The National Safety Council (NSC) has selected independent research firm Verdantix as the research partner for its “Work To Zero” initiative. In December 2019, the McElhattan Foundation awarded the NSC a grant of $500,000 to educate safety professionals about the potential that technology has to eliminate workplace fatalities and serious injuries.
“It is an honor and a privilege to contribute to the ‘Work To Zero’ initiative alongside the National Safety Council,” said David Metcalfe, Verdantix CEO. “The safety community is aware that a wide range of technologies can prevent workplace fatalities. Recent digital innovations indicate a much wider potential for technology to protect workers from harm in the workplace. As experts in the assessment of safety technologies we believe the time is right for more ambitious adoption plans.”
The “Work To Zero” initiative will gather expert opinion from corporate safety professionals, technology vendors, and consultants to provide the safety community with a better understanding of how to eliminate workplace fatalities. In 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported there were 5,147 workplace fatalities in the U.S., indicating that traditional approaches to protecting workers are insufficient.
“Verdantix is a valued research partner for the National Safety Council’s ‘Work To Zero’ initiative,” said John Dony, a Director at the NSC’s Campbell Institute. “The expertise that Verdantix has built up over many years through their rigorous assessments of safety technology is a great complement to the National Safety Council’s deep knowledge of safety best practices. Through the support of the McElhattan Foundation we will work collaboratively to deliver new insights that save workers’ lives.”
First-year outcomes of the “Work to Zero” program will include a research paper capturing the state of emerging safety technology and an inaugural summit event in Bonita Springs, FL on February 13-14, 2020.
