Document r6EbzM4vjke7Qqwk6r19m0BD0

Industrial Safety During the years of growth, 1910 to the present, there has been an orderly develop ment of knowledge, which, when applied with sufficient skill and judgment has pro duced significant reductions in many types of accidents and accidental injuries However, the tremendous increase m scientific knowl edge and technological advancement during the past 20 years has added to the complexi ties of safety work The approach has oscillated between one that emphasizes environmental control or engineering, and one that emphasizes human factors From this, several important trends in the pattern of the safety' professional's de velopment have emerged These indicate the future of the profession o First, increasing emphasis toward ana lyzing the loss potential of the activity with which the safety professional is concerned Such analysis will require greater ability (a) to predict where and how loss- and injury-pro ducing events will occur and (b) to find the means of preventing such events Second, increased development of factual, unbiased, and objective information about loss-producing problems and accident causa tion, so that those who have ultimate decision making responsibilities can make sound de cisions Third, the use of the safety professional m a more direct role in support ofthe develop ment of safe products The application of the principles of accident causation and control to the product is becoming more important because of the increase in products liability cases, the sudden emphasis m law of the en tire field of negligent design, and the obvious impact a safer product would have on the overall safety of the environment To identify and evaluate the magnitude of the safety problem, the safety professional collects and analyzes information He is con cerned with all facets of the problem, personal and environmental, transient and permanent, to determine the causes of accidents or the existence of loss-producing conditions, prac tices, or materials From the information he has collected and analyzed, he proposes alternate solutions, together with recomendations based upon his specialized knowledge and experience, to those who have ultimate decision-making responsibilities Therefore, future application of this knowl edge in all aspects ofour civilization--whether to industry, to transportation, at home, or m recreation -- makes it imperative that those m this field of endeavor be trained to utilize scientific principles and methods to achieve adequate results Of prime importance will be the knowledge, skill, and ability to inte grate machines, equipment and environ ments with man and his capabilities The safety professional in performing these functions will draw upon specialized knowl edge in both the physical and social sciences He will apply the principles of measurement and analysis to evaluate safety performance He will be required to have fundamental knowledge of statistics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineenng He will utilize knowledge in the field of behavior, motivation, and communications Knowledge of management principles as well as the theory of business and government organization will also be required His spe cialized knowledge must include a thorough understanding of the causative factors con tributing to accident occurrence as well as methods and procedures designed to control such events The safety professional will also need diver sified education and training if he is to meet the challenges of the future The population explosion, the problems of urban areas and future transportation systems, as well as the increasing complexities of man's everyday life will create many problems and extend the safety professional's creativity to its maximum if he is to successfully provide the knowledge and leadership to conserve life, health, and property Training of the safety professional of the future can no longer be the "on-the-job," man-to-man type, only ft must contemplate specialized undergraduate level training, leading to a bachelor's degree or a certificate Training courses such as those conducted by the National Safety Council have and will continue to serve a very useful purpose for a large number of individuals who begin per forming safety functions and must receive initial training or advanced training in certain specialized areas Few schools or universities currently offer courses in safety and none of these offers a bachelor's degree in safety, however, some 14