We all face risks throughout our lives. The fact is, unintentional injuries have been increasing for decades and are now the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. To reverse this trend, the National Safety Council encourages everyone to keep each other safe during National Safety Month.
You can find free resources at nsc.org/nsm to help spread safety to your co-workers, family and friends on the following topics. The Campbell Institute has relevant research to help your organization move forward on these topics as well.
Week 1: Hazard Recognition
Our world is becoming increasingly visual, but when we look at something, how much are we really seeing? Just like learning to read, it is beneficial to train our minds to better ‘see’ the world so we are able to overcome our visual biases. The more hazards we can proactively identify, the safer we’ll be. Check out the Campbell Institute research on visual literacy.
- Visual Literacy: How “Learning to See” Benefits Occupational Safety
- A Second Look: Update on Visual Literacy
Week 2: Slips, Trips and Falls
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls are a leading cause of workplace fatalities, accounting for 887 worker deaths in 2017. It is also a large cause of injuries. While overall, workplace injuries have seen a downward trend over the past two decades, we are not seeing a similar reduction in life-altering injuries and fatal incidents. Learn more about the Institute’s research on serious injury and fatality prevention.
Week 3: Fatigue
Do you know the major causes of fatigue in your organization? The Campbell Institute has piloted two tools among Institute members to help companies understand fatigue risks in both its operations and workforce. This includes an operational needs assessment to investigate workplace sources of fatigue and an employee survey to identify employee habits that may introduce fatigue. Check out the white paper.
Week 4: Impairment
Employee health and wellbeing is not just an emerging topic in the EHS field, but one that is quickly gaining momentum. Addressing worker wellbeing can play a crucial role in preventing impairment in many forms such as substance abuse (alcohol and/or drugs) or fatigue. The Institute recommends taking a systems approach to employee health and wellbeing. Read the research.
We hope you will engage your workers on these important safety topics in June and beyond. Let’s make preventable injuries and deaths a thing of the past.
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