Do Safety Programs in the Workplace Work?
The answer is, in Pennsylvania at least, they do! A report in Health and Safety News showed that injuries in Pennsylvania reached a four-year low, and attributed the results to the states incentive of offering discounts to employers on their workers compensation premiums for safe workplaces. The report also states that workplace injuries in 2004 were down to 93,566, the lowest number since 2000. That number was down more than 5,500 injuries from 2003. Additionally, the number of work related deaths dropped by 10 in 2004, to 130. The Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry, Stephen Schmerin, reported that 6,100 businesses covering more than 840,000 employees are taking advantage of the states certified program. The Secretary stated that employers have saved almost $200 million since the programs inception through a 5% premium discount for having a certified program. For further information on the workplace safety initiative titled Work Safe PA, visit: www.dli.sate.pa.us. Off-the-Jo
