Understanding Workplace National Safety Month 2024

By Alison Adduono, Director of Marketing

Everyday workplace injuries cost employers a lot of money. In fact, the National Safety Council (NSC) has reported that in 2021 employers lost approximately $167 billion and that is not even accounting for the loss of productivity from employees being unable to work. Improving safety culture in the workplace helps to prevent and mitigate these costly accidents and injuries.

Understanding National Safety Month

In 1996 the NSC started an initiative – called the National Safety Month (NSM) — whereby they would provide a month’s worth of free safety resources to highlight leading causes of preventable injury and death. No matter the industry — the training, webinars, resources and other messaging are helpful for placing an emphasis on safety in the workplace. This June (and all year through), let us all work together to ensure safe jobsites.

This Year’s Weekly Themes and Focus Areas for Workplace Safety

The NSC has broken out their campaign into 4 themes throughout the month:

June 1-8 – Safety Engagement – Safety engagement opportunities abound for injury prevention. From implementing safety training programs to identifying hazards, everyone has the power to make a meaningful impact.
June 9-15 – Roadway Safety – Whether it’s addressing speeding, impairment, or distraction (like texting), speaking up about roadway risks is crucial. Our choices behind the wheel have the power to shape safer roads for all.
June 16-22 – Risk Reduction – Staying alert to potential dangers can proactively prevent common causes of injuries. Overexertion, alcohol/substance abuse, broken equipment, unsafe environments, etc. can all lend themselves to workplace injuries – stay aware.
June 23-30 – Slips, Trips, and Falls – Whether at work or home – falls are preventable. Be aware of hazards around you such as clutter, wet floors, cracks, heights, unsafe ladders, etc. Make sure to avoid distractions and have proper safety equipment when working in potentially unsafe surroundings.

Promoting Public Awareness

To help promote National Safety Month the NSC has put together some great resources (i.e. campaign posters, videos, games, articles, webinars, etc.) and a social media kit and is encouraging employers to use the information and share it on their Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram platforms.

The Occupational Health and Safety Blog even has some recommendations for some other ways to observe National Safety Month.

Additional Tips to Safety

Having a Safety Plan is great but there are several other steps employers can take to ensure workplace safety. Some of those are:

Form a Safety Committee making sure to include individuals that will adhere to the program and influence their peers in the workplace.
Ask for employee feedback – perhaps some are aware of some areas for improvement.
Implement an accident report or safety concern notification procedure.
Conduct routine refresher training and safety drills.
Strive for continuous improvement. Had a near miss? Look at the route cause and what is necessary to avoid a reoccurrence in the future.
Recognize and celebrate safety achievements and benchmarks attained.

Taking Extra Steps

In addition to brushing up on safety training, precautions and awareness during the month of June – taking a fresh look at your current workplace safety plan is also a good suggestion. Whether it is checking on the latest OSHA regulations or reviewing your drug testing policies, injury care or wellness programs — a yearly check in is always a good idea to see if you are addressing any new emerging concerns. If you need assistance with expanding your occupational health initiatives, your Third Party Administrator (like Origin Diagnostics) may even have some ideas for you.

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