Cost of Safety, 1995 Engineering Conference Proceedings

John E. Hodges,C.S.P.

Brown & Root, INC.

"You can pay me now - or pay me later!" I’m sure we all remember that line from a television ad a few years ago. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." These are even older expressions that help reinforce the same concept - by expending time, energy or money at the outset you will be able to save time, energy and especially money in the final outcome. This premise certainly applies in the Safety and Health field. Our discussion today will involve the cost of safety as it relates to the development, implementation or maintenance of a successful Safety and Health program; the cost of safety as it relates to governmental agencies, employees and the community in general; and finally the cost of safety as it relates to accidents, incidents and injuries. It is very difficult to discuss specific costs associated with safety because of the diverse nature of this group. I hope I will be able to give you some insight into factors you need to consider when trying to ascertain the cost of safety as it applies to your particular operations.