Mech summer 2004 and others

Mech, Fall, 2004 by Jack Quinlan

I was in the Army in the '60s and retired from the Navy as an HT. I'm now a health-and-safety trainer for a non-profit COSH group in Syracuse, N.Y. The Admiral's Comer and other articles speak of human factors being involved in 80 to 85 percent of mishaps, a number based on an old study, but I hate to blame the individual. We need improved systems engineering to eliminate problems. I heard the UAW deputy director for health and safety say, "You've never cooked your arm in a microwave because it's designed so you can't." Let's fix systems first.

Jack Quinlan, Health Safety Trainer Syracuse. N.Y.

The Navy has done a good job with systems safety and design. However. it's impossible or too costly to design away every conceivable hazard. Our stats clearly show, not rumor or old facts, that mishaps--across the board--involve human factors in about 80percent of our cases. We constantly are looking at ways to improve systems safety and to raise awareness with our people. It's not one idea over another; we do both. This magazine shares the good, bad and ugly that happens in the fleet, so our workers will know about hazards and how they can stay safe, avoiding the injuries or deaths described in the pages of this magazine. Thanks for your input.--Ed.