maintains installation generators to keep the base's power supply continuous while the pavement and equipment operator shop paves the way to buildings to assure everyone gets to their destination safely; safety is a priority for all three jobs, since they deal with hazardous and dangerous work environments on a daily basis.

Master Sgt. Brian Crane, 319th CES unit safety representative, is the overseer for annual training records management in his squadron. He supervises each section in CE to ensure their training is up to date and the mission is handled correctly. In Crane's career, he has seen numerous scenarios in each section that have in some way gone wrong when dealing with hazardous equipment, chemicals and weather.

Crane developed a job training outline (Form 55), that is unique to each section which gives Airmen a way to develop their own training with helpful guidelines.

"I knew that if I give ownership to the Airmen of their own job training requirements then they will take it and make it theirs," said Crane. "Our squadron commander, Lt. Col. Edward Phillips, emphasizes on risk management and it is very important to him and everyone."

It's not shocking to Mark Lawrence, 319th Civil Engineer Squadron electrical systems supervisor, how important safety training and precautions the electricians have to take are.

"Our shop has thirteen military (members) and six civilians that receive annual training such as bucket truck training and pole rescue," said Lawrence. "Depending on the job, we have certain clothing that we wear when we go out to job sites; face mask, high voltage gloves, and arc resistant hard hats."

Lawrence mentioned that most of their safety training applies to every career field, but they have specific points to cover such as shock hazards and workmanships which help individuals complete their current duty tasks safely without putting others in danger.

Staff Sgt. Brady Timme, 319th Civil Engineer Squadron electrical power production craftsman, tells Airmen that they should always have another technician with you while working.

The power pro shop maintains all electrical infrastructures on base. They deal mostly with electrical systems and their training consists of assuring each Airman knows the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) to use in certain aspects of their job. They also are CPR and AED certified.

Tech. Sgt. James Ruege, 319th Civil Engineer Squadron heavy equipment operator, keeps track of three continuity safety binders that the Airmen must study that explains which PPE to wear for the job. They are also required to complete 40 hours of vehicle training from snow plows to backhoes.

As well as training for vehicle operations, heavy equipment operators are in change of handling all vehicle liquids for their squadron. Each Airmen trains and is briefed on what safety precautions they should take when dealing with these chemicals.

"Our biggest safety hazard is noise," said Regue. "We emphasize on wearing double ear protection and ear plugs, but there are lists of hazards we have come in contact with in our career field."

The pavement and equipment operator acquire safety briefings at least once a week or more. They discussed hazardous situations that came about during the work site and how they fixed it.

"Situational awareness is a key factor in our day to day operations," said Ruege. "If we don't take precautions then we risk having a chance to not go home to our families."

(Editor's note: This is the first in a series of three articles showing how different units on Grand Forks AFB approach the subject of safety.)