National Safety Council
Encyclopedia
The National Safety Council (NSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nongovernmental public service
organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health
. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois
, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressional charter
in 1953. Members include more than 55,000 businesses, labor organizations, school
s, public agencies, private groups and individual
s. NSC is nonpolitical and does not contribute to or support any political party or candidate.
NSC saves lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the roads through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC focuses on areas where the greatest number of preventable injuries and deaths occur. The areas NSC focuses on include: workplace safety, teen driving, cell phone use while driving and safety in homes and communities.
, Wisconsin
. The event was sponsored by the Association of Iron and Steel Electrical Engineers. The approximately 200 attendees, representing industry and government, resolved to “organize and create a permanent body devoted to the promotion of the safety to human life in the industries of the United States.
and Robert W. Campbell served as first president and William H. Cameron served as secretary.
The name was changed to National Safety Council in 1914 to reflect the organization's expanded scope to include traffic and home safety. As membership increased, the NSC began producing posters, technical fact sheets, and other publications.
In 1953, the U.S. Congress
and President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
recognized the importance of the NSC’s efforts with a Congressional charter
to: “…arouse and maintain the interest of the people of the United States… in safety and in accident prevention, and to encourage the adoption and institution of safety methods by all persons, corporations, and other organizations."
crashes are the number one cause of unintentional injury deaths. NSC has teamed with public and private partners to lead the effort to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the road.
’s Safe Communities program, NSC is a designated Affiliate Safe Communities Support Center and Safe Communities Certifying Center for the United States. Communities apply for the Safe Communities designation by indicating their long-term commitment to the promotion of safety.
and a Board of Delegates. The Board of Directors http://www.nsc.org/ABOUT_US/Pages/BoardofDirectors.aspx manages fiduciary and strategic affairs. The Board of Delegates develops the mission agenda, creates public policies, and tracks safety, health and environmental trends. More than 2,000 volunteers, drawn from NSC industry volunteer divisions, assist the boards in determining policies, operating procedures and programs to be developed and implemented by the Council’s professional staff.
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois
Itasca, Illinois
Itasca is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,302 at the 2000 census.In 2009, BusinessWeek rated Itasca as the 'Best Affordable Suburb' in the state of Illinois...
, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressional charter
Congressional charter
A congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992 under Title 36 of the United States Code....
in 1953. Members include more than 55,000 businesses, labor organizations, school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, public agencies, private groups and individual
Individual
An individual is a person or any specific object or thing in a collection. Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals, and desires. Being self expressive...
s. NSC is nonpolitical and does not contribute to or support any political party or candidate.
NSC saves lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the roads through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC focuses on areas where the greatest number of preventable injuries and deaths occur. The areas NSC focuses on include: workplace safety, teen driving, cell phone use while driving and safety in homes and communities.
First Cooperative Safety Congress
In 1912 the first Cooperative Safety Congress was held in MilwaukeeMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. The event was sponsored by the Association of Iron and Steel Electrical Engineers. The approximately 200 attendees, representing industry and government, resolved to “organize and create a permanent body devoted to the promotion of the safety to human life in the industries of the United States.
Formation of National Safety Council
At the Second Safety Congress in 1913, the National Council for Industrial Safety was established. It was headquartered in Chicago, IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Robert W. Campbell served as first president and William H. Cameron served as secretary.
The name was changed to National Safety Council in 1914 to reflect the organization's expanded scope to include traffic and home safety. As membership increased, the NSC began producing posters, technical fact sheets, and other publications.
In 1953, the U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
recognized the importance of the NSC’s efforts with a Congressional charter
Congressional charter
A congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992 under Title 36 of the United States Code....
to: “…arouse and maintain the interest of the people of the United States… in safety and in accident prevention, and to encourage the adoption and institution of safety methods by all persons, corporations, and other organizations."
Traffic safety
Motor vehicleMotor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
crashes are the number one cause of unintentional injury deaths. NSC has teamed with public and private partners to lead the effort to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the road.
Defensive driving
The National Safety Council has offered defensive driving courses since 1964 was the first approved course in New Jersey and New York.Fleet safety
The NSC and its partners have hosted various symposia to bring international attention to the number of fleet driver fatalities that occur and to develop strategies for protecting workers while on the road.Teen driving
NSC has a strategy to reduce teen driving motor vehicle fatalities by 30 percent over the next four years. Through education about Graduated Driver Licensing, an education process proven to reduce teen driving fatalities by 20 to 40 percent by gradually exposing teen drivers to higher crash risk situations. GDL puts restrictions on high crash risk factors such as passengers and nighttime driving.Workplace safety
NSC is aligned with government agencies, such as OSHA and the Department of Labor, to further strengthen workplace safety and help reduce the number of unintentional injuries and fatalities.Training
NSC offers training courses for occupational safety and health, driver improvement and emergency care.Off-the-job
NSC brought together multi-national corporate leaders and federal safety experts to establish the nation’s first Off-the-Job Safety Symposium to help bring about a reduction of injury-related fatalities that occur off-the-job.Emergency preparedness/first aid
The NSC is a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizen Corps, a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to raising awareness about the need for preparedness. Since the NSC’s Emergency Care Services program began in 1991, more than 8 million rescuers have been trained in the program.Elder falls
Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among older adults. The NSC is part of the Falls Free Coalition, which hopes to advance the national action plan among key national stakeholders and build community awareness and support for fall prevention activities among older adults.Safe Communities America
As part of the World Health OrganizationWorld Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
’s Safe Communities program, NSC is a designated Affiliate Safe Communities Support Center and Safe Communities Certifying Center for the United States. Communities apply for the Safe Communities designation by indicating their long-term commitment to the promotion of safety.
Board of Directors and Board of Delegates
NSC is governed by a Board of DirectorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and a Board of Delegates. The Board of Directors http://www.nsc.org/ABOUT_US/Pages/BoardofDirectors.aspx manages fiduciary and strategic affairs. The Board of Delegates develops the mission agenda, creates public policies, and tracks safety, health and environmental trends. More than 2,000 volunteers, drawn from NSC industry volunteer divisions, assist the boards in determining policies, operating procedures and programs to be developed and implemented by the Council’s professional staff.
Chapters
The National Safety Council’s network of 40 local Chapters http://www.nsc.org/nsc_near_you/FindYourLocalChapter/Pages/find_your_local_chapter.aspx conducts safety, health and environmental efforts at the community level, providing training, conferences, workshops, consultation, newsletters, updates and safety support materials, as well as networking avenues. Located in cities and towns across the United States, the Chapters provide a voice for advocating local safety issues.Divisions or Special Interest Groups
Members of NSC are segmented into Divisions, also known as special interest groups.http://www.nsc.org/get_involved/divisions/Pages/Home.aspx Division members plan and create programs for the annual NSC Congress & Expo, and participate in discussions of research findings, new concepts, trends, and solutions for safety challenges. Divisions meet twice a year and have ongoing communications. The divisions are Business & Industry, Construction, Highway Traffic Safety, Labor, Motor Transportation, and Utilities. Some divisions are further segmented into sections.NSC Congress and Expo
Held each fall, the NSC Congress & Expo http://congress.nsc.org attracts between 15,000-18,000 safety and health professionals, plus industry suppliers from around the world. The event showcases the latest safety and health products and services, and provides an opportunity for members to exchange ideas and learn about new safety technologies and training methods. Members attending the annual Congress can also earn continuing education credits by participating in technical sessions and professional development seminars.National Safety Month
In 1996 NSC established June as National Safety Month http://www.nsc.org/nsc_events/Nat_Safe_Month/Pages/home.aspx to increase awareness of the leading safety and health risks and ultimately decrease the number of unintentional injuries and deaths. Each week focuses on a specific safety venue: workplace, traffic, home, and community.See also
- Department of Public SafetyDepartment of Public SafetyThe Department of Public Safety , also called an Office of Public Safety, is a state or local government umbrella agency in the United States which serves to assist the certain agencies in their services by providing administrative, financial, and technical services and support for core public...
- Robert W. Campbell AwardRobert W. Campbell AwardThe international Robert W. Campbell Award honors companies that achieve business excellence through the integration of EHS management into business operations. Built upon rigorous scientific evaluation, the Campbell Award uses an evidence-based case study approach to serve as a catalyst toward...
- CEOs Who Get It - Every year Safety+Health Magazine recognizes CEOs who have made safety a core value of their organization. CEOs Who "Get It" ensure that best practices for safety and health are adopted consistently throughout their companies. They lead the establishment and measurement of safety initiatives throughout the organization. They create systems that measure and reward employees for their safety performance to drive the desired behavior. CEOs Who "Get It" who have been featured in the National Safety Council's Safety+Health magazine are listed to the right.
- Rising Stars of Safety - Celebrating the safety leaders of tomorrow, the NSC Rising Stars of Safety program recognizes individuals younger than 40 who have distinguished themselves by improving workplace safety.
- Does your company have an early- to mid-career employee who has resolved a difficult safety problem?
- Is there a young safety innovator in your department whose ideas have helped eliminate workplace hazards, reduce exposure and minimize risk?
- Or has a particular member of your team gone above and beyond to transform your organization’s safety culture?
- Green Cross Medal for Safety