City of Pittsburgh Records Fewest Number of Workplace Injuries
New Real Time Safety System allows city to solve workplace injuries to root cause
Pittsburgh, PA – Today, the City of Pittsburgh announced how its new Real Time Safety System has led to the fewest number of injuries requiring medical attention ever recorded in a year.
“When we have fewer workers out because they were injured on the job, it means we have more workers available to pick up our garbage, fill the potholes, and maintain our parks,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “Keeping our workers safe is good for the financial health of our city, and it means our residents can continue to count on having the type of core constituent services they deserve.”
When Mayor Gainey came into office in 2022 our analysis of the injury data showed that if you worked for the City of Pittsburgh the chances of dying or being severely injured on the job was 300 times as great as they would be working for an outfit producing molten aluminum in countries without regulations.
“With the Real Time Safety System, the City is tracking data effectively, and will know if we are getting better or worse. So, we know currently we have the lowest rates and fewest people harmed in the history of the City,” said Chris Belasco, Manager of Data Services.
The Real Time Safety System begins with a shared understanding that no injury is an acceptable injury and that the goal of the City of Pittsburgh was to have zero workplace injuries.
This new system begins with training and coaching of every city employee to do four things whenever a safety incident occurs:
- Care for those who have been harmed;
- Contain the issue to prevent more harm;
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Solve to root cause and;
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Share what was learned so the same incident never happens again.
“One of the most basic ethical obligations of any employer is to send people home from work as the healthy as they were when they came in,” said Chief Administrative and Operating Officer Lisa Frank. “This respect for our frontline workers meant getting serious about how we can prevent injury on the job.”
The Department of Public Works where the Real Time Safety System was piloted saw a 40% year over year reduction in workplace injuries that would require medical attention. With the success of the DPW pilot program, the City of Pittsburgh expanded the use of the system to every department.
“I’m thankful that the men and women who work in the various sections in the Department of Public Works believed in the City’s new process of keeping them safe on the job. Their willingness to incorporate a thought process never done before has positively impacted the whole city workforce,” said Department of Public Works Director Chris Hornstein.
“Working together we have been able to create a new culture for our employees,” continued Mayor Ed Gainey. “A culture where folks feel safe to speak up before an accident happens, and one where they have a voice in coming up with solutions to keep themselves safe at work.”
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