The term “safety science” may sound new, but many sources of safety science knowledge are hundreds of years old. All of the following are knowledge areas of safety science: • 1 and biology provide knowledge about hazardous substances. • 2 tells people about electricity, heat, radiation and other forms of energy that must be controlled to ensure safe use. • 3 helps people understand the performance limits of humans and helps them design tasks, machines, work stations and facilities which improve performance and safety. • 4 sciences provides knowledge about pollution sources and their control, waste disposal, impact studies, environmental alteration (heat, light, irrigation, erosion, etc.), and ecology. • 5 helps people understand human behaviors that can lead to or avoid accidents. • 6 , biomechanics and medicine help people understand the mechanisms of injury and illness and how to prevent them. • 7 , business management, economics, and even sociology and geology give people the knowledge necessary to improve safety in our society and contribute to productivity and profitability.