SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Anyone in the military is well aware of mandatory safety briefings such as the ones that occur during the holidays, four-day weekends and the 101 critical days of summer.

For many, safety can be a boring subject that can be overlooked but it's really important to take note of safety briefings because they can decrease the cause of injuries if established guidelines are followed.

"I like 'selling' safety in classes. Safety is at the bottom of most people's minds and it only registers when somebody gets hurt," said Master Sgt. Troy Hoffman, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing ground safety manager. "When I instruct people and show them real examples of workplace injuries and fatalities, I can see the light bulbs go on around the room as people start to get it."

Hoffman does his job through compliance with U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards.

"In our safety education classes we teach supervisors and employees how to recognize workplace hazards and avoid getting injured at work," said Hoffman who deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. "One of the simplest workplace hazards is surge protectors. Do not plug refrigerators, microwaves and coffee pots into the same surge protector and do not plug surge protectors into each other."

He cautioned that each surge protector only draws a certain amount of electrical power and when they are improperly used the chance of a fire occurring increases.

Working in a deployed environment has been challenging to Hoffman because most deployed installations are constructed with safety as an afterthought.

"The lack of fall protection, electrical safety and contractor oversight are huge problems," he said. "Every day when I walk around I find live electrical wires sticking out of the ground or contractors working on makeshift ladders."

When Hoffman discovers safety concerns such as the wires, he documents it and submits a work order to civil engineering to deactivate the wires.

"I also make a note of it in our spot inspection log and I'll follow up at a later date to make sure it's been accomplished," said Hoffman. "As for contractor discrepancies, I make a note of it and I notify the appropriate contracting office. Contractors at home stations are required to comply with safety regulations as part of their contract, but in foreign countries they don't necessarily follow the same rules as the United States."

During a recent walk through of some abandoned facilities that may now be utilized, Hoffman explains what he's looking for.

"We inspect the facility to ensure it's safe for people to use as work centers," he said. "Wildlife often moves into abandoned buildings and people sometimes remove parts of the electrical systems and structure from it instead of ordering new parts."

All these behind the scenes work ensures that facilities are in accordance with established safety guidelines and ultimately ensures our military members are safe.

Hoffman has also found that at home station there are less temporary facilities, less construction projects and better program continuity. At The Rock, he counts on unit safety representatives to help with ground safety. USRs assist the wing mishap prevention program by running the safety program within their units for their commanders

He stressed the need for daily vigilance in the workplace. According to Hoffman, the Air Force family suffered 63 fatalities and 29 permanent disabilities due to preventable mishaps in fiscal year 2013 and so far this fiscal year, 37 fatalities and 24 permanent disabilities.