The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and its Alliance Program members prepare to educate the public on workplace safety and prevention during North American Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week.

Combining OSHA and their Alliance Program members, ASSE and their 30,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) look to reach millions of people and tens of thousands of businesses by presenting safety ideas and solutions for injury prevention and illness in the workplace.

"This year I encourage you to focus your NAOSH Week efforts on transportation safety," ASSE President Donald S. Jones, Sr., P.E., CSP, said in his April ASSE Professional Safety magazine editorial. "In the U.S. alone, transportation-related incidents continue to be the leading cause of on-the-job deaths. In 2004, some 43 percent of the 5,703 workplace fatalities were transportation related. Overall, 6,159,000 traffic crashes were reported in 2005, causing 43,443 fatalities and 2.7 million injuries – costing us all an estimated $250.6 billion."

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.2 million people were killed in roadway crashes in 2002 and another 30 to 50 million people are injured or disabled each year. According to WHO, roadway traffic deaths worldwide are on the increase.

Through its Alliance Program, OSHA works with groups committed to safety and health, including businesses, trade or professional organizations, unions and educational institutions, to leverage resources and expertise to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and share information with employers and employees to help prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace.

For a complete list of OSHA Alliance Program participants, click here

SOURCE American Society of Safety Engineers