Chu urges renewed focus to reduce preventable accidents Published Jan. 25, 2005 By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON -- The Defense Department wants servicemembers and civilians to concentrate on safety whether they are on or off duty, the department's top personnel official said Jan. 24.Each year scores of Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen, as well as DOD civilians, are killed or injured by preventable accidents, said Dr. David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.For example, "we lose several hundred military persons a year in motor vehicle accidents," Dr. Chu said. "That tragic record continues" during military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.DOD officials have been evaluating safety policies and programs as part of the department’s transformation efforts, he said. In a May 2003 memorandum, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld stated that top organizations like DOD "do not tolerate preventable accidents."The secretary asked Dr. Chu to lead the effort to reduce the number of mishaps and accident rates within the department by 50 percent over the next two years."These goals are achievable, and will directly increase our operational readiness," Secretary Rumsfeld said in the memo. "We owe no less to the men and women who defend our nation."Meeting the secretary's short-term safety goal requires "real process change" across the department, Dr. Chu said. To facilitate that change, the Defense Safety Oversight Council was established, he said, composed of the undersecretaries of defense, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the undersecretaries of the military departments.That group meets every other month, Dr. Chu said, to provide guidance "and to monitor the accident-reduction efforts the department is undertaking."The long-term safety goal, Dr. Chu said, "is zero preventable mishaps." The council's existence demonstrates that senior leaders are "involved in pursuing this goal."Also, Dr. Chu said, a series of task forces have been set up to address safety concerns in military aviation, training, deployment operations, installation or industrial operations, privately operated motor vehicle safety and workmen's compensation.Dr. Chu said another task force examines acquisition and technology safety issues, while yet another looks at establishing a DOD-wide safety monitoring system. A general officer or a Senior Executive Service civilian heads each task force which all use input from safety experts from across the department and private industry.The acquisition and technology task force, Dr. Chu said, studies lessons to improve safety standards for present and future military systems. For example, he said, the task force examined the issue of missing or outdated safety features on tactical military vehicles.As a result, he said, Army officials are now retrofitting its heavy-truck fleet -- including trucks used in combat theaters -- with quick-release, multipoint seat belts and anti-lock brakes."Vehicle crashes are the largest accidental killer of U.S. military personnel," Dr. Chu said. In Iraq, Humvees and tactical cargo trucks "comprise the largest segment of accidental vehicle deaths." Department safety experts said they believe that ensuring seat belt use by servicemembers, controlling speed and managing driver fatigue "can reduce these accidents," he said.And the leading noncombat-associated killer of servicemembers, Dr. Chu said, is privately operated vehicle accidents -- including motorcycles.The highest risk group in this category, Dr. Chu said, includes servicemembers 18 to 24 years of age. Military commanders, he said, will continue to issue safety messages to troops "to re-emphasize the need to exercise good judgment."Dr. Chu said that medical surveillance is a "key element" of DOD's injury-reduction program."We need to know where, when and why an injury occurs," he said. It is important to know not only the types of servicemember injuries, "but also the causes," he said."Important progress" has been made on the safety front, Dr. Chu said, but, "We've got a long way to go to meet the secretary's goals."