Training

Getting the Most out of National Safety Month

As you no doubt know, June is National Safety Month. Today our Safety Training Tips editor gives you some suggestions for following this year’s weekly themes.

The National Safety Council (NSC) says that National Safety Month is a time to promote round-the-clock safety and health. NSC stresses the "urgent need to reduce unintentional deaths and injuries on the road, at home, and in the workplace." This year’s event focuses on four themes, each with its own week—teen driving (June 1-7), falls prevention (June 8-14), overexertion (June 15-21), and distracted driving (June 22-28). 

Have the safety talk with your teen before you turn over the car keys. Here are 10 safe driving basics that your employees should review with their teens before letting them drive alone:

  • Never drink or take drugs and drive.
  • Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.
  • No cell phone calls in or out while driving.
  • Obey speed limits, traffic signs, and rules of the road.
  • Be a defensive driver–watch out for others and expect the unexpected.
  • Adjust speed to weather and traffic conditions.
  • Keep at least 2 seconds behind the car in front–4 seconds at night or in bad weather.
  • Everyone in the car must wear a seat belt–both front seat and back.
  • Watch out for pedestrians and people on bicycles–slow down and give them the right-of-way.
  • Never allow more people in the car than there are seat belts–no one is allowed to sit on somebody else’s lap, for example, or ride in the bed of a truck.


Prevent falls on the job and at home. Falls are a leading cause of injuries in the workplace and at home. Whether it’s trips and falls, slips and falls, falls from ladders and scaffolds, or falls on the stairs, injuries can be painful and often severe. Here are some fall-prevention tips to share with your employees:

  • Watch where you’re going, and walk, don’t run.
  • Never carry a load so high you can’t see over it.
  • Hold onto the railing when going up or down stairs.
  • Use a stepstool or ladder to reach high places–never stand on a chair or climb on furniture, shelving, etc.
  • Make sure ladders are set up securely on a firm and level surface.
  • Hold on while climbing a ladder and keep one hand on the ladder while working.
  • Wear personal fall protection if it’s required for the job you are performing.
  • Clean up spills.
  • Remove trip hazards from aisles and walkways.
  • Report or repair damaged flooring.
  • Always turn on a light when entering a dark room, and report or replace burned-out lightbulbs.
  • Be careful when walking outside in the dark or when weather conditions make surfaces slippery.

Watch out for overexertion. A body can only take so much abuse before it starts to feel the effects of wear and tear. Unfortunately, employees often don’t realize the damage they’re doing until it’s already done. Teach your employees to avoid overexertion when they work by following these simple safety rules:

  • Don’t lift anything too heavy to manage—get help or use material- handling equipment.
  • Use proper lifting technique (lifting with your legs and keeping your back straight) to avoid stress on your back.
  • Take mini-breaks to give muscles a chance to relax when performing the same motions over and over (typing, hammering, etc.).
  • Take stretching breaks when performing tasks that require frequent lifting, awkward postures, or a lot of reaching or bending.
  • Adjust work surfaces to the proper height for the work being done to avoid awkward, uncomfortable postures.
  • Push, rather than pull, material-handling aids.


Keep your eyes and your mind on the road. OSHA and  the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) report that distracted driving is one of the biggest traffic safety hazards on America’s roads today. Drivers, they say, make more than 200 decisions during every mile traveled. And if a person is talking on the phone, eating, or fiddling with the radio, the risk of having an accident increases dramatically. But as OSHA and NETS point out, "While taking one’s eyes off the road presents obvious risks, activities that take a driver’s mind away from driving are just as risky." Furthermore, says NETS:

  • A driver’s ability to manage distractions varies widely and can change from day-to-day depending on their level of stress and fatigue.
  • Distracted drivers fail to recognize potential hazards in the road and react more slowly to traffic conditions, decreasing their margin of safety.
  • Research suggests that distracted driving increases the risk of rear-end and single-vehicle crashes.

 


Why It Matters …

  • Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than 1 in 3 deaths in this age group.
  • Falls are a leading cause of injury and death both on the job and at home.
  • Overexertion often leads to injury, particularly painful, sometimes disabling back injuries.
  • Distracted driving is a factor in 25 percent to 30 percent of all traffic crashes.

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