June is National Safety Month – Week 1

Each June, we celebrate National Safety Month. While we all know safety is important year-round, this month we work to highlight efforts to prevent injury and death, from the workplace to anyplace.

We are highlighting research and prevention efforts in the four themed areas for each week of the month: musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs); workplace impairment; injury prevention; and slips, trips, and falls. Help us spread the word about safety. We hope you follow along with the campaign activities, week-by-week, and participate as the month unfolds. Please download and share the free safety materials from NSC including a poster, podcasts, facts sheets, articles and more; and visit the NIOSH website to stay safe this month and all year long.

Week 1:  Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)

NIOSH:  The NIOSH Musculoskeletal Health Program works to reduce the burden of work-related MSDs through a focused program of research and prevention that protects workers, helps management mitigate related risks and liabilities, and helps practitioners improve the efficacy of workplace interventions. A recent blog post summarizes NIOSH research to protect workers from MSDs over the last 50 years. Technology has a role to play in MSD prevention. A series of webinars highlights how emerging technologies such as wearable technologies, exoskeletons, and computer vision can reduce work-related MSDs. MSD prevention is part of Healthy Work Design. For more information see the NIOSH website Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders.

NSC: Overexertion (e.g., lifting, pushing, pulling, holding or carrying objects) and bodily reactions have long been the leading cause of work-related injuries and illnesses in the U.S., with the recent exception of 2020 due to COVID-19. Every worker deserves to work in an environment where their safety is valued, and risks of musculoskeletal disorders are evaluated and minimized. The NSC has been working on several key initiatives to prevent these ergonomic injuries through the MSD Solutions Lab, of which NIOSH is a founding member of its advisory council.

NSC encourages companies and organizations to protect their most valuable assets – their workers. By taking the MSD pledge, you will join a growing community of employers committed to sharing ergonomic solutions and cutting-edge insights, enhance the wellbeing of your workers, gain access to free tools, events and training, strengthen your safety culture and be able to assess your progress.

Changing the approach to MSD risks can provide relief to millions of workers and save employers the costs of physical and psychological disability. In addition, many technologies that reduce MSD risk also make it easier for workers to perform their tasks, directly enhancing productivity. By investing in workplace safety, employers can improve their bottom line, strengthen retention, reduce absenteeism and improve workers’ lives on the jobsite and beyond.

Please share with us how you plan to celebrate National Safety Month in the comment section below.  Show Your Safety Pride! Choose a day or week to showcase your safety pride with the NSC Go Green for Safety campaign. Encourage your team to dress up in green – the universal color of safety – and hold up the national safety month printable Go Green for Safety sign. Capture photos and videos to share in your communications and on social media. Be sure to use the hashtags #GoGreenforSafety and #NSM.