The Great Recession likely has forever changed Operations leadership’s view of safety. Gone are the days when safety professionals could lean on “it’s the right thing to do” to justify their actions and initiatives.

I have been promoting that message since I became head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration almost three years ago. It is supported by empirical evidence—and now—it’s been confirmed by a peer-reviewed study published in Science, one of the world’s top scientific journals.

I received your letter last week, and while nothing I say or do will ever erase your tragedy I do hope I can help you to understand the state of workplace safety today.

Fact. Falls kill. Falls are the number one cause of construction worker fatalities, accounting for one-third of on-the-job injury deaths in the industry.

He was an NFL player who dominated offenses during his 20-year career. Junior Seau died of a self-inflicted gunshot to his chest.