Stages of Development of Safety Movement

As per the Encyclopedia of Sciences (Macmillan Co.) the safety movement developed in five stages:

1.      The improvement of the environment or the removal of physical hazards.

2.      The improvement of personal practices through a combination of education and supervision.

3.      The management’s direct involvement at a lower level in safety problems. This leads to the setting up of various departments specifically charged with the responsibility of ensuring the safety, health and the efficiency of the workers such as Personnel, Medical, Safety, Industrial Hygiene, and Training.

4.      With the growing complexity of the industry and the recognition that safety is an essential element in the profitability and the effective functioning of the enterprise, safety was accorded front-rank status.  It was accepted that safety cannot be viewed in isolation, but has to be considered as an essential element in an integrated approach to the planning, organization, and operation of an industrial enterprise and not something to be super-imposed of an existing organization. Safety should be considered from the design stage and extended to product safety and total loss control.

5.      It is, in fact, a co-operative effort on the part of industries to prepare codes and standards to pool and disseminate information of technical aspects relating to safety.