In my experience as a Paramedic/Fire Fighter, I have observed that most of the injury related calls I have responded to were not at the work site, but rather in homes or areas where people were participating in recreational activities. On one large construction site the safety personnel noted that there were four to five times more off the job injuries than on.

Some organizations have been monitoring off the job injuries. One company I have spoken for noted that their ratio between on and off the job injuries were astounding. They had up to 15 times more off the job injuries than on the job injuries. Home can be a very dangerous place.

Most people at a work site take safety training courses and wear proper personal protective equipment. The safety rules should be and can be enforced by the company. Many people who would refuse to use an unsafe ladder at the worksite will go home and use a ladder that is unstable, broken or too short for the job. Often the result is injury.

We have to realize that safety is a twenty-four hour a day concern. The safe work habits developed on the job should not be left at the office or in the locker along with the steel toe boots, hard hats and safety goggles.

Many companies are starting to recognize that encouraging and promoting off the job safety saves money. It doesn’t matter where a worker is injured, the company pays. This can be in increased WCB or sick time.