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Building Indiana Plans Safety Conference to Keep Indiana’s Momentum Going

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With the release of statistics from the Department of Labor in late 2023, Indiana’s business community learned that the state had the lowest rate of workplace injuries and illnesses in its history for 2022.

A year later, new data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) detailing reported workplace injuries and illnesses in 2023 reveals that Indiana has again improved its workplace safety numbers.

According to BLS’ Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), Indiana had 66,400 total recordable cases of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2023, down from 72,400 the year before. For every 100 full-time employees, there were 2.6 reported cases of nonfatal workplace injury or illness in Indiana in 2023, a decrease from the 2.9 reported cases in 2022. The number of Hoosiers per 100 full-time employees who experienced a workplace injury or illness in 2023 stood slightly higher than the national average of 2.4, BLS reported.

In terms of safety, the numbers are going in the right direction for Indiana, a state rich in industries that have been historically known for more injuries, including construction, agriculture, health services and manufacturing. Company leaders are determined to keep it that way.

In an effort to answer the call for more training and information flow relating to safety in the workplace,  the Building Indiana Safety Conference is being planned for March 4. The event is sponsored by the Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable (NWIBRT).

“The demand for more discussions and more collaboration is out there, so we wanted to bring together the decision-makers in Indiana business who can work together to create a cohesive plan to further safety in the workplace going forward,” said Andrea M. Pearman, president of Diversified Marketing Strategies, the parent company of Building Indiana.

Pearman said the event is for owners, safety professionals, human resources, superintendents and all business professionals working within safety divisions for all industries to hear about successful safety procedures and policies that have been implemented as well as build on those models to advance employees’ well-being at work.

The full-day conference is an extension of previous efforts in years past in Northwest Indiana, expanded to offer more speakers and address a wider range of topics. Robert Joseph, operations manager for ArcelorMittal Research and Development and vice chairman of NWIBRT, said the timing of Building Indiana’s conference is ideal for business professionals in the state.

“Having the conference in the early part of the year is essential so that company leaders can take the information and integrate it into their existing safety measures throughout the year,” said Joseph. “This event makes it possible for businesses across all industries to come together to share insights and truly elevate safety in workplaces all over the state. It is teamwork and partnership at its best for the benefit of all Hoosiers.” 

Speakers and further details for the conference are being finalized and will be released at a later date at BuildingIndiana.com.