Robins Air Force Base officials are bracing for a meeting next Thursday with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that could significantly impact work in Building 169.

Some 200 base workers in that building repair and fabricate an array of composite components in support of depot overhaul of F-15, C-5, C-17 and C-130 aircraft at Robins. They also provide many of the same items for the Air Force’s worldwide supply system.

Robins officials have been alerted that OSHA’s Atlanta office plans to issue a notice of unsafe or unhealthy work conditions in the building following a recent inspection. The exact contents of the OSHA report have not been received, base officials say.

Greg Stanley, vice director of the 402nd Maintenance Wing on base, said base officials will work with OSHA to fully understand the issues.

“We have a close working relationship with OSHA,” Stanley said by telephone Friday afternoon, “and we will continue that active engagement.”

G. T. Breezley, OSHA’s area director in Atlanta, declined to comment on the findings.

“The official report has not been sent, so I really can’t talk about it,” he said during a brief telephone interview also on Friday. “We will make the information public after we have conferred with officials at Robins.”

Stanley said he anticipated the OSHA findings to fall into three categories – findings that have already been corrected or will be corrected quickly; findings that the 402nd Maintenance Wing does not agree with but will correct; and possibly findings that will require more dialogue and review.

“There have been over three dozen process equipment and personal protective gear improvements already as a result of internal inspections,” Stanley pointed out. “We will take every feasible precaution in the protection of our employees.”

Ellen Griffith, director of the 402nd Commodities Maintenance Group, said work in Building 169 involves metal bonding, sanding and applying coatings or repair patches to composite items.

“We have taken a number of actions since OSHA was here,” she indicated. “They made recommendations and we have jumped on them.”

Griffith cited changes in procedures for monitoring and replacement of filters, new tops for tables to facilitate cleaning and a review of sanding operations.

“We’ve shut down sanding in one room and we are constantly looking for better sanding equipment,” she said. “We’ve made a number of process changes.”

Stanley said he did not anticipate having to suspend operations in the building. “But until we see the report, we can’t say anything for sure,” he conceded.

There are alternative methods and workarounds should work be suspended, he said. “But at this point, we are not speculating on what the report might say.”

The massive 402nd Maintenance Wing at Robins – with more than 8,000 workers – has compiled an enviable safety record in recent years. One work location has been certified by OSHA as a Star site, one of only 31 in the Defense Department.

“That’s the highest safety designation an organization can receive,” Stanley pointed out.

Two other 402nd work sites have applied for Star status.

“Our voluntary protection program success is due to direct employee involvement and empowerment on safety related issues,” the deputy director noted. “The safety and health of our workforce is our number one priority.”