subject: Cost Of Safety Versus Value Of Life [print this page] Uhl T. Mann and Guy E. Griffin, Journal (Water Pollution Control Federation) Vol. 36
It is not at ease to evaluate the cost of setting up and maintaining a syllabus in lieu of safety for the reason that this cost ought to include the expenditure of generation and energy directed to the need of being constantly alert and prepared to detail banned hazard calculating situations and safe procedures. Nor can the returns ensue measured definitely in the sphere of dollars and cents. What did you say? Is the attach importance to of a life? What did you say? Is the attach importance to of preventing lost-time accidents? What did you say? Is the attach importance to of a cessation of full-scale operations? What did you say? Property wound can ensue prevented? Particular examples of the results of safety programs and the overheads of particular accidents can assign a partial answer to these questions.
The cost of life is a trouble-free affair in lieu of an insurance company to calculate from life hope tables, and from averages of earning office, the anticipated takings of an peculiar. They cannot foretell, however, what did you say? Investment or else practice the peculiar yearn for concoct of with the aim of takings nor can they predict with a few reasonable gauge what did you say? Attach importance to a jury yearn for place leading a life which is suddenly and needlessly snuffed banned. The top evaluation of with the aim of is a assessment of judgments known and to realize with the aim of they run from $50,000 to several hundred thousand dollars. Too often, the loss of life is the consequence of disregarding commands in lieu of safe procedures and failing to practice to be had safety equipment.
In the sphere of an genuine indictment, a foreman of a sewer maintenance crew certain to inspect on his way land of your birth, using his reserved car in lieu of haulage, a connection being made by a outworker to a 72-in. (183-cm) diameter region trunk sewer. A contractor's employee had entered a manhole in the sphere of the trunk sewer with no benefit of previous trying of the sewer tone and with no benefit of a lifeline, to plaster mortar around the contemporary connection. It is reported with the aim of the county's maintenance employee pragmatic from the ground with the aim of the manual worker did not feel well and, magnanimously, descended into the sewer with a rope to lash around the manual worker. He had neglected to provide a rope in lieu of himself. A passerby besides descended into the trunk sewer to let somebody borrow a hired hand. With the help of others by the side of the top, the manual worker was pulled banned of the manhole and escaped asphyxiation.
Accurate items of safety equipment recommended to determine safe conditions inside working areas, whether it ensue in the sphere of a sewer manhole, pump suction well, or else other risky locations, are listed. The Division of Sewers of the region of Westchester, N. Y., provides its maintenance crews with the following by the side of the cost indicated: (a) H2S trying ampoules (10 to a package), $1; (b) Test lamp in lieu of air deficiency, $67; (c) Explosimeter, $100; (d) by the side of smallest amount two safety harnesses lanyards, every with 25 ft (7.5 m) of nylon rope, $18 every; (e) Engine-driven portable blower with canvass sluice, $280; (f) Hand-driven portable blower with rubber air sluice and mask, $565; and (g) Mask and compressed air cylinder back-pack, $215.
