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**1. Importance and Impact of Prevention through Design:**

– In the U.S., 55,000 people die annually from work-related injuries and diseases.
– Costs due to work-related issues range from $128 billion to $155 billion.
– Construction personnel account for 5% of the U.S. workforce but 20% of workplace fatalities.
– Design contributes to 37% of work-related fatalities in Australia.
– NIOSH promotes Prevention through Design (PtD) as the most effective prevention of occupational injuries.

**2. Evolution and Implementation of Prevention through Design:**

– Safety considerations in engineering date back to the 1800s.
– Evolution from guards for machinery to modern safety devices and processes.
– National Initiative on Prevention through Design started in 2007.
– Focus on promoting prevention through design philosophy, practice, and policy.
– Shift towards evaluating risks associated with processes, structures, and tools.

**3. Goals and Strategies of Prevention through Design:**

– PtD aims to avoid or mitigate occupational accidents, diseases, deaths, and exposures.
– Eliminating hazards and reducing worker risks in all designs impacting workplaces.
– Designing, redesigning, and retrofitting work environments and tools.
– Incorporating prevention factors early in the life cycle of products.
– Enhancing worker safety through design modifications.

**4. Global Implementation and Legal Requirements:**

– Legal requirements in the UK and Australia to address safety during the design phase.
– PtD legally required in the U.K. construction industry since March 31, 1995.
– Safety considerations required for projects valued over AU$3 million in Australia.
– Singapore’s Workplace Safety and Health Council introduced Design for Safety mark.
– Government initiatives in various countries to promote safety in construction projects.

**5. Challenges and Barriers to Prevention through Design Implementation:**

– Education on PtD not a core feature in engineering and architectural school curricula.
– Limited education on safety concepts compromises designers’ abilities.
– Insufficient education on safety impacts the implementation of PtD.
– Lack of emphasis on safety in real-world applications.
– Limited exposure to PtD concepts hinders safety considerations.