'101 Critical Days' campaign to begin May 24 Published May 8, 2013 By Tech. Sgt. Judy Mehaffy 81st Training Wing ground safety officer KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- It's that time of year again. Swimwear is flying off of the store racks, boat covers are being removed, motorcycles are being dusted off, running shoes are getting extra miles and vacation planning is in full bloom. Summertime can be filled with a multitude of activities and adventures. The hot and beautiful days are a great time for fun, but with an increase in activities comes a greater chance for accidents. In the Air Force, the effort to reduce summer accidents is known as the "101 Critical Days of Summer."The 2013 campaign kicks off May 24 and ends on Sep. 3. Every year, the Air Force Safety Center extensively promotes the "101 Critical Days of Summer" safety campaign. The 2013 motto is "Safe 'n Sound-All Year Round." According to the Air Force Safety Center, the 2013 campaign has been developed to raise awareness of the hazards during the summer season. It is an effort to help all Airmen mitigate those hazards and to understand that safety has a role in everything we do, both on- and off-duty. While all Airmen have a commitment to the core values of integrity, service, and excellence, Airmen must also have a commitment to the safety of their family, friends, co-workers and country with the same intensity. Many, if not all, mishaps are preventable. Common factors during mishaps include lack of situational awareness, inattention, and inadequate use of the risk assessment process. Each and every Airman can and should take precautions to help prevent mishaps. All Airmen have a responsibility to use personal risk management. Prior to participating in an activity, especially a new activity, analyze it step-by step. Are you able to identify potential hazards? What can you do to eliminate or reduce the hazard? The challenge to prevent a mishap is to break the chain of events leading up to the moment of the accident. If something doesn't look right, feel right or smell right, stop and assess the situation and determine the best course of action to break the chain. Airmen also need to be open with their leadership and let them know in which activities they participate. There are many summer time activities deemed high risk. It is essential to follow your units "High Risk Activities" program protocol prior to participating in a high risk activity. Supervisors should engage and get involved with their personnel to find out what they are doing while off duty, as well as provide guidance to point them in the right direction. What you say and do could lead to an Airman making the right decision versus the wrong one. Some of the topics to be highlighted in the 2013 campaign are heat stress, stormy weather preparedness, firework safety, motorcycle safety, boating and water safety, safe driving awareness and sports injury prevention. The 81st Training Wing Safety Office will be providing safety briefing material throughout the campaign. Look for the first week's topic, "On the Road Again" on May 24. With everyone's safety a priority during this summer, let's all be "Safe 'n Sound".