June is National Safety Month.  Established in 1996 by the National Safety Council (NSC), National Safety Month aims to increase awareness of safety and health risks and decrease the number of unintentional injuries and deaths.  The NSC offers a variety of materials and advice on things to do during specifically themed weeks to help organizations and individuals participate in National Safety Month. Materials available include social media graphics to show your participation, Tip Sheets, links to related articles and additional resources.  NSC members have access to even more materials.

For 2018, the individual weeks are focused on:

• Week 1 – Emergency Preparedness: This week focuses on the fact that emergency situations can happen at any time and there is not always a way to predict them.  The best way to remain safe in an emergency is to always be prepared for one. Tips for this week include creating an emergency kit for your home and car, focusing during emergency drills and learning first aid and CPR.  You can access Week 1’s tip sheet in English and Spanish for the full list of tips.
• Week 2 –  Wellness: Week 2 focuses on improving your wellness, no matter your life stage.  Things as simple as taking the stairs, choosing healthy snacks and getting regular medical checkups can all help improve your wellness and quality of life. Week 2’s full tip sheet is also available in English and Spanish.
• Week 3 – Falls: Falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional-injury related deaths.  To help lower the number of falls, you should remove clutter from walkways, clean up spills immediately and install rails on both sides of stairs for older adults.  The full list of tips for preventing slips, trips and falls is available in English and Spanish.
• Week 4 – Driving: Up to 94% of motor vehicle accidents involve human error.  To help yourself stay safe on the road, you should avoid impaired driving, avoid cell phone usage and ensure your teens get plenty of practice before getting their licenses.  More tips are available in English and Spanish.

You can visit the NSC’s National Safety Month web page for access to all of their free materials and more information on what you can do to improve your own safety and for more information on participating in National Safety Month.

Sources: National Safety Council, National Safety Month Free Materials