Prevention through design

Prevention through design (PtD) is the concept of mitigating occupational hazards by "designing them out". This method for reducing workplace safety risks lessens workers' reliance on personal protective equipment. Each year in the U.S., 55,000 people die from work-related injuries and diseases, 294,000 are made sick, and 3.8 million are injured. The annual direct and indirect costs have been estimated to range from $128 billion to $155 billion. Recent studies in Australia indicate that design is a significant contributor in 37% of work-related fatalities; therefore, the successful implementation of prevention through design concepts can have substantial impacts on worker health and safety. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the United States considers PtD to be "the most effective and reliable type" of prevention of occupational injuries.

While engineering as a rule factors human safety into the design process, a modern appraisal of specific links to design and workers' safety can be seen in efforts beginning in the 1800s. Trends included the widespread implementation of guards for machinery, controls for elevators, and boiler safety practices. This was followed by enhanced design for ventilation, enclosures, system monitors, lockout/tagout controls, and hearing protectors. More recently, there has been the development of chemical process safety, ergonomically engineered tools, chairs, and work stations, lifting devices, retractable needles, latex-free gloves, and a parade of other safety devices and processes. The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety has started an initiative called "Buy Quiet", which uses elements of Prevention through Design to encourage companies to buy quieter machienery, thereby reducing occupational hearing loss for their workers.

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