Falling head over heels for safety Published May 18, 2017 By Staff Sgt. Joseph Raatz 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Airman Stephanie Snuffy, a new electrical technician fresh from technical training school, is impatiently waiting for her supervisor to finish using a ladder so she can borrow it and replace one last burned-out fluorescent bulb in the office across the hall. After waiting several minutes, she runs out of patience and walks back into the other room. “Forget this,” Snuffy mutters. “We were supposed to be done half an hour ago.” Snuffy climbs onto an office chair, using the increased height to reach the light panel. She replaces the bulb and stretches out the hand not holding the burned-out tube to swing the cover shut. The chair swivels unexpectedly, causing her to lose her balance. Time seems to slow as she falls backwards, throwing her unoccupied hand out behind her to catch herself. She lands hard, and not at the angle she predicted. Next thing she knows Snuffy is sitting on the ground, cradling her broken arm. While Airman Snuffy's situation is fictional, scenarios like this are all-too-common. Air Force-wide from 2012-2016, nearly 3,500 Airmen were involved in non-sports related falls, resulting in more than 42,000 lost days of work. Of those incidents, 13 resulted in fatalities. “It’s incumbent upon every Airman, supervisor, and senior leader to ensure our workforce is aware of all mishap prevention requirements, have the proper equipment to prevent falls, and know how to use that equipment properly,” said Bill Parsons, chief of Air Force Occupational Safety. “Most falls from heights result from non-compliance or inadequate training.” Fall prevention awareness and training are generally focused on falls from heights due to the greater potential for serious injury or death. However, falls on even surfaces are much more common, according to Mike Eckert, chief of Air Force Traffic Safety & Outreach. “Fall-related injuries are more common on wet surfaces or stumbles in walkways,” Eckert said. “Most falls are preventable if we follow basic safety practices and maintain situational awareness.” The 2nd Bomb Wing held a wing safety day, May 19, to discuss fall prevention in the workplace and to address the need for compliance, training and awareness. This marks the fourth year the Air Force has partnered with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute of Occupation Safety and Health to draw attention to fall prevention. “When it comes to fall prevention it’s imperative our Airmen are properly trained and we use the right equipment for the job each and every time,” said Richard Knowles, 2nd BW safety deputy chief.