And while corporate America has made dramatic gains in workplace safety, businesses are losing money on accidents unrelated to the workplace, according to NSC.
"The business costs of off-the-job accidents is staggering when you take into account lost wages and productivity, medical and disability payments and training for new employees," said NSC President and CEO Alan McMillan.
According to 2004 NSC statistics being presented at the nation's first Off-the-Job Safety Symposium in Orlando, Fla., later this month, twice as many workers 6.8 million were seriously injured while off the job than were injured while working. And of the 49,000 injury-related deaths in 2004 involving workers, roughly 90 percent occurred while employees were off the job, according to NSC.
In 2004, the cost of employee injuries both on and off the job was more than $330 billion. Nearly 60 percent or $200 billion was for injuries to employees who were off the job, the organization reports.
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, more is spent by private health insurance on medical care associated with trauma and poisoning for people of working age than for any other health condition including cancer, heart conditions, mental disorders or upper respiratory conditions and asthma.
In addition, off-the-job injuries accounted for employers losing 165 million days of production time, compared with 80 million lost workdays as a result of workplace injuries.
Businesses Recognizing the Value of Off-the-Job Safety
Increasingly, businesses are recognizing the value of keeping their employees safe at all times both on and off the job.
A recent NSC survey of 1,300 companies of varying sizes indicates that the impact of off-the-job safety training has begun to be felt at businesses that have implemented programs. Of those who have implemented off-the-job programs, 58 percent reported reductions in injuries occurring outside of work.
In addition, research presented at the 17th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work last year found that for every dollar businesses spend on safety, they realize a $3 to $6 savings.
Gary Kopps, manager of Occupational Safety Worldwide for John Deere and Co., notes that corporate-sponsored safety initiatives are a win-win for both businesses and their employees.
"Employees value that you take time to remind them about safety, and they pay you back many times over through loyalty, increased productivity and quality and reduced absenteeism," said Kopps, who will present the John Deere business case for off-the-job safety at the upcoming Off-the-Job Safety Symposium.
Safety and health experts from Intel, Johnson & Johnson and Sara Lee also will present their corporate off-the-job case studies.
The Off-the-Job Safety Symposium will be held at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 15 and 16.