Practice safety measures at home, work, on the road

Every year, the month of June is dedicated to National Safety Month by the National Safety Council. It is a time to think about safety measures at work, at home and on the road.

In spite of all the safety measures workers are expected to follow, preventable work-related deaths have increased more than 17% since 2009.

An agreement between OSHA and the National Safety Council works to prevent those workplace injuries, illnesses and even deaths by developing compliance assistance tools and best practice documents.

Those compliance tools and best practices should be reviewed between employers and employees on a regular basis to ensure everyone is on the same page and taking all the necessary steps to remain safe at work.

If you are remaining safe at work, it only makes sense that you remain safe on the road so you can get home each night.

The three biggest causes of fatal accidents involving vehicles are alcohol, speeding and distracted driving.

For most people, it is a good idea to take a defensive driving course. Some are actually surprised at the number of things they are actually doing incorrectly on the road, falling into certain habits behind the wheel since first getting their driver’s license.

Wearing your seat belt should be a no-brainer, but the fact is, the average cost of a crash is more than $1 million per death and more than $78,000 per non-fatal disabling injury. Imagine how much money could be saved by simply clicking that seat belt every time you get in the car.

When it comes to distracted driving don’t fall for the myth that you can multi-task and drive safely. The brain literally cannot do two things at once. It can toggle back and forth quickly, but the area of the brain that processes moving images, such as the road in front of you, decreases by one-third if you are listening or talking on a phone.

Teach your teen drivers early and reiterate often, the dangers of texting while driving. The number one cause of death for teens learning to drive is car crashes. Common risks are not just texting while driving, but distractions by passengers in the car.

Now that you and your family have managed to safely make it through your work day and safely driven home, did you know 161,374 people died from unintentional injuries in the home in 2016?

Poisoning in the home is even more common than car accidents. Poisoning can be caused by gases, chemicals and even prescription drug overdoses.

Be sure anything that may poison members of the family are kept well out of the reach of children and see that CO2 monitors are working properly. All medications should be handled properly and even things as innocuous as laundry pods or dishwasher liquid should be kept in a safe spot.

Falls are another one of the big causes of injury-related deaths in the home, too, especially for those 65-years and older.

Take a look at areas in your home that could be dangerous when it comes to falls, such as stairs, slick floors and even area rugs whose corners may not be attached to the floor. Are the boards on your deck all nailed down properly to prevent a trip and fall? What condition is your sidewalk or driveway pavement in?

All of these can lead to accidental falls and even death, but a little pre-planning and some repair work could be the best preventative.

So, during the month of June, take some time to practice safety measures at work, keep your eyes on the road and implement a safety check on your home so you don’t become a safety statistic.