CHAPTER  1 NAVAL SAFETY HISTORY OF NAVAL SAFETY Safety awareness in the Navy can be traced back to 1818.  The  old  saying  “hindsight  is  20/20”  probably came from a gunner who, in 1817, lit a candle in the powder magazine. His action not only sent him and his crew into orbit, but also helped introduce the first naval safety regulation. That regulation dealt with fire and the handling  of  black  powder  aboard  ships.  Since  then, experience  has  played  the  major  role  in  developing  the safety programs of today’s Navy. Here is a brief listing of  some major milestones in the history of naval safety: 1917—Safety engineers were assigned to each major naval shipyard. 1922—Safety programs for civilian employees were introduced at all naval activities. 1929—Enlisted  personnel  on  shore  duty  were included in safety programs. 1947—The  Navy  Department  Safety  Council was  organized  under  the  Director  of  Safety  of the  Office  of  Industrial  Relations  (OIR).  Its original   mission   was   to   coordinate   safety procedures   and   to   provide   communications between  the  bureau  safety  engineers  and  the technical  staff  of  the  OIR  safety  branch.  In 1957,  the  council’s  mission  was  expanded  to include  the  development  and  maintenance  of the  U.S.  Navy   Safety   Precautions   Manual, OPNAV   34P1   (superseded   by   OPNAVINST 5100.23, Navy Occupational Safety and Health [NAVOSH] Program  Manual ). 1951—The   transition   from   propeller   to   jet aircraft   helped   the   Secretary   of   the   Navy (SECNAV)   to   establish   the   Naval   Aviation Safety Council. In 1955, the title was changed to Naval Aviation Safety Center. 1963—The Navy was shaken by the loss of the USS  THRESHER   (SSN-593),   in   which   129 sailors were lost. A court inquiry was convened to  examine  the  circumstances  leading  to  and surrounding  the  incident.  The  court’s  findings resulted in the creation of the Submarine Safety Program   (SUBSAFE).   Its   purpose   was   to impose  high  standards  of  quality  control  on submarine   construction   and   operations.   In 1964,  the  Chief  of  Naval  Operations  (CNO) established the Submarine Safety Center at the Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut, to   examine   and   coordinate   all   matters   of submarine  safety. 1966-1967—The   SECNAV   tasked   CNO   to review the entire Navy Safety Program after a series  of  fires,  collisions,  and  other  mishaps involving  surface  ships  resulted  in  over  200 deaths  and  more  than  100  million  dollars  in damage. On 3 May 1968, as a result of CNO’s findings,  the  SECNAV  established  the  Naval Safety Center. 1970—The   Occupational   Safety   and   Health Act  (OSHA)  of  1970  became  law.  Insofar  as possible,  this  law  assures  safe  and  healthful working  conditions  for  every  working  person  in the  nation. 1971—The  Naval  Safety  Center  assumed  the responsibility for the Navy’s Defensive Driver Education  Program. 1972—The  Navy  implemented  its  Motorcycle Training Course. 1973—The Commander, Naval Safety Center, was designated as the CNO Safety Coordinator (OP-09F),  reporting  directly  to  the  Vice  Chief of  Naval  Operations.  This  designation  made  the Naval  Safety  Center’s  mission  more  specific and all-encompassing. Now refer to the  Navy  Occupational  Safety  and Health (NAVOSH) Program Manual for Forces Afloat (OPNAVINST  5100.19),  chapter  A2.  Also  read  the Standard  Organization  and  Regulations  of  the  U.S. Navy  (OPNAVINST   3120.32),   chapter   7.   The information  in  these  chapters  will  enhance  your knowledge  of  the  NAVOSH  program  organization  and 1-1