Pittsburgh — Aiming to prevent workplace deaths, the McElhattan Foundation has launched ZERO 2050 – a recurring national grant competition that focuses on “innovative solutions with high potential to save workers’ lives.”
Through the inaugural competition – the Zero Electrocution Challenge – the grantmaking organization will award $1 million each to two winners whose solutions eliminate life-threatening tasks that lead to on-the-job electrocutions.
Contact with electricity is one of the leading causes of workplace deaths, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International. Between 2011 and 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded around 150 work-related electrical deaths each year, while OSHA data shows that 74% of those were in nonelectrical occupations.
The challenge is open to nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, benefit corporations, tribal governments and educational institutions. Registration will remain open through 5 p.m. Eastern on June 23.
Applicants are encouraged to complete the Zero Electrocution Challenge Readiness Tool to confirm eligibility and fit before registering.
Proposals should demonstrate effectiveness, feasibility and the potential to scale. The winning solutions, according to a foundation press release, must eliminate electrocution hazards on the job while advancing enterprise productivity and profitability.
“For too long we’ve focused on making dangerous work a little safer,” McElhattan Foundation Chair and CEO Kent McElhattan said in the release. “ZERO 2050 seeks to create breakthrough innovations that remove the dangers entirely.”
McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.
Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication