Your Monthly Check-Up: June is National Safety Month
Safety and wellness go hand-in-hand, especially when it comes to the workplace. This year, the National Safety Council (NSC) is celebrating 100 years of safety.
Each June, the NSC encourages organizations to get involved with National Safety Month, an annual observance to educate and influence behaviors surrounding the leading causes of preventable injuries.
This year’s theme is “Safety Starts with Me.” According to the NSC website, “Successful organizations engage everyone in safety and create a culture where people feel a personal responsibility not only for their own safety, but for that of their coworkers, family and friends. While leadership from the top is important, creating a culture where there is a sense of ownership of safety by all makes everyone in the organization a safety leader.”
Each week in June introduces a new sub-theme under this banner of “Safety Starts with Me”:
Week 1: Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls
Week 2: Employee Wellness
Week 3: Emergency Preparedness
Week 4: Ergonomics
Since the weather is heating up and more people are spending time outdoors, the NSC wants everyone to be extra caution when it comes to summer safety and driving safety, as well. Personal Best suggests taking a course in basic lifesaving procedures and stay aware of weather and water conditions if you spend a lot of time at the ocean during the summer – or anytime.
According to Healthfinder.gov, “Injuries are a leading cause of disability for people of all ages, and the leading cause of death for Americans ages one to 44. When people practice safe behaviors, they can help prevent injuries – and even death.”
We all know that accidents happen, but playing it safe and employing best practices both on the job and at home are steps in the right direction of injury prevention.
Personal Best’s 2013 wellness calendar sums it up best: “When we are without injury, we are, in one sense, well. When we are calm, we tend to make choices that keep us safe. Avoid shortcuts and take time to do the job right, use the right tools and take precautions. Slow down if you’re moving too fast.”
What else can we do to make sure we’re keeping ourselves and each other safe at work and at home?