A safe work environment is not an unreasonable expectation for every type and class of worker. From the laborer digging a trench to the office engineer to the site manager—all anticipate arriving home each evening without having been injured on the job. Accidents do happen, but major construction projects and operating power plants now routinely surpass the million man-hour milestone without a lost-time accident. That's only because those projects or facilities have instilled a culture of safety throughout their organizations and accept nothing less.
Sadly, not every organization understands that safety is good business—not just an expense line item. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently summarized the type and number of fatal occupational injuries for its 2005 annual report:
- A total of 5,702 fatal work injuries were recorded in the U.S. That was a decrease of about 1% from the year before.
- Fatal highway incidents increased by 2% and remained the most frequent type of fatal workplace event, accounting for one in every four fatalities nationally.
- Fatalities due to exposure to harmful substances or environments rose 7%. Buried in this statistic is the sharp increase in the number of workers who died after exposure to environmental heat: from 18 fatalities in 2004 to 47 fatalities in 2005. Higher numbers of fatal work injuries resulting from the inhalation of caustic, noxious, or allergenic substances also contributed to the overall increase.
- The private construction industry accounted for 1,186 fatal work injuries (the most of any industry sector) and about one out of every five fatal work injuries recorded.
By comparison, work areas regulated by government entities—such as the Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Environmental Protection Agency—fatal occupational injuries are rare. Safety in these organizations is promoted to such a degree that even minor injuries requiring simple first aid (such as cuts and scrapes) are viewed as unacceptable. A fatality will stop a project in its tracks and prompt an extensive investigation that could delay a project for months. It will also, inevitably, generate negative publicity. For major projects, the resulting costs can run into seven digits or more very quickly.
Don't misinterpret my comments as overlooking the incalculable cost of the loss of a human life; they simply are meant to illustrate that safety is just all-around good business.
1. Zero is the only number. Safety goals and project milestones can be achieved simultaneously even in high-hazard industries when safety is a company's top priority. Courtesy: WESKEM LLC
Email
Comments
Print
Reuse
