The National Safety Council (NSC) has set a “moon shot goal,” which it announced during its opening sessions for 2016. The goal is to eliminate accidental deaths in our lifetime. The CEO of the National Safety Council has also urged companies and individuals to create their own personal “moon shot,” which employers could do by setting a goal of zero worker deaths. The term “moon shot” is in reference to the goal set by President Kennedy to send a man to the moon safely before the end of the 1960’s. That goal was met and the NSC hopes that both its goal and the individual goals set by employers can also be achieved.
Accidental deaths are preventable and aiming to eliminate them entirely could mean many people avoid life-ending injuries and many families avoid the devastation of losing a loved one. Unfortunately, unless and until accidental deaths are eliminated, families will continue to be forced to cope with the financial and emotional losses resulting from an untimely death. New York injury attorneys can provide assistance to families in pursuing claims for compensation when deaths that should not have occurred happen.
Working Towards Eliminating Accidental Deaths
Unintentional injuries are the fourth leading cause of death within the United States, according to Safety News Alert. Many of these accidental deaths happen while workers are on-the-job. Improving worksite safety and providing better training and support to employees could go a long way towards achieving the goal of zero accidental fatalities. The National Safety Council has listed its priorities for workplace safety improvements which the organization hopes will go a long way towards achieving the goal of zero accidental fatalities.
The number one priority is to try to reduce auto accidents at work, as motor vehicle crashes remain the single leading cause of worksite fatalities. The NSC believes that employers can help to bring down this number by purchasing company cars that have the latest in advanced safety technologies. Automatic braking and blind spot monitors are two of the possible safety features offered by many vehicles which could help to prevent car crashes by workers on-the-job.
The NSC believes employees also need more training on vehicle safety, more specifically on the risks of distracted driving and the dangers of technology in cars. Many drivers believe the use of hands-free devices does not present a safety risk since their hands are on-the-wheel. Motorists need to be aware of the many studies which show that hands-free electronic use is just as distracting as the use of handheld electronics. The brain is not able to multi-task effectively, so when focused on talking to someone on a phone hands-free or on talking to any in-vehicle electronic systems, motorists cannot pay attention to road safety.
In addition to addressing workplace injury risks in cars, NSC also has two other top priorities for employers: addressing the “growing problem of opioid addiction” and providing more training on workplace violence.
If employers pay attention to safety priorities set by NSC and if companies set a moonshot goal to prevent work injuries, hopefully many lives will be saved. If lives are lost, however, Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff can provide help to surviving family members in pursuing a claim for compensation for damages.
