Be prepared

Each year the National Safety Council sets aside the month of June as National Safety Month.

Each week of the month focuses on a different aspect of safety and for 2018 the areas they’re stressing are emergency preparedness, wellness, falls and driving.

The unusual weather this past week has been exciting for some, while others have been very concerned about the outcome of the rain, hail, lightning and yes, even tornadoes that seem to have been popping up out of nowhere.

Emergency preparedness

Now is the perfect time to be thinking about your emergency preparedness in the event of a catastrophic natural disaster or even one man-made.

First and foremost, does your family have a communications plan in place?

Make sure you have all family phone numbers either written down or memorized. Keep in mind, electricity may be out so a plan that includes something other than Internet contact or land-line phone trees is an excellent idea.

An emergency kit in your car and at least three days of food and water for the family should be readily available.

Check to see that your spare tire is properly inflated and the jack and lug wrench are in the trunk.

Toss jumper cables into the trunk, too, along with a tool kit or a multipurpose tool, a flashlight with extra batteries, reflective triangles in case you break down by the side of the road, a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, duct tape and rain gear.

Its also a good idea to have all of your important documents, like birth certificates, insurance policies and the like in a fire-proof safe or stored in a safety deposit box.

Do you know how to shut off your utilities?

In the event of a disaster like a tornado or flood, its a good idea to know how to turn off the gas meter at your home or how to turn off the water and electricity. A gas leak can create a multitude of problems, including fire and even explosions.

Wellness

Wellness isn’t just getting your annual physical or seeing your doctor on a regular basis, it includes wellness in the workplace, things like drug use, depression and preventing injury at work.

Unfortunately, the report from the annual Drug Testing Index for 2017 shows positive tests for illicit drugs in the workplace are at a 13-year high.

Increases in cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine use have kept the numbers high.

Positive results for meth increased between nine and 25 percent in portions of the Midwest, East and South.

Work related stress can trigger or heighten depression and is generally higher in jobs that expose workers to death, violence or trauma such as police, fire and other first responder duties.

Companies need to be aware of the issue of depression and what it can do in the workplace, including employees who are not exactly acting like themselves. Depression can not only lead to more accidents due to innattention, but can also be lethal to co-workers should the depressed worker decide to resort to violence.

A good night’s sleep is crucial to your wellness at work, too.

Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night or the safety performance at work can suffer. You are also three times more likely to have a car crash if you’re fatigued, too.

Fatigue and drug use can also cause an increase in employee accidents such as being struck by objects in the workplace or injuries from operating machinery.

Falls

One statistic that may surprise you is that falls account for the the third-highest total of unintentional deaths in the United States, surpassed only by poisonings and car wrecks.

Although 535 people died from falls from a high level, 11 percent of fatal falls in 2013 were actually from less than six feet.

Construction workers, of course, are more at risk from deaths by falling, businesses also saw 91 deaths in 2103 and those in education and health services accounted for 13 fall deaths.

If you’re working at a height at home, say on your roof for example, make sure ladders are set up on solid, level ground. Check the weather forecast, too, as sudden rain can make surfaces slippery and the potential of death from a lightning strike becomes part of the mix.

Of course, you want to be comfortable while working at home, but make sure your clothing isn’t so loose it can get caught in your ladder or any equipment you might be using while on the roof.

For those over the age of 65, falls are the number one cause of death.

Be sure to keep your floors and surfaces clear of clutter and close those cabinet or desk drawers. Put electrical and phone cords out of the way to prevent tripping, too.

Sometimes its easier to just grab a chair to get that item out of the top cabinet, but standing on chairs, tables or any surface that has wheels is a recipe for disaster.

More than 8.7 million people were treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries in 2013. A split second decision to cut corners can lead to death or disability.

Driving

Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council show 2017 motor vehicle deaths topped the 40,000 mark for the second year in a row and is actually six percent higher than the number of deaths in 2015.

There are a number of things you can do to lessen the chances of dying in a car crash, including practicing defensive driving – keeping an eye on everyone and everything around you and adjusting your driving as necessary to remain safe.

Seat belt usage has been shown to save lives, especially in roll-over accidents.

If you’re planning a night on the town that includes alcohol, arrange for a designated driver or an alternative way home rather than driving yourself.

While it is obvious you should refrain from using illegal drugs while driving, the reality is you need to be aware of what certain over the counter medications may do to you, too. Some will react adversely with prescription medications you take or may cause drowsiness all on their own.

Drivers education shouldn’t end once that teen has their driver’s license.

It is very important to relay the message to teen drivers that seat belts save lives. A report from the National Organization for Youth Safety shows 66 percent of teen passenger deaths from car crashes were from not wearing a seat belt.

Distracted teen driving amounts to 58 percent of teen deaths in accidents and 25 percent of car crashes involve an underage drinking driver.