Every year, June is labeled National Safety Month by the National Safety Council, and as such employers all across the country focus in on safety. Each company does this in a different way, but most try to ensure employees understand the importance of workplace safety. For this one month every year, the nation is focused on creating a safer work environment.

But then July 1st hits, and most people begin to think about their 4th of July plans, or their summer vacations, and the signs come down and emails stop going out, and everything goes back to business as usual. For some employees, the message of National Safety Month lasts a few weeks as they attempt to continue to foster a safer work environment. But for most, once the company’s focus comes off of safety, so, too, does theirs.

And this is the biggest problem with National Safety Month. The focus and attention placed on workplace safety should not end when the month ends; it should continue, at least in a limited capacity, year round. By making safety a focus for your company, you are making it a focus for your employees, and you are greatly reducing the chance of workplace injuries, because your employees are constantly reminded of how to create a safer workplace. There are many benefits to National Safety Month, and with a proper plan in place, these benefits can be seen year round.

For more information on how we can help foster a safer work environment, please contact us. And if you have anything to add about the ill effects of taking the focus off of safety, please leave a comment.