SAFETY NEWS

The flyers below outline important and recognized safety events throughout the year.

The main goal of safety and health programs is to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths, as well as the suffering and financial hardship these events can cause for workers, their families, and employers. The recommended practices use a proactive approach to managing workplace safety and health. Traditional approaches are often reactive –that is, problems are addressed only after a worker is injured or becomes sick, a new standard or regulation is published, or an outside inspection finds a problem that must be fixed. These recommended practices recognize that finding and fixing hazards before they cause injury or illness is a far more effective approach.

NATIONAL FIRE SAFETY MONTH

In today’s fast-paced world, it has never been more important to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to respond to, and mitigate fire-related emergencies. In a fire, mere seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy. Fire safety education isn’t just for children. Teenagers, adults, and the elderly are also at risk in fires, making it important for every member of the community to take some time every October during Fire Safety Month to make sure they understand how to stay safe in case of a fire.

NATIONAL ELECTRICAL SAFETY MONTH

Electrical safety is an important theme at work, and at home. In the workplace, according to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), electrical fatalities in the workplace saw a 24% decrease in 2023 from 2022, however the overall number of workplace electrical injuries increased over that span. At home, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) found that 47,700 home fires in the U.S. are caused by electrical failures or malfunctions each year. These fires cause 1.4 billion in property damage and the human cost of injuries and deaths.

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

The pandemic has brought more focus to mental health concerns as we navigated through the disruptions of our lives and routines to adjust to those changes. However, the feelings of stress, isolation, and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic are not the only stressors that can affect our mental health as plenty of other factors can affect how you feel. With so much going on in our lives and the world at large, mental distress can seem inevitable at times. The stresses of work and family life, on top of concerns driven by events around the world can feel overwhelming.

MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS

Many of the tasks we undertake in the workplace and at home carry the risk of a musculoskeletal injury. Injuries related to musculoskeletal disorders continues to be a significant contributor to workplace injuries. By evaluating our routine tasks and making what is often simple adjustments, we can prevent or reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries at work, and at home. Addressing these habits and conditions at both home and work helps make safety part of our daily routine, and not something we simply turn off and on at work.

NATIONAL LADDER SAFETY MONTH

Falls to lower levels continues to rank amongst the most frequent cause of workplace injuries and fatalities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 645 workers died from incidents involving falls from heights, and an additional 49,250 received injuries requiring them to take time away from work last year. The technology behind fall protection equipment and the consensus standards that set the expectations for how it must operate continue to evolve, yet workers still fall from heights almost daily. What is left is to understand the incidents and why they occur.

HEARING PROTECTION MONTH

It is important to understand how our hearing can be damaged by the noise around us. Noise induced hearing loss affects about 26 million adults in the US and is the third most common chronic health condition. Noise induced hearing loss is also on the rise amongst children. An estimated 5.2 million children between the ages of 6 and 19 have some level of noise induced hearing loss. Damage is done by a combination of sound levels and how long you’re exposed to it. Sound level is measured in decibels (DBA). A normal conversation is measured at a range of 60-70 DBA.

NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS MONTH

To bring awareness to the importance of being prepared, FEMA and the US Department of Homeland Security has designated September as Natural Disaster Preparedness Month. Since 2004, FEMA has used the month of September to highlight the importance of being prepared and the steps you should take to protect yourself and family. Whether it is a natural or man-made disaster, wherever you live is susceptible to some form of disaster. Hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, fires, and even volcanos can create natural disasters in the United States.

VEHICLE THEFT PREVENTION MONTH

According to NHTSA data, there are over 800,000 people affected by vehicle theft annually. In 2020, this resulted in a cost of over $7 billion dollars to vehicle owners. In response to this, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration has declared July as Vehicle Theft Prevention Month. Car thieves will take anything they see valuable: doors, engines, transmissions, air bags, radios, GPS units, cell phones, iPads, laptops, and purses. Catalytic convertor theft has seen a significant increase over recent years due to the precious metals used in them.

DRUG AWARENESS MONTH

Substance abuse in the workplace can have far-reaching impacts that effect the organization. These effects are not just restricted to operational impacts. Effects of workplace substance abuse have very personal impacts to the employee, their co-workers, and those touched by the employee outside of the workplace. Research shows that employees who abuse drugs and alcohol have a significant increase in taking unexcused absences, being late for work, quitting or being fired within their first year, and being involved in a safety incident.