PMV Mishaps Exceed FY-06 Targeted Limit

The Naval Safety Center reported, Dec. 27, that the Navy has exceeded its targeted limit of 29 mishaps for the entire fiscal year (FY)—a critical statistic because nine months remain in the fiscal year. Two PMV mishaps late last week put the Navy over the number that would have allowed it to stay on track to reduce mishaps 75 percent by FY '08. “We are shocked at the numbers,” said Capt. Bill Glenn, Director of Shore Safety Programs at the Naval Safety Center. “A lot of dedicated people around the fleet have done an enormous amount of work to prevent traffic-related mishaps and deaths. We are looking at all areas of responsibility and ways to stop the terrible increase in the loss of our Sailors and Marines.” Fiscal year 2006 started off poorly with a series of motorcycle and PMV mishaps in October. After a short decline, mishaps continued their climb to the highest limit in 17 years. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, four Sailors and Marines died, and mishaps continued to accumulate. In early December, the Chief of Naval Operation (CNO) Adm. Michael G. Mullen addressed this problem in NAVADMIN 315/05. “This is a trend we cannot tolerate and must correct immediately,” Mullen wrote. “Systematic and root causes of these tragic accidents can be traced to uniformed safety awareness culture that has perpetuated through our ranks. Clearly, leadership must take immediate actions to reverse this trend.” The CNO then directed all leaders and commands to instill in all personnel the need to use operational risk management (ORM) on and off duty. He urged commands to review their programs to make sure they were comprehensive and covered PMV and off-duty safety. He also directed Immediate Superiors in Command to review motor-vehicle safety within all their organizations before the holiday stand-down period, ensuring they have a proactive program to include ORM on duty and while on liberty. Source: NavNews