ITASCA, IL -- The National Safety Council released the following statement applauding the updated American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E2920-26 standard on serious incident and fatality (SIF) prevention.

NSC and its members led the effort to significantly expand and strengthen this international standard, as well as three others currently in development.

"The National Safety Council and our members were proud to provide the expertise and leadership that made this improved standard possible,” NSC CEO Lorraine Martin said. “Every single workplace death is preventable, yet for over a decade, workplace fatality rates in the United States have remained stagnant. This new guideline offers a comprehensive SIF prevention framework to help organizations move the needle. NSC encourages businesses of all sizes and industries to implement the SIF prevention practices outlined in the ASTM standard and keep their employees safe, from the workplace to anyplace.”

The National Safety Council SIF Prevention Model, available at no cost through funding from U. S. Steel, helps employers implement SIF prevention practices from planning and implementation through benchmarking and assessment.