Summer safety stand down at NCBC

Summer is almost here and people everywhere are getting ready for boating, lounging on the beach, grilling and more. All classic summer activities, but they don’t come without hazards. The Navy Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport is making sure their employees stay safe both on and off the job.
One hundred and one critical days, it’s the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day where people are typically relaxing and spending time with family and friends, but there are risks involved. That’s why the Seabee Base hosts their Summer Safety Stand Down in Gulfport. NCBC Safety Director Timothy Proctor said, “One of the biggest things we’ve shown in the history of doing this, we’ve reduced the number of mishaps in accidents that happen to our service members and civilian employees by half by just doing this at the beginning of the season.”
With warmer weather here and travel and outdoor activities expected to increase over the summer, this safety stand down teaches Seabee Base employees things like grilling safety, boating safety, suicide awareness and more. NCBC Employee Karrie Davies said, “Being from the north west, not used to the humidity and heat. It was good to learn how fast you can dehydrate. Also it was good to learn about all the different spiders, the ticks, and what to do when they happen. It was nice to be able to identify them.”
They even have a station demonstrating the dangers of drunk driving using special goggles to simulate different intensities of intoxication to show people what it’s like to really drive under the influence. “You can see how different levels of alcohol, percentages of alcohol affect your body while you’re trying to drive, walk or even trying to throw a beanbag,” said Proctor.
The safety stand down is held twice a year, kicking off the winter and summer months and honing in on the safety hazards of each season. “We want everybody to come back at the end of each weekend. That way they’re there for work, we don’t have to train a new person. It saves the Navy thousands upon thousands by doing this,” said Proctor.