September 8, 2003—According to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, there were 5,900 workplace fatalities in the U.S. in 2001 not including the 2,886 who died on September 11, 2001. On 9/11 terrorist attacks left 2,198 people and 412 rescue workers dead at New York City’s World Trade Center; killed 125 people at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; and, 151 people were killed on the planes that crashed in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York City.
“We’re seeing a whole different realm of safety problems from biochemical to security to employee comfort that we’ve never seen before,” ASSE Regional Vice President Sam Lybarger, CSP, CSHM, of Las Vegas, Nevada, said. “More people are going to start relying heavily on the safety professional to give them comfort and reassurance that the workplace is safe.”
To achieve optimum effectiveness, says ASSE, safety must be integrated into planning, new product development, materials acquisition, equipment design and modification, facility layouts, process design, etc. Safety, health and environmental considerations must be a key component of every business function and strategy.
Millions of people suffer labor-related injuries and illnesses each year. Many are exposed to the job-related safety risks of traffic accidents, falls, workplace violence, electrocution, fire, explosion, heat, being struck by objects, cold, animal attacks and airplane crashes, as well as health risks from asbestos, radiation, tuberculosis, silica, benzene, coal dust, carbon monoxide, pesticides, arsenic, lead, and chromium.
Companies must embrace occupational safety, health and environmental programs. “Be proactive, embrace safety,” New Orleans ASSE member Philip Casper said. ” It’s there to help you, allow your business to grow. One significant incident can drastically affect a business negatively, and literally shut a small business down.”
“Safety will save management in insurance premiums and medical costs and will also give their employees comfort,” Lybarger added.
According to the book ‘Safety and the Bottom Line’ the average direct and indirect cost of risk to American companies is a minimum of 25 percent of their net profit. The benefits of occupational safety and health programs, according to hundreds of top executives from around the world noted in the book ‘Safety and the Bottom Line’ include: reduced absenteeism, fewer liability cases, fewer grievances, reduced court awards, reduced insurance costs, compliance with safety and health legislation, control of injuries and illnesses, compliance with environmental legislation, ability to handle contingency situations, fire and explosion prevention, property damage control, waste control, fewer human errors, increased quality control, continuous management improvement, a positive public image, the existence of a ‘caring’ culture, improved pride in the job, increased productivity, major cost reduction potential, and, profit and budget improvement.
For more information visit ASSE.
