Military bases are perhaps the most unsafe areas, in terms of accidents, both accidental and planned. This is mainly due to the kind of equipment that is found in such bases. Accidents and incidences may also arise due to the fact that the military is used to violence.
In some military bases, officers have reportedly engaged themselves in reckless shooting sprees, shooting everyone on sight as a result of their personal problems. Other incidents like weapons accidents like bomb detonations have also occurred in several military bases. The bases are also not an exception when it comes to vehicle accidents, fire accidents, contagious diseases, equipment losses etcetera.
Despite this, measures can be carried out to ensure that the military workplace is safe, and that incidences are substantially reduced. This paper is an exploration of the safety measures that can be taken to reduce incidences and accidents in the military workplace.
One of the measures that can be taken to improve military workplace safety is the implementation of strict guidelines for investigation and reporting of accidents. This will ensure that disgruntled officers do not perpetrate acts of violence on their fellow officers.
It is also of essence for the army to have a safety program that outlines policies, procedures and responsibilities that have been developed for preserving the resources of the army. This is aimed at ensuring that resources do not get lost, and also providing a platform for conflict resolution in the case of theft of resources.
There should also be strict guidelines on the contracting processes used in acquiring army equipment. This will ensure that the materials procured for the army are in good condition, and thus they will not cause accidents. Also of essence is the implementation of strict control measures to reduce the likelihood of spread of diseases among army officers. Emergency treatment measures should also be planned in order to respond swiftly to any outbreak.
Of, arguably, more importance is the efficient management of explosive equipment. This will ensure that explosive equipment do not cause accidents, planned or unplanned, within the military bases.
There is also a need to have fire fighting materials in the military bases. This will be very instrumental in mitigating losses incurred in case of a fire.
Officers should also be appropriately trained on response measures in times of accidents to make them able to mitigate losses incurred in case an accident occurs. Examples of such skills include fire fighting skills, first aid skills, or even vehicle accident response strategies.
Despite the aforementioned need for military base safety measures, many military bases still operate under very risky conditions. On main safety fault military bases commit is the fact that they base most of their operations on trust among the officers.
This is very dangerous since sometimes some disgruntled officers may decide to go on suicide or revenge missions that may leave a number of their colleagues dead.
Additionally, a military base in which explosives can be accessed by a number of officers will be unsafe for the military officers, because the officers who can access the explosives may misbehave, or even handle them carelessly.
As evidenced in the discussion above, safety is a very important element of the military workplace. Policy makers and planners of military activities should ensure that they take sufficient measures to ensure the protection of officers involved in military activities.
Otherwise, it will be very unfortunate if officers become casualties of mediocre safety planning. All in all, the military workplace is very sensitive as far as safety is concerned, and thus every military base should be protected from potential risks to safety.