The National Safety Council (NSC) recently announced that it is celebrating “National Safety Month” in June.
The NSC is a nonprofit organization that has been active for over 100 years. Its mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road. It does this through leadership, research, education and advocacy.
This is an annual event for the NSC, and it encourages people from home and work to participate. The goal of the event is to “reduce leading causes of injury and death at work, on the road, and in our homes and communities.”
The National Safety Council has created a number of resources that you can download and use for the event. The NSC website has a link both for members and non-members.
Non-members can receive access to posters, tip sheets, articles, family activities, special offers, social graphics and more. Member materials include all of the items mentioned above, plus checklists, 5-Minute Safety Talks, games, best practices and other bonus material.
For National Safety Month, the NSC plans to highlight a different safety topic for each week of June.
- Week 1: Emergency Preparedness
- Week 2: Wellness
- Week 3: Falls
- Week 4: Driving
These are four safety topics that can be discussed both at home and in the workplace. Wondering how you can incorporate these topics into your everyday conversations? The NSC suggests the following:
- Distribute the downloadable materials from the NSC website
- Create bulletin boards, newsletters, etc.
- Hold a safety trivia contest on each of the topics from above
- Make an activity out of identifying hazards where you work and live
- Host a “lunch and learn” with your co-workers or family
- Share posts on your social media channels using the hashtag, #No1GetsHurt
Here is some additional information on these four topics:
Emergency Preparedness at Home
Disasters can strike anywhere, anytime. Make sure your family is prepared by planning for events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. The NSC also hosts “National Preparedness Month” annually every September.
Emergency Preparedness at Work
Employers are responsible for developing an Emergency Action Plan for their workplace. Topics should include everything from weather-related hazards and workplace violence to unplanned spills, fires, and other safety disruptions.
Wellness at Home
Discuss your family’s health and wellness goals. How often do you visit the doctor? Only when necessary, or do you go for routine / preventative care?
Wellness at Work
Employers should encourage their workers to maintain healthy, active lifestyles. Though not required from an OSHA perspective, it’s generally accepted as a best practice for employers to offer training and make additional wellness resources available to their workers.
Falls at Home
Falls are 100% preventable. They can happen at home just as often (if not more often) than in the workplace. Educate your family members on the safe use of ladders. Make sure your railings and other protective furnishings are in good condition.
Falls at Work
NSC data from 2013 indicates that there were nearly 300,000 injuries from workplace fall hazards. Almost 800 workers died from falls that same year. How can you work to prevent workplace falls for your employees?
Driving at Home
There are a number of driving topics you can discuss at home with your family. The NSC has information on teen driving, distracted driving, fatigue and more.
Driving at Work
Some employers are leading the way by going above and beyond the state laws to protect their workers behind the wheel. What policies do you have in place about using cell phones, GPS devices and other sources of distraction?
Consider involving your home or organization in the 2018 National Safety Month initiative. You can make a positive impact with very little effort simply by raising awareness on the four topics covered in this year’s event.
