June is National Safety Month

Focus Topics

National Safety Month is observed every year in June, and this year, the month is broken out into four focus topics for each week of the month:

• Week 1: Emergency Preparedness
• Week 2: Wellness
• Week 3: Falls
• Week 4: Driving

Today, we’ll discuss weeks 1 and 2 of National Safety Month, focusing on emergency preparedness and wellness.

Week 1: Emergency Preparedness

The National Safety Council (NSC) urges everyone to prepare for the unexpected because emergencies can happen at any time. How can you prepare your business and / or your home?

• Create an emergency kit with essentials
• Learn how to shut off utilities
• Store important information and contact numbers in a fire-proof safe or deposit box
• Learn first aid and CPR

One of the easiest things you can do to be prepared is to ensure your smoke alarm has new batteries. A working smoke alarm can cut the odds of death in a fire in half, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Read more about emergency preparedness.

Week 2: Wellness

Wellness is a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot, but what does it actually mean? The literal definition is the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal. But in today’s hectic world, wellness is as simple as taking care of yourself in whatever way possible.

As part of National Safety  Month, the NSC encourages making small changes to improve your wellness:

• Take breaks throughout your day to refresh your body and mind, especially if you have a sedentary job
• Get regular check-ups, even if you feel healthy
• Watch out for fatigue- chronic sleep deprivation can cause depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses
• Promote wellness in your offices and encourage employees to take time to focus on their health

More than 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, but many of them are preventable and treatable.

Read more about wellness.