Extreme VPP: Kandahar, Afghanistan

摘要

What do OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs, the U.S. Army, and the global war on terrorism have to do with each other? Well, it's an interesting story... When I heard about a new position in the Army Reserve called a "combat safety officer," I wondered, who would have to tell people in combat to be safe? It seemed pretty self-evident, especially to this OSHA compliance officer who's built a career around safety and health. I quickly signed on for the job. As in most cases, reality turned out to be quite different from initial perceptions. I learned that the Army historically has more fatalities due to accidents than casualties from enemy action. For instance, in World War II, 56 percent of the deaths were from accidents, versus 43 percent from enemy action. During Operation Desert Shield/ Storm, the figures were even worse, with 75 percent of the casualties resulting from accidents.