Workplace Safety in the 21st Century At the end of the 19th century, worker safety wasn’t even on the drawing board. Workers were expendable, and if they got hurt on the job, well, there were always more workers. By the end of the 20th century, it had become widely accepted that a worker has a right to a safe workplace, and that an employer can and should do everything possible to ensure it. At the dawn of the 21st century, we are determined to make safety a core value and a way of life. That is the goal of the new Joint Safety Institute. Co-Administrator Chuck Kokosa and I have already met with the managers in every DWP Business Unit to study organization charts and discuss existing safety training programs and how they are being implemented. We will soon do the same with each of the Local 18 Business Reps. This will give us a good working understanding of safety programs and should help us identify areas that need work. My sense is that many of the safety issues in the workplace have been identified. Our objective will be to see that solutions to these issues are put in place and implemented. The JSI will serve as a “Safety Central,” improving communication on safety issues within the Department, keeping the goal of worker safety visible, and energizing safety training in business units that may need an extra boost in their safety programs.
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