Safety Is Everyone’s Job

By Jim Gerard, NASA INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL

One of the paramount tenants of NASA culture is safety. Working with the most complex machines ever devised, with fuels and chemicals that are extremely toxic, and in environments where a false step could lead to a deadly drop or an alligator’s mouth, we must always put safety first. The testament to this ingrained culture of safety is the low rate of accidents occurring at NASA. But we must never let success lead to complacency. Agency meetings begin with a safety tip. Even NASA’s upcoming holiday parties will start with ways to keep ourselves safe. As one LiveChat speaker said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” And for NASA, the MAIN thing is safety.

Part of NASA’s safety culture is learning how to properly use the many tools we use. Sometimes it looks easy, but like they say on Mythbusters, “Don’t try this at home: we’re professionals!” And sometimes our familiarity with the tools we use every day and our close work with similar minded workers we see every day, causes us to fail stressing safety when speaking to others. While you always keep track of your fellow workers, YOU are ultimately responsible for your own safety. I am required, even though I work in an office building far from any industrial setting, to take yearly training to be aware of hazards, to learn and know alarms and signals that indicate danger, and even how to stick my head in a plastic bag connected to a portable oxygen tank to be used if evacuation is needed from a toxic environment.

Likewise, you must watch out and be responsible for your own safety. We try very hard to ensure all activities posted to the INSPIRE website have gone through a safety check, and should be able to be performed and completed without supervision (but let your folks in on the fun!). We know how motivated you all are, and many of you independently seek out other websites and activities to build on your INSPIRE experience.  Be aware these outside sources may contain instructions to use tools or perform actions that may not be as safe (again, the Mythbuster’s disclaimer). Any use of power tools, knives, or chemicals should be done under parental supervision, and always look for safer alternatives.

The 1980’s cop show ‘Hill Street Blues’ would always close the daily briefing with the Sargent saying, “Hey let’s be careful out there!”  We here with INSPIRE could say no less.

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