Air Force recognizes AFMC’s ground safety program Published March 4, 2008 By Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Air Force safety officials announced Feb. 29 that Air Force Materiel Command won the 2007 Col. Will L. Tubbs Memorial Award for Ground Safety in Category I. The award recognizes the most effective Air Force major command, direct reporting unit or forward operating agency ground safety program. Category I is for units with more than 30,000 military and civilian personnel. Among the command's safety accomplishments in fiscal 2007, officials reported a 33 percent reduction in Class A ground safety mishaps and a 17 percent reduction in Class C mishaps. An incident is categorized as a Class A mishap when the cost is $1 million or more; the mishap results in a fatality or permanent total disability; or an Air Force aircraft is destroyed. Class C mishaps involve incidents where damage is between $20,000 and $200,000; an injury results in a lost workday; or an occupational illness causes a worker to be absent. AFMC also was the lead major command for the Air Force's Voluntary Protection Program, or VPP. This program originates from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and focuses on incorporating the Air Force's culture of safety in the air, on the ground, at work, at home and at play. AFMC published an Air Force Concept of Operations which, in turn, shaped the Air Force's VPP path. AFMC officials also cited the command's efforts to correct a major trend analysis shortfall. Now a semi-annual report helps safety officials identify areas for target mishap prevention. Once targets are identified, officials can allocate resources to reduce mishaps in those areas. The announcement marks the second time AFMC has won the award since the command stood up July 1, 1992. AFMC previously won the award in 1999.