National Safety Month

Did you know that June is National Safety Month? Each June, workplaces in the U.S. turn their attention to safety and take a look at how to reduce risk.

According to healthfinder.gov, “injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans age 1 to 44.” The good news is, though, many injuries can be avoided by identifying, reporting, and eliminating safety hazards, especially in the workplace.

The greatest focus of National Safety Month is raising awareness for safety hazards and risks. Heightened awareness alone can prevent countless injuries. Take the time this June to educate your employees and raise awareness in your workplace.

The best place to start when it comes to awareness is spreading the word. Different employees respond better to different forms of communication, so be sure to share the information through several different avenues.

• Share it in the newsletter
• Print flyers
• Send an email
• Post to social media
• Have your managers spread the word to their employees

National Safety Month is a great excuse to revisit your company’s safety policies with all employees. Arrange for some training opportunities. Sit your employees down to a lunch and learn, and review the necessary safety processes and procedures. By best practice, all safety information should be reviewed a minimum of once yearly, so take this opportunity to gather your employees for a brush up. Be sure to get employees to sign in at the training, and keep the records for your OSHA files.

Who doesn’t love a good activity? Plan a few engaging activities for your employees throughout the month. Make them accessible for all employees, and be sure to tie them back to the theme of workplace safety…and don’t forget to provide incentives for participation!

• Create a safety hazards scavenger hunt in a controlled environment
• have employees break into teams and act out a safety risk scenario
• Provide a safety word search or crossword puzzle

With preventable workplace injuries and death numbers on the rise, it’s more important than ever to get buy in from your employees to prioritize safety. Consider participating in the SafeAtWork Pledge through the National Safety Council.

Related Post: Emergency Action Plan

This pledge asks employees to prioritize safety both on and off the clock. The pledge emphasizes staying alert and aware of hazards, reporting hazards immediately, and taking the necessary steps to alert others and resolve the hazard before injury occurs.

Don’t let the end of June be the end of safety awareness, though. Instead, let it be the catalyst for greater workplace safety. Keep up periodic safety training, safety communication, and activities. Make safety a part of your company culture by prioritizing it every day.