June is National Safety Month

Awareness is understood as an ability to perceive direct consequences of an event; safety awareness is an extension of this definition. Safety awareness highlights a direct relationship between knowing the facts and the wellbeing of a common workplace. The goal of safety awareness is to reduce workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths through a network of understanding employees. Every year the National Safety Council promotes June as National Safety Month. Safety is everyone’s responsibility. At work, at home, and driving down the road there is always a need to be safe. We can all raise awareness about important safety issues such as slips and falls, workplace and employee safety, and emergency preparedness.

Safety cultures consist of shared beliefs, practices, and attitudes that exist at an establishment. In a strong safety culture, everyone feels responsible for safety and pursues it on a daily basis. Developing strong safety cultures have the single greatest impact on accident reduction of any process. A company with a strong safety culture typically experiences few at-risk behaviors, consequently they also experience low accident rates, low turn-over, low absenteeism, and high productivity. Creating a strong safety culture is hard work and takes time. Some factors that help establish a positive safety culture include:

• Management and employee assumptions and beliefs
• Management and employee attitudes
• Values, myths, stories
• Policies and procedures
• Supervisor priorities, responsibilities and accountability
• Production and bottom line pressures vs. quality issues
• Actions or lack of action to correct unsafe behaviors
• Employee training and motivation
• Employee involvement or "buy-in."

Any process that brings all levels of the organization together to work on a common goal that everyone holds in high value will strengthen the organizational culture.  At the beginning of the process to building a safety culture, companies may exhibit development through safety awareness.  Safety posters, warning signs and safety alerts are examples. With more time and commitment, devoted companies address physical hazards and may start incentive programs, establish safety committees and develop safety recognition programs.  All workers at every level should be concerned with safety and work together as safely as possible.

Safety benefits everyone and by incorporating rules employees avoid injury and illness from exposure to hazardous substances. With fewer injuries a business can be more productive and profitable. This will enhance the welfare of the community by providing clean air and water and less chance of dangerous accidents that puts lives and property at risk.