Shape the Day
Together, we can create safer roads, safer work environments and safer communities. Here’s how:
Get free resources from the National Safety Council to create engagement and prioritize the wellbeing of your employees and their family members this June during National Safety Month. Use this participation guide to plan your activities throughout the month.
Weekly Topics
June 1-7 Continuous Improvement: When an emergency arises, knowing CPR and how to use an AED can save lives. Share this survivor video.
June 8-14 Employee Engagement: Do you know how to support safety engagement at work? Test your knowledge with this interactive quiz. Have your team give it a try and share the quiz on your social media channels.
June 15-21 Roadway Safety: Download this 5-Minute Safety Talk: Driver safety on and off the job (in English and Spanish). Then, put your team to the test and separate myth from fact with this interactive road safety quiz. Share the quiz on your social media channels.
Watch and share these five safety videos:
- How to Set Up Your Drive
- Vulnerable Road User Safety
- Speeding Wrecks Lives, Slow Down
- Distracted Driving is Preventable
- A Distracted Driver Hit Her Going 40 mph
June 22-30 Wellbeing: A comprehensive approach to workplace safety must consider the underlying causes leading to or contributing to injuries that may not be visible to the human eye. This is the focus of workplace wellbeing, an expansive topic area considering the impact of many wellbeing-related risks to road safety, workplace safety and health, from fatigue and psychological safety to substance use and mental health.
- Check out this blog post to learn how to address wellbeing-related risks in your organization.
- Separate myths from facts in this interactive workplace wellbeing quiz. Share the quiz on your social media channels.
- Contact us to schedule Workplace Impairment Training.
Encourage everyone on your team to take the SafeAtWork Pledge, and join us as we bring extra attention to these vital safety issues. Doing your part today can help save a life tomorrow.
Safe and Secure
An Arizona woman recounts her experience of crashing into part of a couch while driving on Loop 202 in Mesa Valley in this ABC-15 news report highlighting the dangers of loose cargo on roads and highways. “It was such an instantaneous crash that I had no idea what I hit,” she said.
The woman was shaken, but largely unhurt. She was lucky.
Unsecured loads are more than an inconvenience – they are dangerous and can be deadly. As we approach National Secure Your Load Day on June 6, remind employees, customers, friends and relatives that proper load safety can save lives.
In Texas, “load not secured” was cited as a contributing factor in nearly 1,500 crashes statewide in 2023, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. That’s more than four crashes every day.
Why Secure Your Load?
Robin Abel, a Washington state resident and national road safety advocate, understands the consequences of unsecured cargo. Her daughter, Maria Federici, was nearly killed in 2004 when a piece of furniture flew off a rental trailer and smashed through her windshield.
Since that traumatic event, Robin has become the driving force behind Secure Your Load Day. Her mission: raise awareness, change laws, and reduce the preventable injuries and deaths caused by road debris.
The Cost of Road Debris
Here’s what unsecured loads cost all of us – not just emotionally, but economically, according to data published on Abel’s website:
- $11.5 billion each year spent cleaning up debris on U.S. roads
- 20% to 40% of road litter is linked to unsecured loads
More than 80% of unsecured-load crashes involve passenger vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA data shows:
- 17,000 people are injured in vehicle-object collisions every year
And don’t forget the force of impact:
- A 20-pound object traveling at 55 mph hits with the force of 1,000 pounds
Peak Season for Packing
During the summer months, from June through August, many move into new homes or apartments. Many spend weekends searching for a garage sale haul or a unique find at an antiques market. This is the time of year when unsecured furniture, construction materials and other personal cargo is more likely to fall onto roads and create safety risks.
The message to get out at your workplace: Whether it’s a college move or a quick landscaping run, be sure to take a moment to secure that load.
5 Easy Steps to Secure Your Load
Use these reminders in toolbox talks or digital messaging:
- Tie items down with rope, netting or straps
- Anchor big boxes or pieces of equipment directly to your vehicle or trailer
- Cover your load with a tarp or net
- Don’t overload your vehicle
- Secure animals, including cattle, horses and sheep, just like cargo
Download and distribute these free tools to support safety education:
From NHTSA:
- Talking Points for Your Next Safety Presentation
- Ready-Made Social Media Posts to Share on Your Channels
From Robin Abel:
Or contact Robin directly for a safety presentation at [email protected]
Secure Loads = Safer Roads
A simple strap can be the difference between a safe trip and a fatal crash. Let’s help keep our roads safe this summer.