Occupational Health and Safety

Occupational Health and Safety  » Workplace Safety and Economics

Workplace Safety and Economics

It is estimated that over 40 million workers in the United

States had to receive emergency medical treatment for

workplace-related injuries in the year 2003. This is a

staggering number when one considers the efforts most companies

have put into maintaining a safe workplace. In modern times, a

number of companies have been found liable for injuries

sustained in their places of business. There is a relationship

that exists between workplace safety and profitability.

Every company, especially those involved in industrial

manufacturing, is constantly looking at ways to continuously

improve their products and processes. They realize that their

profits are directly related to the ways and means by which they

produce their products. Unfortunately, too many companies get

caught up in drive for higher profits and tend to allow

workplace safety to become an afterthought.

The costs associated with operating a large manufacturing

facility in America are astounding. Workplace injuries place a

massive burden of expense and weakened productivity on a

company. These injuries can be reduced with proper planning and

careful attention to detail. Most workplace injuries are

preventable. There are a number of factors to consider, but

maintaining a safe and tidy work area is one of the best ways to

prevent injury. Workers, too, have a responsibility in keeping

themselves safe from harm.

Workplace injuries place a significant burden on health care

providers and insurance companies. As companies continue to pay

higher premiums for employee health care, one of the only means

available for cost recovery is to increase the prices of the

goods they produce. This places the burden of expense on the

consumer, and allows companies to ignore the root cause of their

workplace injuries. The focus here seems to be on maintaining a

healthy relationship with shareholders, and not necessarily on

maintaining a healthy workforce.

It is interesting to note that there are record numbers of jobs,

especially in the industrial sector, being sent overseas. There

are a number of reasons to account for this. One of the most

significant reasons is that American companies are able to shave

their operating costs down to a fraction of their domestic

Today's Popular Articles

• Motorcycle Helmets for your safety

• Looking for the most up-to-date help concerning health and safety.

costs, by capitalizing on cheaper labor in foreign markets.

Foreign governments, eager for investment, are all too willing

to accommodate the interests of big western business. Far too

often, this comes at the expense of workplace safety.

If companies want to be profitable in the long term, they need

to reexamine their approach to workplace safety and the health

of their workers. Many companies are sending jobs overseas, in

order to take advantage of cheap labor and relaxed labor laws.

American companies can be both profitable and safety conscious.

Through directed education campaigns and preemptive planning,

workplace injuries can be reduced in a significant way.

Remember: a safe worker is a happy worker, and a happy worker is

a productive worker.

About the author:

Jim Staller writes for industrial101.com - an excellent online

resource for information about Safety

Supplies, Industrial

Electronics, Equipment and

more.