June 13, 2019 • APG News A5

Region Safety Council, said he has a “pas-

sion for safety.” He said 5% of the working

population works in construction, and con-

struction is responsible for 20% of all work-

place fatalities.

“That’s the spark that gets me fired up,”

Madaras said.

He told the audience safety is using

“common sense.” The accident prevention

process includes recognizing the hazard,

understanding the hazard and controlling the

hazard, he said.

According to Madaras, the three main

challenges to safety are comfort, conve-

nience and expediency. He said many people

engage in risky behavior every day by driv-

ing distracted.

“Before you do something, you just take

a couple of seconds, take a deep breath and

look at it, look at the danger and think about

it,” he said.

WorkshopsThe event included safety-focused work-

shops with topics like boating and bicycling

safety, tick awareness and ergonomics.

In one room, attendees were asked to

identify safety hazards in an office envi-

ronment. Anont Koonkongsatian, an occu-

pational safety specialist with the CECOM

Software Engineering Center, said it’s impor-

tant to inform the workforce about what safe-

ty specialists do on a daily basis.

“A day like today to reinforce our mission

is great is because we’re doing it proactively,

not reactively,” he said.

Darrell Gregg, chief of staff for the Pro-

gram Executive Office Command, Control,

Communications-Tactical, said he’ll take les-

sons learned from the day to ensure the work-

force is safe.

“An organization has to reinforce the

importance of safety so leadership needs to be

present,” he said. “If we’re not out here learn-

ing what to look for, how can we hold our

folks accountable in doing the right thing?”

Another room contained informational dis-

plays from several organizations including the

APG Army Wellness Center, which had mate-

rial about sun safety, heat protection and food

safety. The center also presented a class, “Be

Fit as you Sit,” which focused on activities for

people with desk jobs.

“Going into summertime, people like to

get beach ready,” said Lowrell Bellard, an

AWC health educator. “We’re helping those

people reach those goals safely and in a

healthy way.”

Nancy Vause, an audiologist, with the

Army Public Health Center’s Army Hear-

ing Program, and Melissa Webster, an APHC

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

intern, conducted hearing protection fit-test-

ing, which determines how effective a hear-

ing protection device is for an individual when

worn correctly.

“Noise-induced hearing loss is the number

one occupational disability,” Vause said. “It is

generally painless, progressive over time, is

permanent and is preventable.”

Maryland Department of Transportation

demonstrators set up a motorcycle simulator

outside the training facility. The simulator is

designed to help new and experienced riders

improve hazard perception and road manage-

ment skills.

Curtis Phillips of CECOM, a self-described

novice rider, said he found the simulator “real-

istic.” He added that he came to safety day

for pointers for when he’s out with his friends

who have motorcycles and boats. He also

learned CPR techniques for the first time.

“I just want to know the precautions I can

take so everything goes well,“ he said.

Matt Smith, a representative of 3M Fall

Protection presented a demonstration on falls.

Smith said falls are the number one cause of

death in construction. The demonstration uses

a weight to show will happen in a fall.

“A lot of people who are out there exposed

to fall hazards just don’t really think about

what kind of forces they generate in a fall,” he

said. “The demonstration shows how critical

it is to wear the harness properly and use the

proper equipment.”

SAFETYContinued from Page

Curtis Phillips, of the Communications-Electronics Command, uses a motorcycle simulator during the APG Safety Day June 5, 2019.

Photo by Jon Bleiweis, APG News

Melissa Webster, an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education intern sup-porting the U.S. Army Public Health Center’s Army Hearing Program, conducts hearing protection fit-testing on an attendee during APG Safety Day at the Mallette Training Facility June 5, 2019. This test determines how effective a hearing protection device is for an individual when worn correctly.

Courtesy photo

land website, at www.somd.org, “the mis-

sion of Special Olympics is to provide

year-round sports training and athletic com-

petition in a variety of Olympic-type sports

for persons eight years of age and older

with intellectual disabilities, giving them

continuing opportunities to develop phys-

ical fitness, demonstrate courage, expe-

rience joy and participate in a sharing of

gifts, skills and friendship with their fam-

ilies, other Special Olympics athletes, and

the community.”

“The Special Olympics community

is grateful to the officers from around

the world who raise awareness and funds

through the Law Enforcement Torch Run

(LETR) for Special Olympics,” the site

states.

While the Torch Run has historical-

ly been all about awareness, through law

enforcement outreach, this year the SOMD

opened up participation to military person-

nel and civilians who wished to support the

effort.

Before the runners moved out as a group

on the run that wound through Havre de

Grace and then traveled along Route 40 to

the Baltimore County line, they received

send offs from law enforcement leaders.

Havre de Grace Police Chief Teresa Wal-

ter said it appeared to be the largest gath-

ering ever for the annual run the city has

supported “for many, many years.”

“On behalf of the Havre de Grace Police

Department and Mayor Bill Martin, thank

you very much for coming out and support-

ing us,” she said.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler

added his thanks for all the work and coor-

dination that went into the venture as well as

for the runners’ enthusiasm.

“We’re glad to see so many runners on a

beautiful, perfect morning,” he said. “All of

you have fun, but don’t overdo it. Be safe

and enjoy yourselves today.”

Lt. Charles “Chuck” Rykiel, traffic sec-

tion commander, coordinated the APG

Police Department runners.

The SOMD games were played June 7-9

at Towson University.

Lt. Charles “Chuck” Rykiel, far left, poses for a group photo with the team of APG police officers and a family member who participated in the 2019 Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics of Maryland near the Susquehanna Lock House Museum in Havre de Grace, June 4, 2019.

Photo by Yvonne Johnson, APG News

TORCHContinued from Page A1