16.9: Why It Matters- Safety, Health, and Risk Management
Why learn about safety, health and risk management?
Although serious and often fatal injuries were common in the early industrial age, many of us assume that the modern workplace is a kinder—or at least safer—place. We assume that the laws passed in response to atrocities such as the Triangle Shirtwaist fire (discussed in Module 13: Union–Management Relations) and horrific workplace conditions in the meatpacking and other industries have addressed these risks and created an environment free of—at the very least, preventable—work-related injuries. As Figure 1 illustrates, that assumption would be wrong. In 2017, over 5,000 people died due to work-related-injuries in the United States. What is particularly shocking is that 86% of those fatalities were preventable. That is, 4,414 of the 5,147 deaths could have been avoided. At a global level, the International Labor Organization estimates the number of deaths due to occupational injuries and illnesses is 2,780,000 annually. [1]
| Year | Total deaths | Preventable Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 6,217 | 4,965 |
| 1993 | 6,331 | 5,034 |
| 1994 | 6,632 | 5,338 |
| 1995 | 6,275 | 5,015 |
| 1996 | 6,202 | 5,069 |
| 1997 | 6,238 | 5,160 |
| 1998 | 6,055 | 5,117 |
| 1999 | 6,054 | 5,184 |
| 2000 | 5,920 | 5,022 |
| 2001 | 5,915 | 5,042 |
| 2002 | 5,534 | 4,726 |
| 2003 | 5,575 | 4,725 |
| 2004 | 5,764 | 4,995 |
| 2005 | 5,734 | 4,984 |
| 2006 | 5,840 | 5,088 |
| 2007 | 5,657 | 4,829 |
| 2008 | 5,214 | 4,423 |
| 2009 | 4,551 | 3,744 |
| 2010 | 4,690 | 3,896 |
| 2011 | 4,692 | 3,901 |
| 2012 | 4,628 | 3,903 |
| 2013 | 4,585 | 3,899 |
| 2014 | 4,821 | 4,132 |
| 2015 | 4,836 | 4,190 |
| 2016 | 5,190 | 4,398 |
| 2017 | 5,147 | 4,414 |
The total cost of work injuries in the United States was $161.5 billion in 2017 (see Figure 2 for the breakdown). [3] According to Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, U.S. employers spent $58.5 billion—over $1 billion per week—on the most disabling nonfatal injuries and illnesses in 2018. [4]
| Total Cost in 2017 | $161.5 billion |
|---|---|
| Cost per worker | $1,100 |
| Cost per death | $1,150,000 |
| Cost per medically consulted injury | $39,000 |
Although significant, these costs are a fraction of the total cost of ineffective safety and health management. As occupational health and safety experts David Michaels and John Henshaw note in a GreenBiz article, “a strong commitment to safety and health can . . . decrease training and recruitment costs, increase worker engagement and satisfaction, increase productivity and quality and improve reputational and financial performance.” [6]
In this module, we’ll discuss a business’s legal obligations for workplace safety and health, the enforcement process, how to improve workplace safety and risk management.
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"
ILO: Global Cost of Work-related Injuries and Deaths Totals Almost $3 Trillion
." Safety + Health Magazine. September 6, 2017. Accessed August 20, 2019. ↵
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National Safety Council. “
Work-Related Fatality Trends
.” Injury Facts. Accessed November 18, 2019. ↵
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"
ILO: Global Cost of Work-related Injuries and Deaths Totals Almost $3 Trillion
." ↵
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"Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index." Liberty Mutual Insurance. February 2018. Accessed August 20, 2019. ↵
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“Workplace Safety Index.” Liberty Mutual Group. Accessed November 18, 2019. ↵
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Michaels, David and John Henshaw. "
Here's Why Worker Safety is a Sustainability Essential.
" Accessed August 20, 2019. ↵