S&FS Contract Earns Special OSHA Recognition

 

In October 2004, the MEI Safety and Fire Services (S&FS) contract at the Johnson Space Center was hosting an OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) audit team from OSHA Region VI. The goal was to achieve the prestigious recognition as an OSHA VPP STAR site. Although the S&FS contract was ready for the site visit with more than 18 months of preparation, there was a bit of anxiety in the air as the audit proceeded.

 

During an OSHA Site visit, employees are interviewed, records are reviewed, and the site is inspected. The VPP program covers four major elements of a safety and health program:

• Management commitment and employee involvement
• Hazard prevention and control
• Worksite analysis
• Safety and health training

 

At the closing conference meeting, OSHA VPP representatives proclaimed they were recommending the S&FS contract to be approved as an OSHA VPP STAR site. We celebrated this news and patiently waited for the approval from OSHA headquarters in Washington, DC. In May 2005, OSHA announced that the MEI S&FS contract was approved as an OSHA VPP STAR site. According to OSHA, the VPP is a performance-based criteria that promotes “effective worksite-based safety and health. In the VPP, management, labor, and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system. Approval into VPP is OSHA’s official recognition of the outstanding efforts of employers and employees who have achieved exemplary occupational safety and health.”

 

The OSHA Region VI territory covers Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. To recognize their top performers after achieving OSHA VPP recognition, Region VI created the Star among Stars Program to recognize VPP participants within Region VI with injury/ illness and lost time rates that are well below the national average for their industry. Sites with rates 50 percent below the national average are recognized as a Star among Stars. Site with rates 75 percent below the national average are recognized as Super Star Among Stars. And sites with rates 90 percent below the national average are recognized as a Star of Excellence.

 

For the 2005 calendar year, the S&FS contract was recognized as a Star of Excellence with injury/illness rates that were 100 percent below the national average. There were no injuries, illnesses or lost time days for the contract for 2005. The award was received at the May 2006 Region VI VPP Conference in Corpus Christi, Texas.

 

This is a major accomplishment and MEI is proud of the S&FS contract for their efforts in achieving excellence.

 

The S&FS contract provides safety and fire protection services to the JSC. On a daily basis, S&FS employees could be in any area of the Center performing facility or construction site inspections, incident investigations or providing on-site safety consulting services. Any one of these activities provides an opportunity for an injury to occur.

 

For more information about the OSHA VPP program or the Region VI VPP participants association, visit the Region VI web site and the OSHA VPP information website.

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MEI Technologies Helps Keep the C-5 Flying

 

The C-5 Galaxy has been a workhorse for the United States Air Force for 38 years and MEI Technologies is part of the team responsible for keeping this esteemed aircraft on duty. An upgraded version of the aircraft, known as the C-5M, successfully made its first flight June 19, 2006 and the aircraft has now successfully accumulated over 20 hours of flying time.

 

The C-5 is one of the largest aircraft in the world. It can carry outsized and oversized cargo intercontinental ranges and can take off or land in relatively short distances. Ground crews can load and off load the C-5 simultaneously at the front and rear cargo openings.

 

Colonel Kevin Keck, Commander of the Aeronautical System Center’s C-5 Group noted, “It’s a one of a kind aircraft in strategic airlift with the ability to carry twice as much cargo as other systems. It’s a force multiplier.”

 

When the aircraft made its maiden flight at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, MEI personnel participated directly in the initial flight as part of the team monitoring the behavior of the aircraft from a ground-based control room. After months of ground testing, planning, and rigorous certification and training, Keith Noles, Lead Structures Engineer, was in the control room. The monitoring included real-time observation of telemetry - critical aircraft data parameters from control surface movement, to air data, to structural loads. It was essential that all parameters conform to strict technical and safety limitations.

 

Mr. Noles and Structures Engineer Ted Jennings, as members of the MEI team, will also participate in upcoming test events for loads capability demonstration, flutter, vibroacoustics, and fatigue.

 

According to Laura McGowan of the Aeronautical Systems Center’s Public Affairs Group, “The C-5 has been used in every conflict since Vietnam, and this first flight marks another June milestone for the program and the Air Force since its June 1968 flight.”

 

View an article on C-5 testing from Desert Wings, the newspaper of Edwards Air Force Base. Article courtesy of the Public Affairs Office of Edwards Air Force Base. (Requires Adobe® Acrobat® Reader)

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MEI Employees Support Youth Education Program

MEI Bioastronautics employees Jacqueline “Jackie” Cortez, Lisa Neasbitt and Courtney Barringer are helping introduce kindergarten through middle school students to the exciting world of space-related studies. In this innovative new program, the children are more than interested observers -- they are 21st Century Explorers.

 

21st Century Explorer, a NASA-designed project that is part of the NASA Kids Science Network, advances student involvement in spacerelated areas. Explorer works in collaboration with The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, The Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists (Ed Muñiz, founder and CEO of MEI, has been affiliated with both of these organizations), Univision Communications (the leading Spanish-language media company in the United States) and the Harris County (Texas) Department of Education.

 

According to the 21st Century Explorer’s web page, “One word describes the emphasis of the 21st Century Explorer: STEM. That's an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics -- important elements of high academic achievement. Across the United States, schools are striving to excite all students about STEM studies and achievement. Increasing test scores is only one measure of success, however; motivating student interest in STEM careers takes that success and turns it into careers.”

 

21st Century Explorer features a kid-friendly video format based in a series of newsbreaks and educational presentations starring student actors. These videos deal with space related questions such as: Why do astronauts eat tortillas instead of bread? Why do robots travel places before people? Why return to the moon before going to Mars? What would you find on the moon's surface? What would you hear in a weather report from Mars? The web page notes, “Questions like these spark a natural curiosity to learn more, and once students see that the skills required to find the answers are within their capabilities, they'll want to try more advanced exercises.”

 

All of the educational materials are available in both English and Spanish, and the program is thought-provoking for kids, educators and parents. Recently, Jackie Cortez had a chance to introduce the 21st Century Explorer’s program to the Spanish community when she was interviewed on the “La Tremenda” radio program and the Univision morning show “Nuestra Vida.”

 

Few things pay dividends like investing in the future through education. The children who become interested in space-related careers by way of this program could very well be the next generation of NASA scientists. MEI plays a key role in taking the time to help make this exciting and innovative educational experience available to students.