Mandatory Monthly Safety Briefing Gets "Watered Down" By Region

[RADIOMAN015]

Interestingly Northeast region just put out a policy clarification that basically states that if you decided to miss 5 safety briefings IF you want to participate that's all you have to do is get a safety briefing to be current for the month you want to actively participate in CAP activities.  So I guess this means even an active regular member who just is going to take a few months off, just doesn't have to do the on line safety briefings or attend the unit safety briefings in person UNLESS they want to participate.   So technically anyone just interested in ES could just attend/complete on line a safety briefing in the month they were going to participate in CAP activities.

I guess I'm a bit confused how a "safety culture" is established & maintained when all active "regular" members are not required to either attend an in person briefing or complete an on line presentation for EVERY regular membership month.  So I guess what we are saying is that cumulative safety compliance by each member per year is not a statistic that will be kept .
   
RM       

[HGjunkie]

Because the safety culture currently imposed consists of videos about random safety topics or a classroom presentation that can last forever in a day. Hardly what someone wants to do every month. And really, it's forgotten after the presentation/video exam unless you really, really, really need to remember the info.

[lordmonar]

Why track BS statistics?

The point the safety guys are trying to do...is to make sure that everyone who is CURRENTLY doing CAP activities has had a safety breifing (in person or on line) within the last 30 days.

If someone does take a leave of absence for legitmate reasons (say work or a military deployment) their lack of particpation does not count against the squadron.

The catch phrase these days is "Safety Current".

[RADIOMAN015]

Why track BS statistics?

The point the safety guys are trying to do...is to make sure that everyone who is CURRENTLY doing CAP activities has had a safety breifing (in person or on line) within the last 30 days.

If someone does take a leave of absence for legitmate reasons (say work or a military deployment) their lack of particpation does not count against the squadron.

The catch phrase these days is "Safety Current".

Wow, more reinvention of terminology when compliance just isn't happening -- remember when it started out as quarterly in person, than that disappeared and now it's monthly either on line or in person.   This is all silly 'make work' nonsense.  General Safety briefings can be a one page handouts or sent to member via email or just hot keyed in an email to go to the site and read it (or posted to the unit bulletin board,etc).   It's more important that when we are performing ANY operations that we look at the safety issues pertaining to that activity and brief accordingly.  The rest of this is basically just CAP fantasy land statistics.
RM

   

[sneakers]

I also seriously doubt that safety briefings make a significant difference in how safe people are on a day-to-day basis. Safety briefings (in my opinion) are more to keep insurance payments for national low than anything else.

[Eclipse]

So in other words you misunderstood the policy until just this moment?

Nothing has changes you must be current before participation, which includes the in brief at a mission.

[titanII]

Hmmm. I didn't interpret this as you had to complete the safety briefing/online module in the month you want to participate. The way I interpreted it was you had to complete a safety briefing/online module every month if you wanted to participate in any CAP activity. Something to consider. I might be wrong on that though...

[RADIOMAN015]

Hmmm. I didn't interpret this as you had to complete the safety briefing/online module in the month you want to participate. The way I interpreted it was you had to complete a safety briefing/online module every month if you wanted to participate in any CAP activity. Something to consider. I might be wrong on that though...

....."All Staff and all active members must comply with the monthly requirement of
attending a safety brief. This must be done and there are no exceptions. If
you do miss a month and are behind in your compliance you do not have to go
back for each month you have missed. You only need to be current to date. So
just complete a Safety Brief for the current month. If you are not current
then you legally cannot participate in any CAP Activities and Remember this
is your responsibility not ours......."
RM

[RADIOMAN015]

So in other words you misunderstood the policy until just this moment?

Nothing has changes you must be current before participation, which includes the in brief at a mission.

Gee, I always thought that the "safety culture" required that the regular member in CAP attend/electronically review a safety briefing monthly.  I guess not.   Now technically IF it's someone on a HQ staff that misses a monthly briefing they really shouldn't be able to perform in their staff function, or any other support.  e.g. Radio guy no safety briefing, should not be able to participate in net /operate CAP radio equipment.  Staff member shouldn't be performing ANY CAP business even if by phone from his/her residence

So IF one is going to be on a CAP mission and receives a safety briefing, shouldn't that count as the monthly requirement and make them current   (I don't think so)
RM

[davidsinn]

Hmmm. I didn't interpret this as you had to complete the safety briefing/online module in the month you want to participate. The way I interpreted it was you had to complete a safety briefing/online module every month if you wanted to participate in any CAP activity. Something to consider. I might be wrong on that though...

....."All Staff and all active members must comply with the monthly requirement of
attending a safety brief. This must be done and there are no exceptions. If
you do miss a month and are behind in your compliance you do not have to go
back for each month you have missed. You only need to be current to date. So
just complete a Safety Brief for the current month. If you are not current
then you legally cannot participate in any CAP Activities and Remember this
is your responsibility not ours......."
RM

All that's saying is if you miss three months you only need to do one to regain currency, not do three. Not that it's possible to do three online in the first place. If you are out of currency you can't even get in eServices.

[coudano]

I also seriously doubt that safety briefings make a significant difference in how safe people are on a day-to-day basis.

I tend to agree with this.
Although there might be data that contradicts it...
I haven't seen data either way.

The monthly safety briefing at the squadron is typically done as an annoying checkbox.
The thing that actually makes us safer, is when members /actually/ apply ORM principles in their day to day ops.
Does one thing lead to the other?  --in some cases... maybe.

Safety briefings (in my opinion) are more to keep insurance payments for national low than anything else.

What is your opinion based upon?
Something you heard someone else say?
Have you seen the CAP insurance policy?  Is there a rider that lowers the rate if we brief our people?

I think a lot of people think and believe a lot of things like this and that things like this get spread around and accepted as fact when, in fact, they are probably just rumor.  Doing this and that to appease "the air force" (whoever that is) is another popular way to spread myths around.

If you are out of currency you can't even get in eServices.

I believe that you can, but it bounces you directly to safety online for currency
(kind of like it bounces you directly to opsec if you haven't done that yet)

So IF one is going to be on a CAP mission and receives a safety briefing, shouldn't that count as the monthly requirement and make them current    (I don't think so)
RM

I do think so, in fact, e-services specifically lists safety currency for quick reference so the mission staff can see who is not current.

So the question is, you go to sign in to a mission;
You pop non-current.

Do you:
a) go home
b) conduct a safety briefing on the spot, get current, and go get tasked

Only one of those makes sense...

[Eclipse]

Gee, I always thought that the "safety culture" required that the regular member in CAP attend/electronically review a safety briefing monthly.  I guess not.   Now technically IF it's someone on a HQ staff that misses a monthly briefing they really shouldn't be able to perform in their staff function, or any other support.  e.g. Radio guy no safety briefing, should not be able to participate in net /operate CAP radio equipment.  Staff member shouldn't be performing ANY CAP business even if by phone from his/her residence.

It's not "technically".  If you pop your safety brief compliance, you are not allowed to participate on any level, in any role or function, until you fix your compliance. Fixing that compliance could be a regular meeting safety brief, an in-brief for an activity, or one of the online safety modules.  Being out of compliance means that, just like all requirements for participation and membership, you put yourself at risk for liability if something bad happens (whether that liability is internal disciplinary action or civil liabity would depend on the degree of "bad"), but just like uniform wear, identification, and qualifications, if you're not fully compliant, you're not supposed to be there.

Period.

And considering that NHQ has made it uber-simple to get compliant (most people could do it on their cell phone these days), there is no excuse. 

"Well, I didn't know I was out of compliance."

"It's once a month, and eServices alerts you when your compliance is getting stale."

"eWhat now?  I never go in there.  Besides, I'm having email problems..."

"You've just answered your own question."

So IF one is going to be on a CAP mission and receives a safety briefing, shouldn't that count as the monthly requirement and make them current  (I don't think so)

Yes, it does.  The SE from that activity enters the CAPID's from the briefing and everyone there has their currency refreshed.

[sneakers]

Safety briefings (in my opinion) are more to keep insurance payments for national low than anything else.

What is your opinion based upon?
Something you heard someone else say?
Have you seen the CAP insurance policy?  Is there a rider that lowers the rate if we brief our people?

I think a lot of people think and believe a lot of things like this and that things like this get spread around and accepted as fact when, in fact, they are probably just rumor.  Doing this and that to appease "the air force" (whoever that is) is another popular way to spread myths around.

My dad is the safety officer at my squadron... It's a little more than just my opinion.

[Eclipse]

My dad is the safety officer at my squadron... It's a little more than just my opinion.

I agree.  In this case it's your dad's opinion.

[Larry Mangum]

Yes, it does.  The SE from that activity enters the CAPID's from the briefing and everyone there has their currency refreshed.

Actually, it probably will not meet the requirement, to quote CAPR 62-1, "however, non-current members should not expect to receive this training at events that require current ES qualifications to participate unless the operations plan and/or the event leader specifies that safety education will be provided as an adjunct to the event."

[Eclipse]

Yes, it does.  The SE from that activity enters the CAPID's from the briefing and everyone there has their currency refreshed.

Actually, it probably will not meet the requirement, to quote CAPR 62-1, "however, non-current members should not expect to receive this training at events that require current ES qualifications to participate unless the operations plan and/or the event leader specifies that safety education will be provided as an adjunct to the event."

It 100% meets the requirement.

[Larry Mangum]

 To quote a dictionary, "Adjunct - A thing added to something else as a supplementary rather than an essential part", so the normal briefing would not be "adjunct".  Which means the MSO should not be signing people off who are deficient unless he is pulling them aside for additional training.

[Eclipse]

Any formal safety briefing meets the requirements for the monthly compliance.  Therefore, a formal in-brief at the beginning of a mission meets that requirement.

There is no requirement that the briefing be done in-person, nor that it be done at your home squadron.  It is entirely appropriate to enter everyone at the morning mission safety briefing for their compliance, and to do that every day, or every time, there is another formal safety briefing.

Quote - INTERIM CHANGE LETTER – Safety Education and Operational Risk Safety Briefing Requirements, Nov 2010
http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/2010_11_03_safety_education_and_ORS_0E855E8029EC2.pdf

d. There are no restrictions to the topics being presented, as long as the topic maintains
relevance to CAP's mission scope as determined by the unit commander and/or safety officer. 
Safety education currency is required for participation in activities for active members.   The
monthly safety education training requirement may be met by completing an  online safety
education training module and quiz at eServices [Online Safety Education], in-person safety
education, or authorized safety education as defined below

Quote CAPR 62-1, Mar 2011
http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/R062_001_85D0CB3FE48A5.pdf
3. Safety Education Requirements. The quarterly face-to-face safety education requirement for
all CAP members is no longer required; however, safety education is important to all CAP members
and it is required that active members complete safety education monthly and have it documented in
the National online safety education database.  There are no restrictions to the method in which
safety education is received or the topics being presented, as long as the topic maintains relevance to
CAP's mission scope.  Safety education documentation is required for participation in activities for
active members.  CAP safety officers are still required to provide monthly safety education as it is
currently described in CAP regulations.

[FW]

^ Yes. 
I've been to 3 events in the last 3 weeks.  There were formal safety briefings done at each.  A Sheet was handed out and signed so those present would be given "credit".  This is not a problem although, many more trees will be destroyed to make sign in sheets....

The object is to make complience as painless as possible.  It looks pretty easy to me.  Should it be easier?

[ZigZag911]

Eclipse & FW are entirely right; in fact, the emphasis presently seems to be on mission/activity specific safety briefings, which makes more practical sense in my view.

As for missing the monthly briefing requirement -- suspension from participation is the automatic penalty; there is no requirement to  do 'make up' briefings, which would be pure busy work...the whole idea is to keep up to date on safety, not to simply complete a quota.