Our Mission is Safety
The National Safety Council eliminates preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.
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June 2019
Children are dying in hot cars at an alarming rate. Tragically, more children died in hot cars in the United States during 2018 than any other year on record. Since 1998, more than 800 children have died in hot cars. These deaths have occurred during all months of the year, and in all but three states in the U.S. Twenty-four percent occurred in employer parking lots while a parent or caregiver was at work.
How does it happen? It seems like an unthinkable act, but it can happen to anyone. Often it happens when parents or caregivers are especially busy or tired, or there is a change in the adults’ regular routine – all of which increase the risk of making a potentially fatal mistake.
“That morning, before work, I took my daughter to a doctor’s appointment. After the appointment I was going to drop her off at daycare and then head to my office. But unfortunately that didn’t happen. What started off as a normal day for me turned into the worst nightmare any parent or caregiver could imagine.” -Reginald McKinnon (Kids In Hot Cars Report, 2018)
Parents, caregivers, co-workers and neighbors can act immediately to end these preventable deaths. Funded by the employees of the National Safety Council, a new free and interactive online training has been created, Children in Hot Cars. This training provides vital information about the dangers of vehicular heatstroke, the three primary circumstances that have led to children dying and what we all can do to prevent these deaths. Additionally, this training includes free resources that can be shared. The training should take less than 15 minutes to complete, and a certificate of completion is provided at the end.
Sadly, there have already been at least seven child vehicular heatstroke deaths in 2019. By taking this training and sharing these resources, you can be at the forefront of ending such tragic and preventable deaths. Learn more at nsc.org/hotcars.
We all face risks throughout our lives. The fact is, unintentional injuries have been increasing for decades and are now the third leading cause of death in the U.S. To reverse this trend, the National Safety Council encourages everyone to keep each other safe during National Safety Month. Sign up for free resources* including a poster, tip sheets, articles, a webinar and more at nsc.org/nsm to help spread safety to your co-workers, family and friends on the following topics:
When you register, you also gain access to special offers, including discounted training and posters, plus the chance to attend the NSC Congress & Expo for FREE! With your help, we can save lives and prevent injuries.
Robye Nothnagel is a loving wife and active mother of teenage twins. In February 2017, she was crossing the road when struck by an 18 year old distracted driver, who was looking at her phone as she drove. Robye doesn’t recall being propelled onto the vehicle’s hood and hurled through the air, but she still struggles daily with the consequences of the crash. She sustained severe injuries, including a broken pelvis bone, tibia bone, fractures in her back and internal injuries. The driver of the car said she didn’t see Robye until she hit her windshield.
After the crash, she spent a week in the hospital, followed by three weeks at a rehabilitation center before she could return home, where she would then spend months in recuperation. Even after several surgeries to place screws and a plate in her leg and months of physical therapy, Robye still has nerve damage that may last a lifetime.
As she has worked to recover from the injuries inflicted by a distracted driver, Robye has devoted herself to creating Colorado Drive Safe, which is committed to creating awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, and advocating for technologies that prevent distracted driving.
Robye is also part of the National Safety Council Survivor Advocate Network and was featured as part of our Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign. She attended our survivor advocate training in 2018, where advocates learn effective storytelling, receive media training and learn about legislating for change.
Nearly 40,000 people died on the roads in 2017. Make a difference by donating today. With your help, NSC can educate people, change unsafe behaviors and eliminate traffic deaths.
The 20th Green Cross for Safety Awards Celebration was held Thursday, May 16, in Chicago. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in safety.
This special event brought together the best and brightest in safety, while raising more than $747,000 in vital funds to support the National Safety Council's efforts to save lives and prevent injuries. Every day, NSC works to identify emerging risks to our safety and create effective solutions through research, education and advocacy to create a safer world for each other at work, at home and on the road.
Meet the winners.
The 2020 Green Cross for Safety Awards Celebration will be held on May 14 in Chicago. Stay tuned for more details!
To learn more about how your company can align its brand with NSC by supporting the 2020 Green Cross for Safety Awards Celebration, please contact Jamie Arquilla at [email protected].
To learn more about each of the 2019 finalists, honorees and the award application process for 2020, please contact Sarah Van Huis at [email protected].
The National Safety Council has received a $500,000 grant from the Pittsburgh-based McElhattan Foundation to launch the Work to Zero initiative, which will help educate employers about new technological safety advancements that promise to reduce and ultimately eliminate preventable deaths in the workplace. NSC also will develop tools and resources for employers who want to integrate potentially life-saving technology, including comprehensive reports and a training program.
The grant is the largest single-payment grant in the history of the McElhattan Foundation, established last year by Kent McElhattan, co-founder and chairman at Industrial Scientific and former NSC Board of Directors chairman and his family. Kent McElhattan expressed his commitment to the work, “This year, in the USA alone over 5,000 men and women will lose their lives on the job. Each fatality is a catastrophic, unrecoverable loss for their families, co-workers and communities. We are delighted to partner with the National Safety Council to fulfill Industrial Scientific’s vision of ending death on the job by the year 2050.”
Workplace deaths increased for a third straight year in 2016, with work-related serious injuries totaling 4.5 million and costing society an estimated $151.1 billion. A 2017 Pew Research Center report indicates that Americans anticipate technology will impact their work environments in the coming years. The National Safety Council surveyed its 15,000 member companies to gauge their interest in workplace technologies, and found 100 percent have a strong interest in knowing more about technologies and how to implement innovations such as augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, sensors, wearables, drones and robotics.
Technology holds immense promise when it comes to mitigating human error. The National Safety Council is grateful to the McElhattan Foundation for providing us with the financial tools needed to advance safety in the workplace.
Every day, the National Safety Council carries out vital mission programs that save lives and prevent injuries at work, in homes and communities, and on the road. We are relentless in our efforts to identify emerging risks to human safety and create effective solutions for individuals, employers and community leaders.
Our donors, advocates and volunteers help us expand our reach and make even greater strides toward creating a safer world for each other. From sharing your story as a Survivor Advocate to hosting a fundraiser, there are many ways you can engage with NSC.
To learn more about how you can make a difference, please email [email protected].
The National Safety Council eliminates preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Donate to our cause.
The National Safety Council is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization.