DON'T TAKE SAFETY FOR GRANTED

The measures we take to work safely can become redundant or repetitive at times, especially on jobs that do not change much. The reason why safety can become repetitive is because it is often the same hazards that lead to most injuries.

We need to appreciate the amount of time and money companies spend on safety in the United States. Not so long ago, Americans faced horrible working conditions and a lot more risk when they went into work.

Today there are many countries whose employees do not enjoy the same rights regarding workplace safety as we in the United States do. It is critical to keep these facts in mind to not take workplace safety for granted.

Workplace Safety in the United States

In the Early 1900s There are many different statistics we can look at regarding the workplace in the early 1900s to demonstrate how dangerous it was to be a worker in this country back then.

The difference is staggering. You were almost 19 times more likely to die in the early 1900s working in an industrial setting than you are today, not to mention the unimaginable amount of serious workplace illnesses and injuries that occurred during this time. There are many stories of horrible tragedies that claimed hundreds of workers’ lives in single events from this time period.

Working Conditions in Developing Countries

While workplace injury rates in the United States are close to all-time lows today, there are many countries which experience higher injury rates and poor working conditions.