The National Safety Council (NSC) understands the importance of keeping the public focused on safety, whether at home, on the roads and highways, or at work. National Safety Month occurs every June, and this year’s theme focuses on slips, trips, and falls; fatigue and impairment; and hazard recognition. The NSC offers free resources that are available online, and they encourage everyone to download them to share with their communities, families, and colleagues.
Important Safety Topics
The goal of this event is to identify and reduce the most common causes for injury and death. Those that train themselves about common dangers, such as loose floorboards, not wearing protective gear, or labeling poisonous materials, can prevent injuring themselves and others. The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety recommends covering up cords that are on walkways, keeping hallways clear of debris, cleaning up spills right away, and wearing proper shoes. They also state that people should pay attention to their surroundings, walk at a reasonable pace, and avoid distractions.
The NSC encourages everyone to obtain the right amount of sleep every night. A lack of sleep can cloud the brain, preventing people from being aware of what is going on around them, leading to poor decisions. National Safety Month is also dedicated to decreasing impairment, which affects the capacity to make safer choices. This not only pertains to alcohol; the opioid epidemic and legalization of cannabis in certain states created new areas of concern that need to be addressed.
Getting Involved
The NSC’s website has a wealth of information about topics, including emergency preparation, first aid, occupational health and safety, sleep health, and violence prevention. There are also downloadable tools consisting of a home fall prevention checklist, a medication tracker, and a useful emergency supply list.
Spreading the word about National Safety Month can be done in many ways. NSC’s online toolkit provides sample content that can be used in company newsletters and posters. One suggestion is to partner with a local school or organization to sponsor an information session about distracted driving. Guest speakers can be recruited from public health departments to speak at these events. Employers are also encouraged to have their workers take the NSC’s SafeAtWork pledge.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that injuries for Americans up to 44 years old are the leading cause of death. Taking advantage of the safety information available during National Safety Month can help prevent injuries and accidents.
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