• DAN DANIEL DISTRIBUTION CENTER, Newport News, Va.
From humble beginnings, the Dan Daniel Distribution Center (DDDC) Safety and Health Fair has grown from just another event to something more consequential.
The event, held at one of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s (AAFES) major distribution centers, has a short, but interesting, history.
HISTORY
A couple of years ago, the Dan Daniel Distribution Center (DDDC Safety Council, Loss Prevention team and Occupational Health team put on a safety event, presenting a variety of safety topics to associates as well as putting on games for prizes.
A few vendors were at that event, which led to this year’s Safety and Health Fair in late June. That fair turned out to be a lot bigger.
“It grew larger than we expected,” said Lori Penny, Occupational Health Nurse at DDDC. “There were 14 vendors here over two days,” and Penny estimated that 300 associates attended the event.
TEAMWORK
Safety and Health Council Chairwoman Tracie Frank, Dan Daniel worker warehouse foreman, worked with Penny to organize the fair.
Frank extended invitations to several local vendors to participate, ensured that both corporate and local vendors were included, directed Safety and Health Council members in preparing for the fair and provided assistance during the event.
All members of the Dan Daniel Safety and Health Council and Loss Prevention teams participated in the fair.
FAIR EVENTS
The first day, June 24, was mostly about financial health, as Brian Becker, director of Fidelity Investments, was on hand to answer associates’ questions and help them with budgeting and other financial decisions, including how much to contribute to their 401(k) funds and how to choose or update a retirement plan beneficiary.
The second day featured more than a dozen safety and health vendors.
One of the vendors was Shoes for Crews, which was the focus of a foot health and wellness event in June 2024. The company specializes in slip-resistant shoes, which are key in preventing trips, slips and falls at distribution centers, where floors can become slippery.
VENDORS
Local vendors from the Hampton VAMC Veterans Outreach and the JB Langley-Eustis, Va., Armed Forces Wellness Center were present to support the more than 80 veteran associates who work at the DC.
Some of the vendors were local, such as Concentra Urgent Care, the YMCA and Parker Safety, a safety-equipment company based in Hampton, Va., and Soulful Journey, a Newport News-based massage and wellness-therapy firm.
Penny and Frank also visited nearby JB Langley-Eustis during a recent health and safety event, inviting vendors to participate in their event.
Organizations represented included Aetna Healthcare; Hinge Health; Magellan Health; Hello Heart; the previously mentioned Concentra Urgent Care and the YMCA; and the Hampton area Department of Veterans Affairs.
Penny collaborated with teammates at the distribution center and at headquarters to bring in some of the vendors. Dan Daniel Loss Prevention Manager Damon Jackson provided the contact for the YMCA.
In addition to the safety and health vendors, AAFES’s Military Star program had a table at the fair, and JB Langley-Eustis food court restaurants were on hand to discuss Better-For-You (BFY) food options available at the Exchange.
SAFETY, HYDRATION
Safety is important throughout the Exchange, but it is especially important at distribution centers, which tend to be hot, noisy places where heavy objects get moved around.
DC associates are well-trained in safety, and events such as the Safety and Health Fair provide extra support to that training.
Part of that emphasis on safety is for associates to stay hydrated throughout the day, and the DC’s Loss Prevention team set up a hydration station to educate associates about the importance of staying hydrated and managing heat stress.
“The Safety and Health Council maintained its emphasis on hydration and cooling during the ongoing heat wave,” Penny said, alluding to during late June, heat indexes in the Newport News area hit as high as 109.
“The team distributed water, water bottles and cooling towels,” Penny continued. “The towels have become quite popular, as they function by absorbing and evaporating moisture, providing a cooling effect on the body and reducing body temperature.”
FEEDBACK
“We received a significant amount of positive feedback from associates and vendors,” Penny related. “They valued the time and opportunity to have their questions addressed and to gain a deeper understanding of their benefits.”
Penny was in frequent communication with Annie Baker, director of Benefits at the Exchange’s Dallas, Texas, headquarters, who provided feedback and helped arrange to have Aetna and Fidelity representatives on site.
Baker called the fair a resounding success, crediting Penny’s initiative and her collaboration with vendors.
“By bringing valuable health and wellness resources directly to our associates, we’re helping them take charge of their well-being in meaningful ways,” Baker said. “Events like this not only help associates better understand their benefits today, but also empower them to make informed, healthy choices for the future.”
And Penny believes in sharing. “After this fair, I’m going to send the nurses at the Waco and West Coast DCs my contacts, so they can benefit from this as well,” she said.
Baker added, “We’re excited to bring this energy to all our distribution centers — working together to keep our associates engaged and informed about their benefits.”
Source: AAFES
Edited by Larry Lapka
