OUR SAFETY CHALLENGES:
AN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

Remarks by Gerard Scannell
President Emeritus
National Safety Council
for
"Japan National Industrial Safety and Health Convention",
Indusutrial Safety and Health Department Meeting,
International Subcommitee.

In Japanese

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.  I AM VERY HUMBLED AND HONORED BY YOUR AWARD.

IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO BE WITH SUCH AN ESTEEMED GROUP OF JAPAN'S SAFETY AND HEALTH LEADERS.

I KNOW THAT YOUR COMPANIES HOLD SAFETY AS A CORE VALUE BECAUSE YOU TRULY CARE ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF YOUR PEOPLE.   YOU ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT GOOD SAFETY AND HEALTH IS ALSO GOOD BUSINESS.  YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED YOUR SAFETY VALUES AND YOUR GOOD BUSINESS SENSE BY LEADING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKER SAFETY. 

YOU AND YOUR COMPANIES HAVE BEEN IN THE FOREFRONT IN DRIVING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN WORKER SAFETY AND HEALTH IN JAPAN, AND I AM HONORED TO BE WITH YOU. 

TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I SEE THAT CONFRONT US IN OUR MUTUAL ENDEAVORS TO IMPROVE WORKER SAFETY AND HEALTH. 

I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE DIRECTION OF THE UNITED STATES OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT BUSH. 

FINALLY, I WANT TO CHALLENGE EACH OF YOU TO EXPAND YOUR THINKING ABOUT SAFETY AND HEALTH ISSUES BEYOND YOUR OWN COMPANIES' PLANTS AND OFFICES.

CONGRESSIONAL CHARTER

THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL WAS CHARTERED BY CONGRESS IN THE EARLY 1950s TO PREVENT INJURIES WHEREVER THEY MAY OCCUR IN OUR SOCIETY.  WE ARE THE ONLY ORGANIZATION, OTHER THAN THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, CHARTERED BY CONGRESS TO ADDRESS SAFETY AND HEALTH ISSUES. 

THE CHARTER CALLS FOR THE COUNCIL TO AROUSE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES IN SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION. 

MISSION

THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, BUT IS A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION OF 37,500 ORGANIZATIONS AND FACILITIES.  

THROUGHOUT ITS 89-YEAR HISTORY, MUCH OF THE COUNCIL'S FOCUS HAS BEEN ON WORKPLACE SAFETY.  THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN AMERICAN WORKPLACES. 

IN 1929, 20,000 PEOPLE DIED IN THE WORKPLACE, WHICH IS A RATE OF 16.4 FATALITIES PER 100,000 PEOPLE.  IN 2000, 5,200 PEOPLE DIED IN THE WORKPLACE, WHICH IS A RATE OF 1.9 FATALITIES PER 100,000 PEOPLE.  THIS IS SIGNIFICANT, LONG-TERM HISTORIC IMPROVEMENT. 

HOWEVER, WORKPLACE SAFETY IS NOT THE COUNCIL'S ONLY AREA OF EMPHASIS.  THE COUNCIL ALSO HAS A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS IN TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND IN HOME AND COMMUNITY SAFETY AND HEALTH.

AMERICA'S SAFETY CHALLENGE

THE AMERICAN WORKPLACE IS A MUCH SAFER PLACE TODAY THAN IT WAS A DECADE AGO, AND PARTICULARLY, A GENERATION AGO. 

DESPITE THIS PROGRESS, HOWEVER, THREE MILLION PEOPLE SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES IN THE WORKPLACE LAST YEAR THAT KEPT THEM FROM WORK FOR AT LEAST ONE DAY.  MORE THAN 5,200 PEOPLE DIED OF PREVENTABLE INJURIES INCURRED IN THE WORKPLACE.  THAT'S A SOBERING REMINDER THAT ALL AMERICANS STILL HAVE A LOT TO DO TO MAKE OUR WORKPLACES AS SAFE AS THEY CAN BE – AND SHOULD BE. 

HOWEVER, WORKPLACE SAFETY IS JUST A VERY SMALL PART OF THE TOTAL SAFETY PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTRY. 

MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE DIED IN THE WORKPLACE, BUT EIGHTEEN TIMES THAT MANY PEOPLE – OVER 92,000 – DIED FROM PREVENTABLE INJURIES SUFFERED OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE.

THIS STATISTIC REMINDS US THAT WE MUST PLACE GREATER EMPHASIS ON SAFETY OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE.

WORKPLACE TRENDS

AS A NATION, WE HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS PROGRESS TO IMPROVE WORKPLACE SAFETY.  THE NUMBER OF WORKERS IS GOING UP, WHILE THE DEATH RATE IS GOING DOWN. THE REDUCTION IN WORKPLACE DEATHS HAS BEEN IMPRESSIVE, BUT WE CANNOT LET UP. 

HOW WORKERS DIE AT WORK

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CAUSES FOR THE 5,200 WORKPLACE DEATHS THAT OCCURRED DUE TO PREVENTABLE INJURIES.  HERE IS A LIST OF THE CAUSES. 

THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IS MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES.  OTHER MOTOR-VEHICLE RELATED INCIDENTS INCLUDE PEDESTRIANS, NONHIGHWAY INCIDENTS, AIRCRAFT CRASHES AND TRAIN CRASHES, WHICH ARE INCLUDED IN ALL OTHER.  ALL TOLD, THERE ARE OVER 2,300 WORKPLACE DEATHS RELATED IN SOME WAY TO TRANSPORTATION.

THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION IS OUR PRIMARY GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY THAT REGULATES WORKPLACE SAFETY. 

THERE ARE SPECIFIC GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO EACH OF THESE INJURY CAUSES, BUT THEY ARE CONTINUALLY REVIEWED AND REVISED.

OSHA WANTS TO LEAD A NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON SAFETY AND HEALTH AND ESTABLISH PARTNERSHIPS AND VOLUNTARY PROGRAMS WITH COMPANIES, LABOR UNIONS, PROFESSIONAL GROUPS REPRESENTING SAFETY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM IMPACT IN ESTABLISHING THIS DIALOGUE.

OSHA'S GOAL IS PROVIDE MORE FOCUS TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON IMPROVING SAFETY AND HEALTH PERFORMANCE AND UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF THE AMERICAN WORKER --  RATHER THAN MERELY COMPLYING WITH REGULATIONS.

THIS DIALOGUE ALSO NEEDS TO EXTEND TO GROUPS THAT MAY NOT CURRENTLY BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS. 

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE 10 MILLION AMERICAN WORKERS WHO DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. THERE IS A HIGH RATE OF INJURIES AND FATALITIES EXPERIENCED BY HISPANIC CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.  THIS IS ONE AREA THAT REQUIRES SPECIAL ATTENTION AND OUTREACH.

ENFORCEMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OSHA OPERATIONS FOR THOSE COMPANIES THAT DO NOT CONFORM TO OSHA REGULATIONS.  IN ADDITION, OSHA WILL ALSO FOCUS ON IMPROVING THE INSPECTION PROCESS AND ENHANCING THE TRAINING AND CAPABILITIES OF INSPECTORS.

THERE ARE FOUR OSHA REGULATIONS THAT HAVE RECENTLY TAKEN EFFECT, OR WILL TAKE EFFECT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

THESE INCLUDE A NEW STANDARD FOR HOW BUSINESSES KEEP THEIR SAFETY RECORDS, AND REGULATIONS RELATED TO STEEL ERECTION, NEEDLESTICK PREVENTION AND LEAD POISONING. 

AT THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL, WE FOCUS ON THE HUMAN TRAGEDY OF PEOPLE DYING DUE TO PREVENTABLE CAUSES.  WHILE MANY PEOPLE AND MANY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A SAFETY CULTURE IN THE WORKPLACE, THE SAD FACT IS THAT MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND MANY INDIVIDUALS STILL DO NOT. 

OUR FIRST OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY PRIORITY IS TO ESTABLISH A COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF SAFETY LEADERSHIP.

WE PROVIDE TRAINING TO CORPORATE LEADERS THAT HELP LEADERS UNDERSTAND THE PROPER BEHAVIORS OF LEADERS AND WHAT SHOULD LEADERS EXPECT OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS REGARDING SAFETY AND HEALTH.

THE NEW PARADIGM OF THE MODERN CORPORATION IS ONE THAT COMPANIES MUST DO THE RIGHT THING FOR SAFETY.   BUT COMPANIES DEFINE THE �gRIGHT THING" DIFFERENTLY, AND THIS DIFFERENCE IS OFTEN A MATTER OF CONSIDERING SAFETY A PRIORITY OR A VALUE. 

MANY COMPANIES REGARD SAFETY AS A PRIORITY AND DEVELOP IMPROVEMENT GOALS FOR THEIR SAFETY PROGRAM.  VALUES ARE ABSOLUTE.  A VALUE SIGNIFIES WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT TO A COMPANY. 

IF YOU CONSIDER SAFETY A VALUE, THEN YOU CONSIDER IT IN A SIMILAR CONTEXT TO A COMPANY'S COMMITMENT TO HONESTY AND  INTEGRITY. 

WE ASK CORPORATE LEADERS TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT SAFETY – TO SEE SAFETY AND HEALTH A VALUE TO BE CHERISHED AND PROTECTED, JUST AS THEY PROTECT AND CHERISH THEIR OTHER VALUES LIKE THEIR HONESTY AND INTEGRITY. 

NSC'S CODE OF SAFETY AND HEALTH ETHICS PROVIDES A GUIDE TO BUSINESSES TO HELP THEM ESTABLISH THE VALUE OF SAFETY AND HEALTH IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. 

NSC HAS A LONG HISTORY IN PROVIDING OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING.  RECENTLY NSC HAS BEGUN TO EXPAND ITS CAPABILITIES BY PROVIDING ONLINE SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMS OVER THE INTERNET THAT PROVIDE EMPLOYERS GREATER FLEXIBILITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND COST EFFICIENCY IN PROVIDING TRAINING TO THEIR EMPLOYEES.

TRAINING PRODUCTIVITY CAN BE MAXIMIZED BY USING ONLINE TRAINING TO PROVIDE JUST-IN-TIME INSTRUCTION FOR ONE LEARNER OR THOUSANDS AT A FRACTION OF THE COST OF INSTRUCTOR-LED CLASSES

A FEW YEARS AGO, THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL AND JISHA WORKED TOGETHER IN A COOPERATIVE PROJECT TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ON PRODUCTIVITY.  RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED AT MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC CO., TACHI MANUFACTURING CO. AND TOYOTA MOTOR CO. 

REPRESENTATIVES OF THESE COMPANIES, AND JISHA, CONDUCTED RESEARCH THAT FOUND  THERE WERE STRONG CORRELATIONS BETWEEN IMPROVED SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY.  WHEN COMPANIES FOCUS ON IMPROVING SAFETY, PRODUCTIVITY ALSO IMPROVES. 

IN ADDITION, 5S ACTIVITIES PRIMARILY DESIGNED FOR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT -- SEIRI (STRUCTURE), SEITON (SYSTEMATIZE/NEATNESS), SEISO (SANITITATION), SEIKETSU(STANDARDIZE), AND SHISUKE (SELF-DISCIPLINE) – LED TO IMPROVED SAFETY.  PRODUCTIVITY ALSO BENEFITED FROM 5S ACTIONS, EVEN THOUGH THE PRIMARY PURPOSE WAS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT.

NOW I WANT TO TURN TO THIS QUESTION.  OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS ON SAFETY ON-THE-JOB.  AS BUSINESS LEADERS AND SAFETY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED WITH SAFETY OFF-THE-JOB AS WELL?  I WANT TO SHARE A FEW FACTS WITH YOU.

WHERE PEOPLE DIE

THIS PIE CHART SHOWS WHERE AMERICANS DIE OF PREVENTABLE INJURIES.  ONLY FIVE PERCENT OF DEATHS DUE TO PREVENTABLE INJURIES OCCUR AT WORK. 

95% -- REPRESENTING OVER 92,000 PEOPLE LAST YEAR – DIED OF PREVENTABLE INJURIES IN THEIR HOMES, COMMUNITIES AND ON AMERICAN ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.  THE GREATEST NUMBER OF UNINTENTIONAL INJURY DEATHS OCCUR IN THE HOME AND COMMUNITY AND RECENT TRENDS INDICATE THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. 

WHERE THE NATION IS TODAY

IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, THE RATE OF UNINTENTIONAL INJURY DEATHS IN THE HOME AND COMMUNITY HAS INCREASED BY 10%, WHILE THE DEATH RATES IN THE WORKPLACE AND ON HIGHWAYS HAS BEEN REDUCED BY ABOUT 10%.

THIS IS THE KEY ISSUE FACING US:  OVER 50,000 PEOPLE DIE EVERY YEAR IN THEIR HOMES AND COMMUNITIES�c.AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO.

HOW PEOPLE DIED IN HOME & COMMUNITY

THE MOST CRITICAL HOME AND COMMUNITY SAFETY ISSUES IN AMERICA ARE FALLS, POISONING, DROWNING AND FIRE.  FALLS ARE A PARTICULARLY SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR THE ELDERLY.

IN 2000, NEARLY 16,000 PEOPLE DIED FROM INJURIES INCURRED IN FALLS.   ALL AGE GROUPS ARE VULNERABLE TO FALLING, BUT 80% OF THOSE KILLED BY FALLS ARE OVER AGE 65.  AND FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF INJURY-RELATED DEATH OF PEOPLE AGE 78 AND OLDER. 

ONE OUT OF THREE ADULTS, AGE 65 YEARS OR OLDER, FALLS EACH YEAR AND 9,500 OF THESE PEOPLE DIE OF INJURIES RELATED TO THEIR FALLS.  THAT IS OVER 26 SENIORS EACH DAY WHO DIE FROM FALL-RELATED INJURIES. 

ABOUT 240,000 PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 50 WILL SUFFER A HIP FRACTURE BECAUSE OF A FALL THIS YEAR.  TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WILL FRACTURE RIBS, WRISTS, FOREARMS AND SPINES.  ABOUT 10% OF THE PEOPLE WHO FALL WILL BE HOSPITALIZED FOR TWO TO THREE WEEKS.  HALF OF THIS GROUP WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AGAIN.

WE BELIEVE WE CAN PREVENT13.2 MILLION FALL-RELATED INJURIES AND 75,000 FALL-RELATED FATALITIES IN THE NEXT 12 YEARS. 

ACHIEVING THIS GOAL WILL REQUIRE PARTNERSHIPS AMONG MANY ORGANIZATIONS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, ACADEMIA, GOVERNMENT AND AMONG AGENCIES THAT SERVE THE ELDERLY. 

HOME & COMMUNITY ISSUES

OTHER HOME AND COMMUNITY ISSUES IN WHICH THE NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL IS INVOLVED INCLUDE THESE OTHER INJURY ISSUES AND SEVERAL PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES.

IN ADDITION, THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11 IN OUR COUNTRY HAVE CAUSED ALL AMERICANS TO FOCUS ON EMERGENCY PLANNING AND DISASTER PREPARATION. 

THE COUNCIL HAS SEVERAL PROGRAMS UNDERWAY TO HELP AMERICANS DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE THAT IS FOREMOST ON THE MIDS OF EVERY AMERICAN THESE DAYS.

SO THESE ARE THE OFF-THE-JOB ISSUES.  NOW, LET'S RETURN TO MY QUESTION�c.WHY SHOULD BUSINESS CARE ABOUT INJURIES AND DEATHS ON AND OFF THE JOB?

TO START WITH, NEARLY HALF OF ALL PREVENTABLE INJURY DEATHS OCCUR TO WORKERS.  HERE IS A PIE CHART OF WHERE PEOPLE DIE, SHOWING IN THE SHADED AREAS, THE PORTION OF THESE DEATHS THAT WERE SUFFERED BY WORKERS.  

OVER ONE-THIRD OF PEOPLE BEING INJURED AND KILLED IN THEIR HOMES AND COMMUNITIES ARE WORKERS.

ADD TO THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE DYING ON HIGHWAYS ARE WORKERS.  ADD IN DEATHS IN THE WORKPLACE, AND WE REACH A TOTAL OF 48% OF ALL ACCIDENTAL DEATHS ARE TO WORKERS. 

COMPANIES ARE AFFECTED BY OFF-THE-JOB INJURIES AND DEATHS TO THEIR WORKERS.  HOWEVER, THEY ARE ALSO AFFECTED WHEN THEIR EMPLOYEES' FAMILY MEMBERS SUFFER INJURIES AND DEATHS. 

ALL ACCIDENTAL DEATHS:

64% ARE WORKERS OR FAMILY MEMBERS

THIS IS THE SAME CHART OF FATALITIES IN THE HOME AND COMMUNITY AND ON HIGHWAYS, WITH DEATHS TO WORKERS' SPOUSES AND CHILDREN ADDED TO IT.  64% OF ALL ACCIDENTAL DEATHS IN THE U.S. OCCUR TO EMPLOYEES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS. 

ADD IN CORPORATE RETIREES AND THEIR SPOUSES AND THE NUMBER PROBABLY EXCEEDS 70%.  THESE ARE THE PEOPLE EMPLOYED AND INSURED BY CORPORATE AMERICA.

SHOULD BUSINESS CARE ABOUT OFF-THE-JOB INJURIES?

SO WE RETURN TO THE QUESTION AND THE ANSWER IS YES.  THIS IS CORPORATE AMERICA'S CHALLENGE, BECAUSE NO MATTER WHERE AN INJURY OR TRAGEDY OCCURS, EMPLOYEES LOSE.  

THEY MIGHT LOSE THEIR LIVES, OR THE LIFE OF A LOVED ONE.  OR THEY MIGHT LOSE SOME OF THEIR HEALTH OR MOBILITY.  OR THE EMOTIONAL TRAUMA WILL AFFECT THEM IN SOME WAY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. 

EVEN IF THE INJURY IS RELATIVELY MINOR, THE PROCESS OF RECOVERY, OR THE NEED TO HELP TREAT A SPOUSE OR CHILD, WILL LIKELY CAUSE YOUR PEOPLE TO BE ABSENT FROM WORK. 

OR IF THEY ARE AT WORK, THEY WILL BE DISTRACTED AND NOT FULLY PRODUCTIVE.

WHEN AN INJURY STRIKES, EMPLOYEES LOSE A PART OF THEMSELVES.  AND EMPLOYERS LOSE PART OF THEIR EMPLOYEES. 

THE FACT IS THAT A COMPANY IS AFFECTED IN MANY TANGIBLE WAYS WHEN AN INJURY STRIKES A MEMBER OF ITS CORPORATE FAMILY. -- WAYS THAT GO WELL BEYOND THE ENORMOUS COSTS OF HEALTH CARE.

IN THE UNITED STATES, EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE BEING INJURED AND KILLED OFF THE JOB IN NUMBERS FAR MORE THAN ON-THE-JOB. 

THIS IS THE CHALLENGE TO THE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA – TO REDUCE THESE INJURIES AND DEATHS.

I ASK YOU WHETHER THIS ALSO SHOULD BE A CHALLENGE TO THE BUSINESS LEADERS OF JAPAN.  SHOULD YOU ALSO BROADEN YOUR FOCUS BEYOND OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH, AND TAKE A GREATER INTEREST IN SAFETY AND HEALTH IN YOUR EMPLOYEES' HOMES AND COMMUNITIES. 

I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THESE ISSUES AND WHETHER YOUR COMPANIES SHOULD PLACE GREATER EMPHASIS ON OFF-THE-JOB SAFETY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.  I AM MOST HONORED BY YOUR KIND RECEPTION.