"Safety Starts With Me"

That’s the theme of National Safety Month (June 2013)1. The National Safety Council (NSC) hopes their theme conveys that while leadership from the top is important, successful organizations engage everyone in safety and create a culture where people feel a personal responsibility not only for their own safety, but for that of their coworkers, family and friends.

The weekly themes for the month areNational Safety Month 2013 logo
Week 1: Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls 2
Week 2: Employee Wellness3
Week 3: Emergency Preparedness4
Week 4: Ergonomics5

As an employer, you can highlight safety with special activities or materials6. Or you can use this month’s focus as an opportunity to evaluate your current safety programs and plans. Your occupational medicine provider can help with your assessment.

1 NSC – National Safety Month 2013
2 CDC NIOSH - Fall Injuries Prevention in the Workplace
3 University of Iowa Healthier Workforce Center for Excellence (HWCE) – For the Employer: Recommended Resources
4 Office of Disability Employment Policy - “Employers’ Guide to Including Employees with Disabilities in Emergency Evacuation Plans”
5 HWCE – “Healthier Workplace Through Ergonomics”
6 NSC – Safety Month Materials

June 2013
UI HealthWorks is a member of the WORKSAFE IOWA Occupational Medicine Associate Network, the only university-affiliated network of occupational health providers.

WORKSAFE IOWA is an outreach program of the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health in the College of Public Health at The University of Iowa.