June brings warmer temperatures, the start of summer vacations, PRIDE month, and an entire month recognizing and celebrating workplace safety. The reality is if we only focused on workplace safety one month out of the year, we’d be in trouble. National Safety Month is a good time to refresh your policies, take a pulse check on your safety training initiatives and tools, and remind people that safety is more about identifying problems before they start, not just how to mitigate them when they happen.
The role of safety and compliance leaders saw a big shift in 2020 with COVID-19 requiring us to expand our focus on airborne illnesses. Even still, the CARE framework for managing safety in the workplace applies both at an individual and organizational level. If there’s one thing you should do this safety month, it’s reminding employees about their individual responsibilities to proactively create a safe environment for themselves and others.
Communication
Open lines of communication with your employees/employers will help maintain safety, if everyone is informed on proper safety procedures you can avoid knowledge gaps or the spread of misinformation that could cause problems.
Awareness
Staying aware of your personal surroundings and those around you will keep things operating safely.
Report/Notify
The phrase “see something, say something” rings true. If you see something that is potentially dangerous, it is in your best interest and your co-workers’ to report a breach of safety protocol.
Education
Workplace training for both you and your employees will help reduce or eliminate accidents. Keep in mind, this isn’t a one-and-done effort, continuing safety education must be completed to keep safety protocols top of mind.
Safety Resources
Celebrate National Safety Month with these resources below, these resources include safety training courses/materials and other helpful content:
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
