Who appoints the division safety petty officer?

The division safety petty officer is an important role within a naval command, as they are responsible for promoting safety practices and ensuring compliance with safety regulations within their division. The authority to appoint this position typically resides with the department head, who oversees the specific division and has direct knowledge of its daily operations and needs. This appointment is significant because the department head can select an individual who is already familiar with the division's activities and safety challenges.

On the other hand, while safety officers, commanding officers, and first lieutenants play important roles in safety management and oversight, they do not have the same direct involvement in the appointment process for division-level positions. The safety officer generally provides guidance and support for safety programs, the commanding officer has overall responsibility for the command’s safety culture, and the first lieutenant primarily manages deck operations and personnel, rather than directly appointing safety personnel at the division level.