We’re safety buffs in our house. We have first aid kits in every bathroom and a next-level first aid station stuffed in my grandma’s old WWII-era Army trunk, complete with combat dressings, tourniquets, suture kits and IVs (the perks of both of us being former medics).
We’ve also installed Wi-Fi-connected smoke and CO detectors throughout the house, and there are fire extinguishers mounted in the garage, kitchen, upstairs hallway, and basement man cave. Our guns are in locked safes and stored separately from the ammo. We also have shelter-in-place and evacuation plans for different scenarios, which my 12-year-old knows well.
Yet even with all those precautions, stuff happens. You can’t control everything, but why not take steps to control what you can and be ready for what you can’t?
National Safety Month
That’s the gist of National Safety Month, which is happening now. The theme of this year’s month-long initiative is #No1GetsHurt; the National Safety Council (NSC) is using the hashtag on social media to promote safety in the workplace and at home.
The idea is that taking a few small, easy steps this month can make a big difference down the road. For example, Week 1 of National Safety Month tackles emergency preparedness, including first aid, CPR, and more.
On that note, did you know that more than half of workers in the U.S. aren’t trained in first aid or CPR? Worse yet, those who do not have training in first aid have a false belief that most of their coworkers are trained in administering aid when, in fact, the majority are not. That’s a startling statistic, especially in our industry, where the work is far more physical (and the injuries potentially more severe) than many other fields.
National Safety Month presents an opportunity for you to take a long, hard look at your company to determine if your employees are as safe as they can possibly be on the job site, in their work vehicles, and everywhere in between. To that end, here are just a few of the things you can implement today to improve safety within your company, according to the NSC.
Prepare for the unexpected. Plan for possible emergencies and stock your emergency kits at home, at work, and in your car. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors.
Invest in worker sleep health. According to the NSC, fatigue is a major contributor to workplace injuries. To learn about the true cost of tired workers, NSC created a Fatigue Cost Calculator.
Take steps to make the office safer. NSC specifically lists 25 steps you can take to make your office safer; read the list here.
Enforce driver safety measures. Drowsy driving is a factor in 1 out of 10 motor vehicle-related crashes, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, and it is only one form of impaired driving. Employers can help ensure their employees are using vehicle safety devices properly while also avoiding dangerous driving behaviors such as texting and driving.
The NSC’s website is a treasure trove of information and free materials employers can read, print out, post, and use to help improve safety and ensure #No1GetsHurt.
What better way to improve workplace safety than to lead by example? Your employees are looking up to you and are ready to follow your lead.
