The National Safety Council (NSC) is a

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nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

public service A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Public services are available to people within a government jurisdiction as provided directly through public sector agencies ...

organization promoting

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organ ...

and safety in the United States. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a

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. The first char ...

in 1953. Members include more than 55,000

businesses Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." Having a business name does not separ ...

, labor organizations,

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s, public agencies, private groups and

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s. The group focuses on areas where the greatest number of preventable injuries and deaths occur, including workplace safety, prescription medication abuse, teen driving, cell phone use while driving and safety in homes and communities.

History

In 1912, the first Cooperative Safety Congress was held in

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Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. The event was sponsored by the Association of Iron and Steel Electrical Engineers (a predecessor of the Association for Iron and Steel Technology). The approximately 200 attendees, representing industry and government, resolved to “organize and create a permanent body for the promotion of the safety to human life in the industries of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. At the Second Safety Congress in 1913, the National Council for Industrial Safety was established. It was headquartered in

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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 President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Dwight D. Eisenhower recognized the importance of the NSC’s efforts with a

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. The first char ...

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."

Services

*Traffic safety:

Motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on rails (such as trains or trams) and is used for the transportation of people or cargo. The ...

crashes are the number one cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States. NSC works with public and private groups to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the road. *Defensive driving: the National Safety Council has offered

defensive driving Defensive driving describes the practice of anticipating dangerous situations, despite adverse conditions or the mistakes of others when operating a motor vehicle. It can be achieved by adhering to general guidelines, such as keeping a two- or ...

courses since 1964 with the first approved courses in New Jersey and New York. *First aid: NSC offers

first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial i ...

training courses for safety, compliance and wellness. Classroom programs are available, as well as online training. The group is a member of the

Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-ter ...

’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. *Fleet safety: the NSC and partner groups have hosted various symposia to bring attention to the number of fleet driver fatalities that occur, and to develop strategies for protecting workers while on the road. *Teen driving: NSC strategy aims to reduce teen driving motor vehicle fatalities through education about

graduated driver licensing Graduated driver licensing systems (GDLS) are designed to provide new drivers of motor vehicles with driving experience and skills gradually over time in low-risk environments. There are typically three steps or stages through which new drivers p ...

(GDL), 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 works with the U.S.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration'' (OSHA ) is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. Congress established the agen ...

(OSHA) and the U.S. Department of Labor, to strengthen workplace safety and help reduce the number of unintentional injuries and fatalities. *Training: NSC offers training courses based on best practices for

occupational safety and health Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at wo ...

, driver improvement and emergency care. *Off-the-job: NSC and multi-national corporate leaders and federal safety experts establish the first symposium on off-the-job safety in the U.S., to help reduce injury-related fatalities that occur off-the-job. *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 a national action plan to build community awareness and support for fall prevention activities among older adults. *Safe Communities America: NSC is an affiliate of the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...

’s Safe Communities program, and operates a support center and a 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.

Organization

NSC is governed by a

Board of Directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit orga ...

and a Board of Delegates. The Board of Directors 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. The National Safety Council's network of 21 local chapters 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. Members of NSC are segmented into Divisions, also known as special interest groups. Division members plan and create programs for the annual NSC Congress & Expo, and participate in discussions of research findings, new concepts, trends, and ideas for safety challenges. Divisions meet twice a year. 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 attracts 15,000 safety and health professionals, plus industry suppliers from several countries. The event promotes safety and health products and services, and new safety technologies and training methods. Members attending the annual Congress can also earn

continuing education Continuing education (similar to further education in the United Kingdom and Ireland) is an all-encompassing term within a broad list of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. ...

credits by participating in technical sessions and professional development seminars.

National Safety Month

In 1996 NSC established June as National Safety Month, aiming 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."June is National Safety Month." ''Safety & Health'' v.153 no.6, June 1996, p.26

Notes and references

External links

* {{Authority control Safety organizations Medical and health organizations based in Illinois Organizations established in 1913 Non-profit organizations based in Illinois Itasca, Illinois Patriotic and national organizations chartered by the United States Congress Occupational safety and health organizations 1913 establishments in Illinois