June Welcomes National Safety Month

It’s June again, this could only mean one thing!

That’s right, it’s the National Safety Council’s annual National Safety Month. This year is especially significant in that it also marks the 100th year of the NSC. The annual event is designed  to educate and influence behaviors around leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths.

This year’s theme is “Safety Starts With Me.”

The theme is derived from a key step in the NSC’s official journey to safety excellence guide. The NSC believes successful organizations engage everyone in safety, creating a culture where people feel a personal responsibility not only for their own safety, but for their coworkers, family, and friends. An engaged safety culture is one where everyone feels responsible for everyone, making everyone a safety leader.

Each week will carry a separate theme to bring attention to critical areas of concern.

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2013 weekly themes

Week 1: Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls– According to NSC’s Injury Facts, falls are the leading cause of unintentional injuries, accounting for 8.7 million emergency visits in the United States alone. Many of these falls are preventable and not just the cause of someone’s lack of attention or being clumsy. In fact, many of these falls are due to risks factors that can be addressed.  Risk factors include physical hazards in the environment, age related issues, and health conditions. Reducing these risks is important to keeping your workplace safe for all.

Week 2: Employee Wellness- The World Health Organization states that if people made the choices to eat better, engage in physical activity, and quit smoking, nearly 80% of all heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and up to 40% of cancer could be prevented. Week two highlights the benefits of employee wellness and ideas to get your organization on track to promote healthy lifestyles.

Week 3: Emergency Preparedness- Being prepared in case for emergency can make all the difference when disaster strikes. Having an emergency supply kit and plan should be an important part your workplace and home safety regiment. Week three highlights the recommended tools and supplies to keep in mind when preparing your emergency preparedness plan.

Week 4: Ergonomics- This week’s focus on ergonomics stresses the importance of a job environment’s design to fit the person at work and at home. The goal is to get people to work smarter not harder and prevent conditions of overexertion.  Which according to the NSC, is the third leading cause of unintentional injury in the United States, accounting for about 3.2 million emergency department visits. Bringing awareness and proper training can decrease injuries resulted from improper ergonomics dramatically.

Bonus Topics:

• Summer Safety- The many joys and pleasures of summer also bring along elevated risks. Workers suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion are becoming areas of concern nationwide during the summer season. Summer also is a big reason for concern away from the job. As individuals look to the outdoors for fun, the potential for risk is greater than ever. Swimming, barbeques, and fires, are unique to summer activities, leading to unintentional deaths and injuries that could have been prevented every year.
  
• Driving Safety- Distracted driving, teen driving, and impaired driving are just a few of the bonus topics highlighted this month. With more and more people possessing cell phones the potential for distraction is greater than ever on the roads. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of deaths for American teens. Parts of this discussion will include tips for parents, and outlets for educating teens on driving safe. Even though awareness is greater than ever to reduce impaired driving, about 40% of motor vehicle crashes still involve alcohol according to the NSC.

 

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Submit your pledge to safety today!

Additional Resources

• National Electrical Code (NEC)– creativesafetysupply.com
• Celebrating National Safety Month 2021– blog.creativesafetysupply.com
• September is National Preparedness Month– creativesafetypublishing.com
• Better Hearing Month is Here!– realsafety.org
• How to Fall Safely (and Avoid Falling in the First Place)– babelplex.com
• Hello Safety, My Name Is Lean– 5snews.com