Safety. Each year in the United States some 80,000 people die, and about 17,000,000 suffer disabling injuries, in various kinds of accidents. Accidents are the principal cause of death among persons aged 1 to 38 and a leading cause of death among those over 38. Accidents also cause great economic losses—in wages lost, in money spent for medical bills, in insurance costs, and in property damaged or destroyed.
Yet most accidents need not have occurred; most result from unsafe conditions or unsafe acts that could have been avoided. While accidents can never be entirely eliminated, they can be reduced in number and severity through continuing safety education, accident-prevention programs, and constant alertness to potential hazards.
