Prioritize Safety this National Safety Month
The National Safety Council has valuable resources for keeping workers safe.
- By Alex Saurman
- Jun 09, 2022
Started in 1996, National Safety Month raises awareness of the necessity of safety. In the workplace, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 4,764 workers were fatally injured and more than 3 million faced injuries or illnesses in 2020.
Workplace safety is essential to ensure workers make it home safe every day. How can you raise awareness of this important topic this month? The National Safety Council (NSC) has provided a list of topics to focus on each week.
Week 1: Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD). MSDs or “ergonomic injuries,” can occur when a person performs repetitive motions or overexerts parts of the body. MSDs include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, rotator cuff injuries and lower back injuries. According to the BLS, 30 percent of the overall days away from work cases were from MSDs. Learn to prevent injuries with these resources:
Week 2: Workplace Impairment. There are many factors that contribute to work impairment, including substance use, mental health and fatigue. Providing support to workers who are affected by these impairments can lead to a safer workplace.
Resources for substance use support:
Resources on mental health support:
Resources on overall impairment:
Week 3: Injury Prevention. More than three million people were injured at work in 2020. Although this was lower than the previous year, there is still work that can be done to keep workers safe. Visit OH&S's website for resources on injury prevention:
Week 4: Slips, Trips and Falls. In 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 211,000 injuries of slips, trips and falls lead to days away from work. Read some of these resources on mitigating these injuries:
To learn more about National Safety Month, visit nsc.com.