National Safety Council – NSC
National Safety Council – A Century of Action and Progress
The loss of a loved one is a traumatic experience and the tragedy of the loss can become compounded when the cause of death could have been prevented. Whether their death was at work, in their home, on a road trip, or out and about in the community, these preventable deaths represent the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. For over a century concerned citizens and like-minded businesses, community organizations, and private groups have been working togetherto promote health and safety to reduce the risk of these tragic and unnecessary deaths and life altering injuries.
From humble beginnings early in the 19th century when the safety movement really began, to the nation’s leading safety advocate, the National Safety Council (NSC) has as its mission to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. (http://www.nsc.org/Connect/Pages/about-nsc.aspx) Originally founded in 1912 to reduce workplace fatalities, the National Safety Council has grown and expanded to include educational and training programs related to safety at home, in the community, and driving.
Data Driven Strategies and Programs
The organization targets and focuses its educational and interventional efforts based on data that is collected and compiled each year yielding statistics of unintentional deaths and injuries. These statistics are reported annually in their publication Injury Facts. Every day there are approximately 100,000 accidental injuries and deaths in the United States. These include 100 deaths in car crashes, 60 pain killer overdose deaths, 87 deaths from falls, and 13 deaths from worksite accidents. The information compiled and reported in Injury Facts has shown that the greatest impact that can be made toward preventing injuries and deaths is at work, in homes and communities, and on the road.
The National Safety Council proudly trains over 2 million people every year – 500,000 of which are first aid responders. Specific topics of educational focus and training includes driver training, impaired driving interventions, teen driver laws and safety, child passenger safety, distracted driving – cell phones and texting, seatbelt compliance, new car seat technology, workplace safety, on-the-job fatigue, the rapidly changing workforce, first aid training, CPR, elderly falls, prescription drug abuse, and community safety programs.
Safety Solutions – Collaborations and Networking
To help bring individuals from these various safety specialties together the National Safety Council holds its annual Congress and Expo. As the premier safety event of the year more than 15,000 safety, health and environmental professionals from around the world attend to learn, network and compare safety solutions. A highlight or each year’s event the presentation of the Occupational Safety and Health Association presents its Top 10 Violations. This is one of the activities of the OSHA-NSC Alliance agreement. Its aim is to prevent workplace injuries, deaths and illnesses. As part of the agreement, OSHA and NSC partner to:
- Jointly develop tools for compliance assistance and informational documents of best practice
- Come together and participate at occupational safety and health forums and exhibit functions and stakeholder meetings
- Collaborate with various other OSHA Alliance participants to address select safety topics and work to measure safety success
- Support, encourage and promote the Journey to Safety Excellence Campaign
Membership and Access
Currently there are 21 chapters of the National Safety Council in the United States. Each of these chapters, individually and as a network, work to conduct safety, health and environmental efforts in communities throughout the United States, providing training, conferences, workshops and consulting services. Chapters represent the Council locally and advocate on issues that educate, save lives and reduce injuries. Individuals and organizations that reside outside a Chapter territory are encouraged to contact NSC Customer Service at (800) 621-7619 for member benefits, safety events and specific information related to the services and opportunities available to them through membership or involvement with the National Safety Council. Individuals and organizations who join the NSC have access to thousands of safety resources that can if implemented, help ensure better safety for every worker or family member and reduce unintentional injury and death.
Act and Get Involved
Whether you are an individual or an organization, your safety and that of family members, employees and others is of upmost importance. The National Safety Council offers to you or your employees several ways to get involved with the end goal of working to eliminate unintentional injuries and deaths. These include:
- Becoming a member to get involved and contribute to the work. Student membership is also encouraged. To joint visit join.nsc.org
- Making and building connections with other professionals through Division networking groups
- Provide advocacy for issues important to you by emailing feedback@nsc.org
- Making your story available to others as a Survivor Advocate