SAFETY: THE WORKFORCE ISSUE Because safety in the workplace is such a complex issue, managing the safety function can be a challenging process. This complexity is rooted in the fact that safety is a condition of employment and is, therefore, subject to the full spectrum of employment law, including worker’s compensation law. As a condition of employment, safety is part and parcel of the implied contractual agreement between employer and employee. Like any other contract that is entered into in good faith, each party makes commitments and each party assumes responsibilities. Certainly, neither employee nor employer assumes that either one of them will become another statistic in the occupational injury and illness records.

The desire to provide a safe, productive work environment—while reducing liability and the hidden bottom line losses of downtime—is driving facility managers and building owners to establish comprehensive safety and health management programs. Having such a program at the facility can ensure a safe environment where accidents and illnesses are minimized, and where such incidents are handled properly.

Safety is both a people and an environmental issue. It involves people and productivity and the costs of managing each. It involves coordinating policies and operations with industry standards and practices as well as with government regulations.