Why are injury prevention and safety culture so important?
Between 2003 and 2011 we were not reducing the number of injuries:
- Injury Rates: The rate of injuries in state government was stagnant. In the preceding eight years incidence rates were in steady decline. We had hit a wall.
- Financial Impact: As our incidence rate remained flat, medical costs were continuing to rise. Unchecked, the financial impact to the state would have increased rapidly.
- Employee Well-being: This was not just a fiscal issue. It was a moral one. 1,900. That was the number of injuries to our coworkers occurring each year at the stagnant rate. That is 1,900 instances where our coworkers, friends and family members were seeing significant disruption, if not devastation, in their lives, the lives of their families, and their ability to serve the people of Minnesota effectively.
With MnSAFE we are standing together and working together to address this issue.
