Bringing Safety Home

Each day, millions of workers go to work and diligently observe proper safety procedures. They wear hardhats, gloves, harnesses, and goggles, use tools, ladders, and machinery correctly, and practice proper lifting techniques. For them, good safety is second nature. Until they get home, that is....

According to OSHA, the rate of workplace injuries has declined significantly every year since 1992, an encouraging sign that most employers and workers have embraced good safety practices. But statistics for injuries and fatalities that occur at home show an opposite trend. Home accidents have increased by 75% in recent years with three times as many workers suffering injuries off the job than at work. At-home falls result in 8.9 million ER visits annually, and are the second leading cause of unintentional death. Ladders are particularly dangerous when used in the home. Ninety-seven percent of the 150,000 ladderrelated injuries that occur each year happen in non-occupational settings. The annual cost of these off-the-job accidents? About $250 billion and 255 million days of lost production time.

Why is it that so many of us who wouldn’t dream of ignoring safety procedures on the job will so readily stand on a rickety chair or jury rig an old lawn mower in our own homes? The statistics above are truly startling, and it obvious that we need to stop leaving our common sense at work. Apply best safety practices 24/7, at home and at work.

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services
1 Globe Street
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-222-3553
Fax: 732-450-0311
Website: http://www.rbaker.com
For more information visit our website or contact Damon Kozul, PE, CHMM at dkozul@rbaker.com