I prefer to be optimistic and humanistic, believing that the silent majority does care about the safety and health of others, and wants to do the right thing. Consider for example the large numbers of people reacting to tragedies from shootings in airports and educational settings to catastrophes from climate change.

As regulators change their view on the relationship of worker safety to contractors and their customers, more companies are using a prospective supplier’s safety record as criteria for awarding business. Some shops have lost profitable contracts to competitors with better safety records. And that’s not all.