Thought for the Month: What is the correlation between babies and adults?

Falls are one of the greatest threats to both demographics.

Think about this, every year there are more than 2.3 million fall-related child injuries reported. For children 4 years and under, 80 percent of these falls occur in the home and more than half occur at home for children ages 5-14 years. (Safe Kids USA) As a result the child safety industry has boomed. And the results are in. Child Injury has never been lower. 

For example, in New York City a window guard distribution program coupled with legislation reduced window fall-related fatalities by 35 percent after two years. (Safe Kids USA) What a drastic change. What a powerful change. What a positive change.

Babies are fragile; that’s true, but so are teenagers, adults and the elderly…We are human. We are fragile. And despite the heights we reach physically and intellectually, we’re not invincible. Safety is about having the right mindset, finding company with that mindset, investing energy in protecting that mindset.

In 2009, there were 4,340 American worker fall-related injuries; in 2008, 5,214. That is a 17 percent decrease. The decrease can be attributed to OSHA Federal and State legislation as well as exceptionally run companies, the kind of companies that see an employee as an individual and not a dollar sign. This is a harsh reality in a capitalistic society where the almighty dollar reigns supreme. Many companies receive quotes from VSI, and our competitors alike, but find the price disagreeable with their pocketbook; wrong mindset. These are stagnant companies. These are dollar vision companies. These companies fail in comprehending the long term impact of proper safety practice.

To put it squarely, many companies cannot see the forest through the trees. There are emotional and financial costs associated with fall related injuries for both the company and the family, and failure or refusal to understand the big picture is the biggest deterrent in eliminating fall injuries. 

To dispel popular myth, OSHA laws are not enforced to scare companies, or shut them down, or discomfort the worker. These programs are here to protect the emotional and physical safety of your company and employees. That’s all. See the forest. Take a proper proactive stance against the risks associated with elevated work environments. And on matters of importance, place fall protection at the top of your hierarchy.

In the end, if you care for your employees, if you care about your company, child proof your workplace. And in the case this offends your sense of manhood or womanhood, remember that you would never see professional football players running around the gridiron without pads. Their workplace is extremely safety conscious and they adhere to the rules.

Let’s carry the right mindset to the end goal of 0 fall fatalities a year.

We’re not your average fall protection company. 

We’re Versatile Systems Inc.

Average doesn’t work here.