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Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

Cherry Point, North Carolina
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Combat Camera takes VPP lead, earns Bronze designation

By Cpl. U. B. Roberts | Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point | February 12, 2015

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For fully embracing safety standards and proactive safety measures at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., station Combat Camera was the first Safe Site to achieve the Voluntary Protection Program Bronze Level status on Dec. 23, 2014.

Since the first designation, 33 other Safe Sites have also achieved VPP Bronze Level.  

In 2005 the Department of Defense began incorporating the VPP into its safety standards. Since then, military installations across the DOD have joined the program aiming to reduce mishaps and preserve personnel and property.

VPP is a safety program designed to empower all employees to take a role in everyone’s safety.  It requires all air station leaders to promote a safe workplace environment at Cherry Point.  The program urges management accountability for workplace safety, elimination of hazards and employee involvement with health and safety measures.

“The process of earning the Bronze designation started with the safety program that we already had,” said Stephen Barber, the video chief and application area champion with Combat Camera. “From there, further guidance from VPP aided in fine tuning safety procedures and concerns.”

Each Safe Site at Cherry Point has specific goals for VPP implementation with a three-tiered system for assessing the achievements of individual workplaces here. The Bronze checklist includes tasks that work sections must complete to earn the designation, including displaying and maintaining a Safety Concern Board, participation in safety stand-downs and establishing safety goals and objectives.

Safe Sites also conduct a job hazard analysis, an evaluation for Safe Sites to identify and correct potential job hazards.

“It is rewarding to be able to be the first Safe Site aboard the air station to achieve the Bronze designation,” said Barber. “I hope that we will become the first Safe Site to achieve Silver and Gold designations.”

VPP is currently being implemented across all levels at Cherry Point. Each civilian employee and service member assigned to the air station has a role to play during VPP implementation, said Barber.

“To earn the Bronze designation I would simply suggest that the Safe Sites get involved,” said Barber. “Each site has a safety site lead and application area champion who will take the lead; all they have to do is care.”

Cherry Point personnel are expected to have fully implemented VPP by the end of 2016. For more information contact your safe site manager or section lead.


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