OSHA, other agencies will team up for job safety week

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) will join together to help educate the public on the benefits of investing in occupational safety, health and environmental programs during North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week May 6-12. The theme for the event is "All Modes of Transportation."

"NAOSH Week is the perfect opportunity for the ASSE, the CSSE and OSHA, along with 25 of our agency's alliance program participants, to come together to spread the word about transportation safety," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "Together, we will address ways to provide employers, employees and the public with the tools they need to protect our nation's working men and women."

"In the U.S. alone, transportation-related incidents continue to be the leading cause of on-the-job deaths," said ASSE president Donald S. Jones Sr., P.E., CSP. "In 2004, some 43 percent of the 5,703 workplace fatalities were transportation related. Overall, 6,159,000 traffic crashes were reported in 2005, causing 43,443 fatalities and 2.7 million injuries – costing us all an estimated $250.6 billion."

Founded in 1911, the non-profit ASSE is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. It is the oldest and largest global professional safety organization, with more than 30,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members.

The Federal Network for Young Worker Safety and Health (FedNet) is also supporting 2007 NAOSH Week. FedNet is a federal interagency workgroup formed by OSHA in 2003 to address occupational issues that affect the safety and health of young employees. It is made up of more than 30 federal agencies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

OSHA Alliance Program participants that are actively supporting NAOSH Week include the National Safety Council, the American Red Cross, and the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses.

The goal of NAOSH Week is to raise awareness of the role and contribution of safety, health and environmental professionals and to reduce workplace injuries and illness by encouraging new safety and health activities at all companies and organizations.