Practice issues in Prevention through Design.

There are many examples of Prevention through Design (PtD) that illustrate current business practices. These examples and PtD concepts should be promoted to other businesses as being a favorable way to enhance their performance and improve their bottom line. The benefits, both tangible and intangible, should be identified and communicated to businesses in a way that is consistent with other business metrics, and emphasizes return on investment (ROI). Products that are developed with PtD concepts in mind can become a good selling point. If a particular brand of a product is known to incorporate PtD processes, this may well build product loyalty and enhance the reputation of the company. The time-to-market can be shortened when PtD concepts are consistently applied, and productivity increased when the system is analyzed and engineering improvements are built into company operations. The cost of product recalls or returns can be reduced or eliminated if consumer injury prevention is built into the product. Aside from the productivity and operational improve­ ments, the company may well benefit from reduced injury costs to its workers when PtD concepts are implemented in the workplace. Workers' compensation, and other direct costs, can be reduced, as well as indirect costs, such as overtime pay, training new workers, the time it takes filling out injury reports, and other costs involved with non-injured workers. Reduced injuries can lead to healthcare cost containment. Companies may also be motivated to incorpo­ rate PtD by the social responsibility of undertaking design changes to reduce injuries to its workers and the public. In order to communicate these business advantages, several steps should be undertaken. First, an extensive review of the literature and existing data should be conducted. Research on identifying easy-to-use ROI tools