R 111130Z JUN 02
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML ALMAR(n)
ALMAR
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UNCLAS
ALMAR 034/02
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/MAY 2002 SAFETY SUMMARY//
RMKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF MAY 2002, SIX MARINES DIED IN ON AND
OFF DUTY MISHAPS, TWENTY NINE MARINES SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES,
AND TWO MARINES DIED FROM SUICIDES.  THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF
OUR CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2002:
 A.  FATALITIES
   (1)  TWO MARINES DIED IN ON-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.  A GYSGT DIED
AFTER THE FORKLIFT HE WAS DRIVING OVERTURNED AND TRAPPED HIM, AND A
CPL DIED AFTER AN LAV ROLLED OVER, KILLING HIM AND INJURING FOUR MORE
MARINES.
   (2)  FOUR MARINES DIED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS DURING MAY: ALL WERE
E-4 AND BELOW.  EACH DIED ON THE ROAD.  TWO MARINES DIED AFTER THEY
LOST CONTROL OF THEIR MOTORCYCLES.  THE OTHER TWO DIED IN PMV CRASHES.
NONE OF THESE OFF-DUTY MISHAPS INVOLVED OTHER VEHICLES.
 B.  SUICIDES:
TWO MARINES DIED OF SUSPECTED SUICIDES: ONE FROM CARBON MONOXIDE
ASPHYXIATION, AND A SECOND WAS FOUND HANGING FROM THE OVERHEAD IN
A PRESS SHOP AND DIED AFTER HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.
 C.  INJURIES
   (1)  SEVEN MARINES SUSTAINED SERIOUS ON-DUTY INJURIES DURING MAY.
FIVE OF THE SEVEN WERE E-4 AND BELOW.  THE INJURIES WERE INCURRED
DURING MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING, FAST ROPE TRAINING, AN LAV ACCIDENT,
AND A NEGLIGENT DISHARGE.
   (2)  TWENTY TWO MARINES WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN OFF-DUTY
MISHAPS.  SEVENTEEN WERE INJURED IN PMV, MOTORCYCLE, AND PEDESTRIAN
MISHAPS.  ALMOST HALF OF THE TOTAL PMV AND MOTORCYCLE INJURIES
OCCURED TO LCPLS.  SEATBELTS AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SAVE
LIVES, BUT ONLY IF YOU USE THEM.
 D.  AVIATION:  NONE.
2.  MIXED NEWS:
 A.  LAST FY THIS TIME, 40 MARINES HAD DIED IN ON AND OFF DUTY GROUND
MISHAPS AND ANOTHER SIX DIED IN AVIATION MISHAPS.  FIFTY EIGHT
MARINES HAVE DIED YEAR TO DATE IN ON DUTY GROUND AND OFF DUTY
MISHAPS, AND ANOTHER 15 HAVE DIED IN AVIATION MISHAPS
(2 USN MISHAPS).
 B.  DURING THE MONTH OF MAY, THE NUMBER OF PMV FATALITIES WAS CUT IN
HALF FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH, TYING THE LOWEST RECORDED MONTHLY TOTAL
THIS FISCAL YEAR.  CONVERSELY, THE NUMBER OF MOTORCYCLE MISHAPS
RESULTING IN DEATH INCREASED TO A FISCAL YEAR HIGH.  AS PREVIOUSLY
STATED, THIS IS THE SEASON OF HIGH RISK FOR CYCLISTS.  DURING MAY,
NINE MOTORCYLE MISHAPS CLAIMED THE LIVES OF TWO, AND SERIOUSLY
INJURED SEVEN MORE.  WE CANNOT STRESS DEFENSIVE DRIVING ENOUGH WHEN
IT COMES TO MOTORCYCLE SAFETY.  IF YOU'RE NOT SAFETY TRAINED - GET
SAFETY TRAINED!  EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED RIDER IS VULNERABLE TO A
RECKLESS DRIVER.
3.  OUR SEATBELT SAFETY "HEADS UP" OF THE MONTH GOES TO THREE PFC'S
WHOSE UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER WITH BAMBI LEFT THEM WITH LITTLE LOVE FOR
DEER AFTER ONE CROSSED THEIR PATH ON A GA HIGHWAY.  SWERVING TO AVOID
THE WHITE TAIL, THEIR VEHICLE LEFT THE ROAD, CROSSED A DITCH, AND HIT
A TREE.  AFTER BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE MEDICAL CENTER, ALL WERE
REPORTED TO BE DOING FINE (TWO TREATED AND RELEASED/ONE ADMITTED IN
STABLE GUARDED CONDITION).  ALONG WITH BRUISES AND BROKEN BONES,
EACH HAS A NEW RESPECT FOR THEIR SEATBELTS, WHICH MOST LIKELY SAVED
THEIR LIVES.
4. HQMC SAFETY DIVISION HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS QUESTIONS ABOUT ALMAR
033/02, DTG 241600 MAY02, (POST OP PAUSE SAFETY MESSAGE).  MOST OF
THE QUESTIONS CONCERN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIT SAFETY OFFICERS DOWN
TO BATTALION LEVEL, DESIGNATED AS SPECIAL STAFF OFFICERS AND
APPOINTED IN WRITING.  THE TERM SAFETY OFFICER IS DEFINED AS A
COMMISSIONED, WARRANT, STAFF NON-COMMISSIONED OR NON-COMMISSIONED
OFFICER.  MCO 5100.8F PROVIDES FURTHER GUIDANCE ON THIS REQUIREMENT
FOR MARINE REGIMENTS, AIRCRAFT GROUPS AND HIGHER.  AIRCRAFT SQUADRONS
HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONED SAFETY OFFICER REQUIREMENTS AS OUTLINED
IN OPNAVINST 3750.6.  BASED ON ALMAR 033/02, COMMANDING OFFICERS
OF BATTALION SIZED UNITS OR SMALLER HAVE THE OPTION OF APPOINTING
A COMMISSIONED, WARRANT, STAFF NON-COMMISSIONED OR NON-COMMISSIONED
OFFICER TO THE SAFETY OFFICER BILLET.  AS ALWAYS, STRICTER GUIDANCE
MAY BE PUBLISHED LOCALLY.
5.  COMMANDERS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL MARINES HAVE READ THIS ALMAR.
6.  SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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