Darin Dungee, Safety Manager and Explosives Safety Officer
Years as an ASSP member: 21
Years in the safety industry: 39
Key responsibilities of your job
Occupational Safety and Health Program Management, Ammunition & Explosives Safety, and Recreation and Off-Duty Safety. Prepares and conducts occupational safety and health compliance inspections and accident investigations of Navy Special Warfare Commands to ensure compliance with applicable laws,regulations and to determine overall program effectiveness. Operational Risk Management – Program Manager, reviews risk assessments submitted by command personnel for accuracy and risk mitigation. Conducts annual High Risk Training Safety Assessments of High-Risk Training Courses, including Emergency Action Plans evaluations. High Risk Events such as but not limited to: Visit, Boarding, Search & Seizure (VBSS), Military Free Fall (MFF), Basic Ground Skills, Weapons Training, Close Quarters Combat (CQC), Breaching and Demolition Operations, Water & Land Live Fire Ranges and Special Warfare Combatant Crafts (Combatant Craft Heavy/Medium/Assault, RIB).
Most significant accomplishment in your career
Receiving the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award and obtaining OHST and CHST certifications.
What do you/did you love the most about your job
Working with Military Special Forces Community for the past (17) years. The diverse and unique working/training environments that our Military and Civilians personnel are exposed to makes Safety very challenging. I’ve been around the military since 1983, served (13) in the Navy, worked (5) years in the Hazardous Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) field, worked (5) with VA OSHA and (18) years as Navy Civilian Safety Professional.
What advice would you give someone just starting out in the safety industry
Develop effective listening skills and avoid judgement; safety requires good communication skills; the overall goal is to eliminate any misunderstandings and establish clear communication of thoughts and ideas. Learn your work environment and processes, you can’t access hazards/risks without understanding the workers’ jobs. Have understanding that all workplaces are three dimensional, don’t focus your attention on only hazards within the 10 ft. from the floor/ground. Learn how to navigate the OSHA Website, as a Safety Professional, you need to know how to locate standards and regulations. Ensure that you first read the Scope, Application and Definitions of the OSHA Standards to ensure that it applies to hazard that you have identify. If an OSHA Standard has letters of interpretations, read them, they provide clarity to OSHA Standards (if an OSHA Standard is highlighted in blue, it usually has letters of interpretations linked).
When conducting investigations, collect all the facts prior to trying to determine the cause. Always keep your mind open to anything, if you think you know what happen then you will steer your investigation to support your theory. I have conducted (33) Fatality investigations during my career, (24) while working with VA OSHA office. OSHA Office is there to assist employers and employees, not just compliance. If you are a Safety Professional for a Company, you are there to assist your employer and employees. Develop your working relationship with everyone. Stay involve with Safety organizations such as ASSP and NSC. Learn from your everyone. Find your passion in Safety, whether in the compliance, industrial hygiene, respiratory protection, general industry, construction, maritime, fire safety fields. Best quote given to me by a VP of a company “As a Safety Professional, no one knows when you are doing your job, but everyone knows when you are not doing your job” As a Safety Professional, you don’t have to know it all, but you do have know how to research and find the answers to ensure your employer’s safety programs are effective.
List your some of your hobbies
Watching my son, Donald, play Baseball at Greensboro College… Softball… Steelers Football… Yankees Baseball… and UCONN Basketball
What is something people don’t know about you
Once feel asleep in the backseat of a MRZR (Multi-Zone-Reconnaissance) Tactical Vehicle driving in the desert with multiple tactical vehicles shooting .50 caliber weapons at targets in close proximity.
What hashtags describe your personality best
#detail-oriented; #diehard-steeler-fan; #super-chill; #3am-amazon-shopper; #team-player; #family-and-friends-man
What is the #1 TV show that you recommend for everyone to watch
Blue Bloods
Biggest Pet Peeve
Apathy
If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be
Seafood – She crab soup & Raw Oysters Appetizer; Lobster with side of grilled shrimp; Tiramisu Dessert
What is the first concert you ever attended
Aerosmith “Draw the Line” Tour – December 1977 New Haven Coliseum