June marks National Safety Month; serving as a 30-day reminder to make one another aware of the importance of this topic; not only in the workplace, but just about everywhere you might work, travel to, or simply spend time this summer. With more daylight each and every day, many may focus on upcoming vacations, backyard barbeques and playing outdoors; making it easier to possibly forget to take the time for proper safety measures. The National Safety Council (NSC) reports 107,000 injuries occur daily and 100 percent of them are preventable. 

 National Safety Month

The NSC kicks off National Safety Month, by focusing on the theme Stand Ready to Respond, now through June 12^th. The NSC and the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) raise awareness around reducing the leading causes of injury and death at work, on the roads, at home and within our communities. National Safety Month merely serves as a reminder to take personal ownership of our own safety, and that of co-workers, family and friends. It also reminds us why this should be fundamentally part of each and every company’s culture and values. For those in the construction industry, that means taking the necessary steps to ensure a safe workplace where all employees feel confident they will return home safe and sound at the end of each business day.

The Importance of Staying Safe, by the Numbers

Workplace fatality rates increased in 2014, for the first time since 2010.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports more than 13 people died on the job each day throughout the country that year, totaling, 4,821 deaths. Almost 17 percent of those fatalities were attributed to slips, trips and falls. These staggering statistics hold as a difficult reminder of just how important this month is and

• National Safety Month provides a great opportunity to review programs and processes that  keep employees safe and healthy
• Minimize workplace hazards by having a documented job safety analysis (JSA)
• Reduce accident frequency by collecting and analyzing  near-miss information
• Ensure you have proper procedures and protocols, providing your employees with the number one defense against workplace injuries.

Next Steps

Throughout the month of June, Pacific Mobile will share helpful information to strengthen the commitment to being safe. According to NSC, starting June 13^th, the emphasis turns to: Be Healthy. June 20^th turns to Watch out for Dangers and the final week of Safety Month focuses on Sharing Road Safety. Stay connected and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to learn more and what we are doing to stay safe. Let’s come together and help ensure all are safe, allowing workers to vacation, barbeque and enjoy playing in the sun, when they're off the clock.

With so many slips, trips and falls causing injury and even death, be sure to download and hang this poster, in a prevalent location, to assist employees in your place of work: