According to a recent survey of leading U.S. companies, American workplaces have become increasingly safer due to “management commitment” and “employee involvement.” This report is yet another in a long line of reports issued by various organizations over the past decade that report the basic tenets of the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) to be the “key” elements in safety and health program excellence.¹ Numerous surveys and reports by various organizations have documented the same results over the past years. This latest report was released by the Conference Board.²

The report released by the Conference Board states companies are reporting a steady decline in the rate of lost-time accidents, injuries and incidents. More importantly, the report notes companies striving for outstanding safety and health records are not only ensuring strict compliance with all “requirements,” but are going beyond simply “meeting” requirements and they are developing their own methods, practices and programs to improve their performance.

The primary drivers for these leading U.S. companies appear to be a finding that:

1) accidents and injuries are both unacceptable and costly, and
2) business strongly benefits from workplace safety programs both directly, through reduced costs, and indirectly, through improved morale and increased productivity.³

The Conference Board report notes that “the move toward strengthening safety is now widespread” among major U.S. companies.⁴ The report states that certain practices stand out among the very best performers. The key practices found among the “best” include:

• clear visibility and leadership by the highest levels of management and
• ownership of safety and health by all employees.

The core elements of successful S&H strategies, according to the Conference Board survey participants are:

• Leadership at the top
• Confidence on the part of all employees
• Monitoring performance regularly

¹ The Value Added of the Department of Energy Voluntary Protection Program (DOE-VPP) http://www.hss.energy.gov/healthsafety/wsha/vpp/value/value.html

² The Conference Board is a not-for-profit organization that creates and disseminates knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society. Working as a global, independent membership organization in the public interest, the Conference Board conducts research, convene conferences, make forecasts, assess trends, publish information and analysis, and bring executives together to learn from one another. The Conference Board is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization. The address and contact information for the Conference Board is: