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Reflections For a Safe and Happy New Year
The New Year is upon us, and we at Facility Safety Management hope
that it’s a happy, safe one for you, your family and your workplace.
Though it may seem trite, the New Year has traditionally been a good
time for reflection and taking stock of all that we have. And,
perhaps, all we don’t have.
It may also be a good time to review some of your facility’s safety
practices and resolve to make sure they’re up to date, and to
improve any deficiencies that may exist. On that same note, we
pledge to continue to work hard toward our goal of providing
relevant, timely information that can help professionals like you
make the world a safer place.
It could be said that 2005 was the best of times, and the worst of
times.
There’s no doubt that the standard of living for the vast majority
of us continues to improve, but there are still those who struggle.
This was never more evident than when Hurricane Katrina devastated
the Gulf Coast, underscoring the need of some, and the important,
necessary work of safety professionals in all our lives.
It’s clear that workplace safety and health programs make a
difference in preventing occupational fatalities, injuries and
illnesses. Since the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed
in 1970, workplace injuries and illnesses have declined
significantly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2001
there were 5,900 workplace related fatalities and 5.2 million
non-fatal injuries and illnesses reported. That is a rate of 5.7
injuries per 100 workers, less than half of the
1973 number of 11 injuries or illnesses for each 100 workers.
To continue this downward trend safety professionals and the
organizations they belong to are fine-tuning strategic plans and
identifying issues to make 2006 and ensuing years safer ones for
workers and their families.
For example, the American Industrial Hygiene Association has
released its Strategic Plan for 2006-2010, which includes mission
and vision statements, stated goals and a plan for achieving them.
They are noble and lofty goals that include the following principle:
Workers and communities have a right to a healthy and safe
environment.
Active collaboration among industrial hygiene and related
occupational and environmental safety and health professionals is
essential for ensuring that safe and healthy environments are
provided for all workers and communities. Safe, healthy workers are
more efficient. Injuries can mean many days or weeks out of work, or
even permanent disability, causing serious economic hardship to a
worker and his or her family.
If a worker is injured on the job, knowing how to respond to a first
aid or CPR emergency is one of the most important skills a person
can possess. The American Red Cross and American Heart Association
have released revised guidelines on administering first aid, CPR and
using AEDs to improve these skills. You can find a review of these
guidelines inside this issue, and more on the subject in the months
to come.
The New Year also is a reminder that we’re getting older. One issue
the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) has focused on in
the past year is the question of whether from an SH&E perspective,
is your workplace prepared to accommodate or adapt to the aging
worker/workforce? While the baby boomer generation, those born
between 1946 and 1964, known to be the largest segment of our
population today is aging and beginning to retire, the labor pool
following this generation is shrinking.
Companies are not only faced with losing qualified and valuable
employees, but having a hard time replacing them. Additionally,
workers 64 years and older suffer the least amount of injuries on
the job compared to their younger counterparts, yet have a higher
fatality rate, mainly due to transportation incidents and falls.
ASSE believes, and we agree, companies must act now to address this
issue.
Maybe it should be one of their New Year’s resolutions.
Thanks and good luck.
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