June is National Safety Month
We’re focused on safety year-round here at OTW Safety, but we always anticipate the months when safety is spotlighted to the public.
The causes we are so passionate about every day are often overlooked in the average person’s life, so we appreciate the chance to bring awareness on a broader level. Increasing safety is our passion, and we are privileged to share the ways organizations like NIOSH and NSC are helping advocate for safety everywhere. This month is National Safety Month (NSM)!
What kind of safety does June focus on?
There are many organizations dedicated to some sort of safety, whether it be transportation, construction, crowd control, or something else. During National Safety Month, the National Safety Council (NSC) takes the stage in campaigning for public awareness. The CDC partners with NSC via the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to amplify safety.
The NSC is dedicated to eliminating the leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths. They work specifically in two areas: workplace and roadway. They strive to complete relevant research and help provide resources that are truly useful for the risks that are actually being faced, as opposed to vague guidances and regulations.
NIOSH is a research agency focused on studying worker safety and health. NIOSH, specifically, has the mandate to assure “every man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources” (CDC), and they work to empower employers and workers in creating safe and healthy workspaces.
Every year, we look forward to working with NSC to amplify our safety messaging during National Safety Month. Our goal is to create healthier, safer environments where CDC staff can work optimally from anywhere. As a public health agency, we talk about our commitment to saving lives and protecting people 24/7 to the public at large. To do this successfully, we must also provide that same level of care and attention to our own staff.
– Dr. Joseph Bertulfo, Occupational Health and Safety Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NSC National Safety Month Page
Four themes for National Safety Month
This year, in their “celebration of safety”, the NSC has pinpointed four specific themes, one for each week of June. These themes are meant to bring awareness to each particular issue facing the safety industry, This year, the themes are Safety Engagement (June 1-8), Roadway Safety (June 9-15), Risk Reduction (June 16-22), and Slips, Trips, and Falls (June 23-30). Stay tuned in to our socials and the National Safety Month site for more details!
Why is it important?
Like any day, week, or month highlighting a pertinent issue, National Safety Month is critical to increasing awareness around workplace and roadway safety. Active since 1996, NSM has provided a month’s worth of free resources for nearly three decades and likely won’t stop anytime soon.
Preventable injuries are the third leading cause of death in the United States, and the National Safety Council and National Safety Month are working hard to decrease those numbers. As they put it, June is the “annual observance to help keep each other safe from the workplace to any place”.
In 2022, 63 million people – about 1 in 5 – sought medical attention for an injury. The death rate in 2022 was 227,039, a 0.9% increase from the 2021 number of 224,935. The top three causes of accidental death are poisoning, falls, and motor vehicle incidents – they account for 86% of all preventable deaths (Top 10 Preventable Injuries, NSC). These numbers make it all too clear why a month of awareness for overall safety is so important.
How is OTW Safety playing a role?
OTW is in the business of safety, so we are always proponents of initiatives that bring awareness to it. We use our platform as an industry leader to support change that makes roads, work sites, and events safer for motorists, work crews, and attendees.
One of our goals is to make safety as accessible as possible to everyone, so we share the latest on safety news and initiatives, as well as our own advice as a safety company that has been in business for over 30 years. You might see this through our social media platforms, in blog form, through sponsorships, and more!
From a research and development (R&D) and manufacturing standpoint, we go all in. We ensure that our products (specifically those relied on in work zones) are up to all current standards by seeking out the latest and most comprehensive testing. Our uncompromising commitment to safety means that every detail of the products we put on the market is perfected; we take care of every single thing we can on our end so you don’t have to worry about the reliability, durability, or visibility of our barricades and hazard lights.
Our commitment also extends to our local community. We try to sponsor as many local events as we can, and we offer our barricades and advice to small businesses needing to demarcate and delineate hazardous areas.
Internally, we keep our employees up-to-date on how they can participate in and contribute to building a safe working environment (i.e. reviewing PPE requirements, reminding employees of risks involved in using heavy machinery, how to minimize risk, etc).
OTW Safety is in it for the long haul, and we do everything we can to support campaigns like National Safety Month in raising awareness of the need for safer spaces everywhere.
Join us as we celebrate safety and participate in National Safety Month this June!
