Summer can be a particularly dangerous time of year for American workers: There are increased unintentional injuries and fatalities during the summer months, and according to the most recent data available, more than 4,100 preventable workplace deaths and 4 million injuries occurred in 2020.
With this in mind, the National Safety Council (NSC) has observed and promoted National Safety Month each June since 1996. To make safety an even more urgent issue in 2022, the U.S. continues to face an unprecedented threat to public safety and health as the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic continue.
“We’re up against some of the same safety challenges today as we were 26 years ago, in addition to new and evolving risks,” said Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of NSC. “While safety should be top-of-mind all year, the National Safety Council urges employers and employees alike to focus even more acutely on safety this month. We believe an investment in an increased focus on safety in June – working together, taking safety personally and speaking up to keep each out safe – will pay dividends throughout the year.”
NSC kicked off this year’s National Safety Month by focusing on the most common workplace injury: musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). At an inaugural summit on June 2, more than 15 of the nation’s leading organizations signed the MSD Pledge, a commitment to improve workplace safety, reduce MSD risk, and enhance all workers’ wellbeing.
A New Safety Focus Each Week
Throughout the rest of June, National Safety Month will focus on the following:
Week 2: Workplace Impairment – Substance use is a safety issue at work, but did you know mental distress, stress, and fatigue are also impairing? Impairment poses a risk to every workplace, but addressing it in all its forms can directly support the safety and wellbeing of workers while saving organizations on costs.
Week 3: Injury Prevention – In 2020 alone, more than 4 million workplace injuries required medical attention in the U.S. Preventing injuries in the workplace can save lives, keep workers safer, and save hundreds of billions of dollars every year.
Week 4: Slips, Trips and Falls – With falls being the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death, the focus is on reducing slips, trips and falls, falls from heights, and how technology can play a role in saving lives.
