PITTSBURGH – Today, Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, and Senator Bob Casey gathered for a congressional roundtable discussion at Chatham University in Pittsburgh to highlight worker safety and the role of technology in saving lives.
This discussion was a necessary step toward improved safety and health outcomes for workers. In 2020, more than 4,700 people died on the job in the U.S., and that number of fatalities has remained consistent over the past several years. However, technology advancements continue, and looking to safety technology can disrupt this trend. In light of the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), it is more important than ever employers and workers have access to and information about all safety technologies available. IIJA may create as many as 1.5 million new jobs each year and 30,000 in Pennsylvania, with many in safety-sensitive industries such as manufacturing, construction, and transportation. Sectors including labor, business and government were represented at the roundtable, all of which can work together to find lifesaving solutions.
“Everyone has the right to return home from work safely each and every day,” said Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of NSC. “No fatality is acceptable, and all are preventable. It is our duty as safety leaders and policymakers to do everything within our power to educate employers and workers about technologies that are available and are best for their particular industry or workplace environment. I applaud Senator Casey for his leadership in co-convening this roundtable so we can continue to learn and do more to prevent injuries and fatalities in the workplace.”
“Worker safety is non-negotiable and it must be a priority in every workplace,” said Senator Bob Casey. “Thanks to the infrastructure law, we can look forward to 30,000 jobs in Pennsylvania each year. As we create good jobs and break ground on new infrastructure projects, it is critical we keep workers safe on the job—including with new technologies being developed right here in Pittsburgh—and ensure workers and labor leaders have a seat at the table when it comes to decisions that affect their workplaces and safety.”
Earlier this summer, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate released FY23 Department of Labor and Health and Human Services appropriations bills with language directing OSHA and NIOSH to convene stakeholders to examine workplace safety technology. NSC and Work to Zero are prepared to participate in this discussion to raise awareness of the safety technologies that can save lives.
About National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for more than 100 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace, roadway and impairment. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.
About Work to Zero
Funded by the McElhattan Foundation, Work to Zero aims to eliminate workplace fatalities through the use of technology. To learn more about Work to Zero and create a safer workplace, visit nsc.org/work-to-zero.
