June is Risk Awareness Month—a period that coincides with the 101 Critical Days of Summer—and a great time for our Marines and Sailors to familiarize themselves with the risks they face every day, both on and off-duty. During the busy summer period, there is a significant increase in mishaps across the service from both operational and recreational activities. Safety needs to be a continuous effort rooted in prevention, awareness and proactive leadership. Risk management is critical to every operation and workplace environment. Addressing key areas of risk awareness—compliance, risk decision-making, latent factors and leading indicators caused by human factors and a lack of risk awareness—will help commands strengthen their safety posture and prevent mishaps before they occur. Effective risk management starts long before an incident occurs. By focusing on the factors influencing risk, such as compliance, sound decision-making and early identification of hazards, commands can create safer environments, strengthen operational readiness and protect valuable resources. Understanding and addressing latent failures, promoting a strong risk mindset and empowering leaders at every level are critical steps toward preventing mishaps.
Risk ownership does not end at the conclusion of the workday. Off-duty decisions, especially those involving private motor vehicles (PMV-2 motorcycle and PMV-4 automobile) operations, are major contributors to loss of life and readiness within the fleet. Poor choices such as speeding, distracted driving, fatigue or failure to wear protective gear carry consequences not just for personnel but for units and missions.
Commands must emphasize that the same decision-making skills required during on-duty situations apply equally off-duty. Every member of the fleet has a personal responsibility to assess risk and act decisively to protect themselves and others. Strong leadership, peer accountability and ongoing education on off-duty risks, especially during high-travel periods, are essential components of a comprehensive safety culture.
Risk Awareness: Off-Duty Risk Impacts Operational Readiness - Unit Commanders Risk Awareness: Off-Duty Risk Impacts Operational Readiness - Managers
Preventing mishaps begins with understanding their root causes. Accidents are often not the result of a single mistake, but a combination of hidden, systemic issues known as latent failures. These less-visible influences, such as unclear procedures, inadequate training or weak communication, create an environment where small errors can quickly escalate into major incidents. These failures can go unnoticed for months or even years before contributing to a mishap.
Strengthening organizational culture and promoting a mindset of accountability, transparency and continuous improvement are key to uncovering and correcting these hidden risks. By addressing these underlying conditions early, commands can break the chain of events that often leads to preventable mishaps.
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Risk management does not end at the conclusion of Risk Awareness Month. Building a resilient safety culture requires continuous engagement, education and leadership support throughout the year. NAVSAFECOM provides a wide range of tools, resources and guidance to help commands sustain momentum beyond June.
Resources like the Risk Management Information system, Human Factors Analysis and Classification System guides, Safety Awareness Dispatches and Risk Registry templates are available to support ongoing safety conversations, hazard identification and risk decision-making. Commands are encouraged to incorporate these resources into daily operations, training evolutions and leadership development programs.
To explore available tools and stay informed, visit the NAVSAFECOM website (https://navalsafetycommand.navy.mil/), to access the latest resources, updates and best practices to help strengthen your command’s safety posture. By leveraging these resources, commands can foster transparency, promote proactive risk management and build a culture identifying and addressing hazards before they impact people or missions. Risk awareness is not a one-time effort—it is a continuous commitment to excellence.
Risk Awareness: Keeping the Conversation Going
Even in strong systems, human factors remain one of the most consistent mishap contributors. Fatigue, complacency, stress, miscommunication and overconfidence can all undermine safe operations, especially in high-risk environments. Developing a risk-aware mindset recognizing human limitations and actively working to mitigate them, is essential to operational success.
Risk awareness must become second nature at every level, from junior Sailors and Marines to senior leadership. Building a culture emphasizing open communication, vigilance and personal responsibility reduces vulnerability to human error. Education, leadership presence and a focus on recognizing early warning signs are vital to embedding risk management into daily operations.
Risk Awareness: Human Factors & Risk Mindset - Unit Commanders Risk Awareness: Human Factors & Risk Mindset - Managers