The Board of Trustees of ISEA -- the Safety Equipment Association has adopted a resolution endorsing the National Safety Council''s (NSC) program to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities from accidents on the nation''s highways and in its workplaces, homes and public places.
NSC''s Safety Agenda for the Nation, announced April 25, proposes a series of actions to help stem the tide of injuries and deaths, including partnerships with public and private-sector organizations to develop new and innovative programs in the areas of education, research, voluntary actions, legislation, regulation and enforcement.
"Unintentional injuries in the workplace, on highways, around the home, and in public places claimed nearly 100,000 American lives in 1999; more than 20 million Americans were seriously injured last year, and the economic cost of unintentional injuries reached $500 billion," said Daniel K. Shipp, ISEA president. "We firmly believe that if all Americans work together through this NSC program, we can bring down these regrettable numbers."
ISEA supports its members by promoting the standardization of safety equipment; representing the industry''s interest before government bodies; collecting and disseminating information about the industry; maintaining links to other safety organizations; and promoting the use of personal protective equipment as essential to worker safety and health.
A major new thrust for ISEA is to coordinate on behalf of its members an effort to improve workplace safety by increasing on-the-job compliance with safety equipment standards and regulations, and by increasing user awareness and acceptance of safety equipment on and off the job.
That effort currently focuses on reducing injuries and deaths in road construction.
The initiative involves working with government entities, the NSC, road construction companies and their trade associations, road workers and their labor organizations.
It will include establishment of a Road Construction Industry Safety Equipment Users Council to promote better communication between producers and consumers of safety equipment.
by Virginia Sutcliffe