June is National Safety Month, and we can’t think of a better time to bring this critical subject to the limelight. This year’s event highlights four important safety topics, one each week in June. Below you’ll find some tips to help avoid some common injuries and risks associated with each.
Week One: Musculoskeletal Disorders
These injuries of the muscles, nerves, tendons and spinal discs are a leading cause of workplace injury and lost-time incidents. Avoid these injuries by stretching, wearing proper PPE (back braces, knee pads, etc.), practicing good posture when lifting, listening to the small aches and pains in your body and taking regular breaks to avoid irreversible damage.
Week Two: Workplace Impairment
Impairment doesn’t just come from substance use. It can also come from stress, fatigue and various mental disorders. Keep your mind clear and stress free by getting adequate sleep, eating healthy, exercising and seeking professional counsel if needed. And keep those workplace relationships healthy by communicating clearly, setting clear expectations and taking a short break whenever misunderstanding seeps into your interactions with your co-workers.
Week Three: Injury Prevention
Did you know that more than four million workplace injuries required medical attention in the U.S. during 2020? It’s true that accidents happen, but this is an especially sobering statistic when you consider that many of these may have been avoided with proper injury prevention measures. This requires identifying hazards, thinking through solutions, working as a team, wearing appropriate PPE and knowing when to call it a day.
Week Four: Slips, Trips and Falls
The second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death, slips, trips and falls are always an important topic during any safety discussion. Avoiding these types of incidents is a topic all its own. But cleaning your workplace regularly, wiping up spills quickly, exercising safe walking skills by making sure you aren’t carrying loads you can’t see over and maintaining clear egress routes is a good first “step.” And, of course, avoid high falls by repairing or replacing broken or worn handrails and using task-appropriate fall protection devices.
Commit to safe work practices so you can go home the same way you left. Take this opportunity to discuss these safety topics with your co-workers and managers and find creative ways to avoid injury from some of these common risks.
Edge Eyewear
Safety glasses are a critical part of your PPE. After all, you only have one set of eyes. Protect them with appropriate Z87 eyewear. Whether your work has you indoors or out, we offer safety glasses to match the conditions.
For working around reflective surfaces, such as concrete, glass or metal, our polarized safety glasses can keep glare to a minimum. Our clear, fog proof safety glasses will ensure you can see clearly in low-light conditions. And our photochromic glasses automatically adjust the darkness of the tint to adapt to any environment.