June is National Safety Month

The National Safety Council (NSC) has designated June as National Safety Month and encourages businesses to get involved and participate in safety activities. The goal is to bring attention to critical safety issues that can affect your employees - and their families -- on or off the job. Workplace Safety Week is June 4-10. You can visit the NSC site at http://www.nsc.org/nsc_events/Nat_Safe_Month/Pages/home.aspx for information and activities. Also, the articles below provide additional information on some important safety topics.

Workplace injuries are costing businesses plenty in dollars and related productivity costs.
(Item #1)   Small businesses have safety concerns that may differ from larger employers. (Item #2)   Reducing stress can help improve physical and emotional health. (Item #3)  

Information in the workplace can help prevent home-related injuries. (Item #4)   Here are some ways you can participate in National Safety Month. (Item #5)   NSC provides some good explanations about why using even hands-free cell phones while driving is risky. (Item #6)  

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments & insights regarding business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like us to cover, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. The Most Disabling Workplace Injuries Cost Industry an Estimated $52 Billion

The annual Workplace Safety Index combines information from Liberty Mutual, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the National Academy of Social Insurance to identify the top causes of serious workplace injuries. Using injury event definitions developed by the BLS, researchers ranked those that cause an employee to miss six or more days from work by total workers compensation costs. The latest WSI provides statistics for injuries occurring in 2007, the most recent year for which data are available.
http://www.libertymutualgroup.com/omapps/ContentServer?c=cms_document&pagename=LMGResearchInstitute%2Fcms_document%2FShowDoc&cid=1138365240689

2. Safety and Health Resource Guide for Small Businesses

This Guide is intended to help small business owners, employers, and managers deal with occupational safety and health concerns. Others involved with the small business community may also benefit from using this resource. This guide contains telephone numbers, e-mail and Internet addresses, and mailing information that will connect small businesses to government agencies, private organizations, consultants, and others who can help with occupational safety and health issues.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2003-100/default.html

3. Stress at Work

Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise - and employers, managers, and workers all feel the added pressure. While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health, so it's important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.
http://helpguide.org/mental/work_stress_management.htm

4. HR Manager's Guide to Implementing a Home Safety Campaign at Work

The Home Safety Council� (HSC) is dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. American businesses bear a significant burden of these home-related injuries -- HSC research shows that home injuries can cost employers up to $38 billion in a single year. HSC offers tools that will help you integrate off-the-job safety into your ongoing health and wellness programs at work. June is Home Safety Month.
http://homesafetycouncil.org/AboutUs/ResourceCenter/rc_hrguide_w001.asp

5. How to Celebrate National Safety Month

Sponsored by the National Safety Council, the goal of this event is to reduce injuries and deaths in workplaces, homes and community. Each year organizations devote time and effort to safety programs. Here are ways you can participate in this life-saving program.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2320228_celebrate-national-safety-month.html

6. Understanding the distracted brain: Why driving while using hands-free cell phones is risky behavior.

While many people understand the increased crash risks caused by drivers who are texting while driving, the lack of understanding about the dangers of hands-free phones remains a challenge. Using a cell phone, hands-free or handheld, requires the brain to multitask - a process it is incapable of doing safely while driving. This white paper will explain the limitations of the human brain as it pertains to multitasking,
http://www.nsc.org/safety_road/Distracted_Driving/Documents/Dstrct_Drvng_White_Paper_Fnl(2).pdf