June is National Safety Month and each week of June has a special safety focus. The National Safety Council has outlined four themes for this year which are: employee wellness, ergonomics, preventing falls, and driving safety. Learn how you can raise awareness and make your pharmacy, office, hospital, or business safer for your employees. There are even ways to raise safety awareness for your clients by discussing safety measures everyone can use such as summer safety, teen driving safety, and not using the phone while driving.
Employee Wellness
Employee wellness is important to employee happiness and productivity. Promote healthy eating by inviting a nutritionist in to speak with employees and help them devise healthier eating habits. Increase activity in employees by offering a trial subscription for a gym membership or negotiate a group discount with a local gym. Vending machines in the office can be stocked with all natural products, and cafeterias should be encouraged to offer more fruits and vegetables.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics Week is the time to talk about preventable injuries due to over exertion and repetitive motion. Make sure employees know the safest way to perform their job duties including how to lift properly and when to request help. Have a medical professional review the symptoms of strains and sprains, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other ergonomic conditions which may negatively affect joints, spinal discs, tendons, nerves, and ligaments. Symptoms may include numbness, pain, swelling, tenderness, tingling, and decreased strength.
Fall Prevention
The first thing to do is make sure all fall hazards have been removed from the workplace, or that clear warnings are placed in the vicinity to make employees aware of the increased fall risk. The best way to do this is have an outside safety specialist review the environment, as he or she may more quickly identify possible problems as well as solutions. Factors which commonly contribute to falls include poor lighting, unsecured phone and electrical cords, and wet floors. Encourage employees to report potentially hazardous conditions to the maintenance department or appropriate supervisor.
Driving Safety
The four biggest preventable safety issues for drivers are using a cell phone while driving, failing to use a safety belt, driving while impaired, and driving aggressively. One way to reinforce proper driving practices is to provide a driver’s education course for all employees. It is equally important that employee driving habits are safe whether they are driving a company vehicle or driving home from work. As an added incentive many insurance companies offer discounts for advanced driving courses.
Even if your company or practice is too small to offer classes or incentives it is important that employees are made aware of these safety issues. Simply raising awareness may be enough to prevent an accident.
How will you be celebrating National Safety Month this year?