Paradise is a small town nestled on the convergence of the Gulf, Alabama, and is the central point of colonial West Florida. There is much to attract here. There are sugar-white beaches, bays, bayous, and rivers. There is wildlife (including the bears who periodically accost my morning walks). But, to some, the soul of Paradise is the claim of being the home of the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels.
There is no downside to this residency. Certainly, the planes can be loud, but they are not disruptive or disturbing. I lived just off the runway at Ronald Reagan International for a time, and those flights were much more noticeable. The upside is that Paradise and Paradise Beach each enjoy an air show each year, one mid-summer and the other a "homecoming" in the late fall.
The Blues are my topic today as a reminder about how safety is integrated into the workplace and the community.
The precipitating event was labelled by WEAR TV as "Low Blue Angels flyover at Pensacola Beach sends items flying, shocks beachgoers." The story was complete with video. It described a very low pass over a crowded beach strewn with observers on hand for the practice event labeled "Breakfast with the Blues" on Wednesday, July 15.
Suffice it to say that the F/A18 Hornet passed very close to the observers. Nonetheless, many were thrilled with the experience. Some recounted adjectives, others made comparisons, and all seemed unfazed by the proximity of a low-flying precision war machine. I spent some time years ago around those involved in the F/A18 design/build, and its precision and impressiveness are unparalleled in my estimation. Beyond the quoted enthusiasts and fans, there were also some negative comments on that story.
The Blue Angels were quoted in the WEAR TV story noting, "the safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority."
Safety is indeed an important mission of every workplace. We see the challenges of workplace injury and persistently strive for better preparation, education, and prevention. It is a core element of the world of workers' compensation.
The next day, the Blues loyalists had noted that the number 3 plane had not practiced that day, following the low flyover the day before. They started a public "free number 3" campaign, and the local news published their story. The quotes there were supportive. Some were even bombastic. The comments to that story outed the pilot by name and noted his explanation that he had miscalculated, leading to the close pass.
There were calls for grace and expressions of enthusiasm and support. There was some negativity as well. There were various opinions expressed as regards the fan demand that number 3 fly the show on Saturday. When all was said and done, the Saturday event flew without number 3. By all accounts, it was nonetheless a great show.
The point in all this is rather simple. The man on the street is not the best situated to work an investigation. There are professionals trained for such tasks. All day, across the country, they are looking into tragedies, accidents, and near misses. None of those are pejoratives. Sometimes there is a catastrophic event; other times, mere accidents. Either can have devastating effects on workers and employers. Yes, "workers," because a tragedy can impact the injured worker's coworkers as well.
The near miss, however, is usually a blessing. That begins, of course, with the "miss" part. It is important for safety officials to notice such events. The safety experts benefit the worker and the public with their reevaluation and study of what, when, where, and why. They analyze accidents and near misses and help the work world to adjust and improve so that there is no "next time." And they do so without the influence or input of the wide, wide world of spectators and comment pundits.
The safety expert's role is not crowd-pleasing. Their role is evaluation and prevention. All of the pundits on the sideline are not needed in the evaluation of when number 3 rejoins the flight. That is a decision for the safety experts, the leadership, and number 3 himself. None of them can be led in that regard by uninformed public sentiment. And you would not want it any other way.
