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Greetings!
 Do companies really understand the true cost of a workplace accident? Most organizations understand the direct costs, medical and indemnity payments, but do they understand how those costs (and the indirects, typically unmentioned) can burden the company's budget and negatively impact its bottom line for years to come?
Need convincing? OSHA has a nifty tool (Estimated Costs of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and Estimated Impact on a Company's Profitability Worksheet) posted on their website that estimates the approximate total cost, direct and indirect, of a workplace injury. The tool provides an estimate, based on the corporate profit margin, of how much additional revenue needs to be earned to make up for the expenses incurred with an injury.
The results are eye-opening. For example, we entered the following variables: concussion and 5% corporate profit margin. The direct and indirect costs equaled $166,708. The additional revenue the company would have to generate to cover those costs to the bottom line is approximately $1,667,080. Looking at those figures can you imagine the impact of a workplace fatality? That is exactly what the Lehigh Valley Safety Committee is going to do on May 16, 2013. Please consider joining them for a special full day safety presentation on The Aspects & Realities of Workplace Fatalities. The event is free, but registration is required. This is an important event and one that shouldn't be missed.
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IN THE NEWS
Safety is Everyone's Job
plantservices.com
Whose job is safety? Most would be quick to argue that the environmental health and safety (EHS) manager or even the plant manager wears the big safety hat in any facility. While the EHS manager's job includes developing and implementing programs to increase the safety and well-being of workers, plant managers ultimately own the risks associated with all of the work done with the facility. <READ MORE>
National Safety Month - June 2013
nsc.org
Each June, the National Safety Council encourages organizations to get involved and participate in National Safety Month. NSM is an annual observance to educate and influence behaviors around leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths.
This year's theme, "Safety Starts with Me," was inspired by the pillar of Leadership and Employee Engagement from the Journey to Safety Excellence.
OSHA Takes Steps to Prevent Falls in the Construction Industry
tasco-safety.com
If you own a construction business, you may be interested to know that on March 11, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported meeting with a Maryland group to address reducing falls.
<READ MORE>
Top Ten Loss Control Tips for 2013
safetynewsalert.com
What are the most important steps companies can take to mitigate risk and control loss through workplace safety? A 20-year occupational safety veteran reveals his Top 10 list.
<READ MORE>
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 LEHIGH VALLEY SAFETY COMMITTEE (LVSC) Free Safety Presentations
Aspects & Realities of Workplace Fatalities
May 16, 2013, 8:00am-3:00pm
Lipkin Theatre, Northampton Community College, Main Campus
In 2011, nearly 5,000 United States workers died as a result of fatal injuries incurred during work-related incidents. While most organizations understand the direct costs associated with such a catastrophic event, many don't fully appreciate the indirect costs (morale, production) that can cripple a company's production floor and devastate its bottom line for years to come.
Join the LVSC on a journey of realization as we explore the true impact of a workplace fatality. From incident through phases of recovery and aftermath, our team of experts will provide meaningful discussion and statistics outlining the emotional and economic toll on an organization. The program will include perspectives from internal and external response, regulatory organizations and legal bodies. The event will conclude with a panel discussion featuring individuals who have experienced workplace fatalities firsthand. Continental breakfast, lunch and all materials are included. Fee: FREE, but registration is required to attend.
REGISTER NOW!
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 MID-ATLANTIC OSHA TRAINING INSTITUTE EDUCATION CENTEROSHA Outreach Trainer Courses for General Industry & Construction
OSHA 500: Trainer Course in Occupational Safety & Health Standards for the Construction Industry
Ideal for private sector employees with five or more years of construction safety experience who are interested in teaching the 10- and 30-hour construction outreach program to their employees and other interested groups. Special emphasis is placed on those topics that are required in the 10- and 30-hour programs as well as on those that are the most hazardous, using OSHA standards as a guide.
June 3-6, 2013
$795.00
Download flyer and registration information
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FREE SAFETY ASSESSMENTS
CBI - Corporate & Public Safety provides free safety assessments that include a tour of your facility and a review of your safety practices to ensure the highest level of safety, performance and compliance are being implemented at your organization. Please note: the free assessment does not include documentation and is not regulatory. To find out more, please call 610-332-6596 or visit www.northampton.edu/SAFETY. |
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SAFETY LINES
Tom Barnowski
Corporate & Public Safety Director
The old supervisor bristled at the thought of the implementation of safety practices per the corporate office memo. He was certain that the overhead associated with OSHA regulatory compliance would certainly drive the company to financial ruin. In his mind he was certain that contracts were never bid with costly safety practices in the mix. He was even more certain that the competition was certainly not bidding jobs with the costly overheads associated with safety practices. He had been around for decades and never encountered an OSHA compliance officer on any job. Why the interest now in the middle of an economic recession?
Sadly, the perceptions of our fictitious supervisor are representative of an ongoing mindset. Why comply with safety regulations and the associated expenses? Why change what we have always done in the past? The reality is that workplace tasks can be completed safely and efficiently with the appropriate equipment and safety practices in place. There is no real financial advantage to taking safety shortcuts. The percentage of associated expense is virtually insignificant when compared to the devastating costs should a workplace catastrophe occur.
A workplace fatality will likely cost in excess of one million dollars. Simple broken bones can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Billions of dollars are expended to cover the costs associated with workplace accidents every year. The emotional trauma coupled with financial hardship; demand that safety in the workplace become a priority. OSHA regulations are not in existence to confound industry but rather to ensure that the on-site human investment yields a profitable return. Safety is a specification that must be included in every contract or product order. As attitudes change maybe it's time we embrace a new awareness that includes safety as a cost saving specification?
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