Safety Coach
Value Proposition
Safety matters every day of the year, though it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. It’s the difference between getting home from a normal day at work and never making it home again.
While driver and transportation safety are crucial parts of a comprehensive safety program, National Safety Month in June is the perfect time to recognize and celebrate the value of safety in other areas, too. For more than 25 years, the National Safety Council has provided free weekly resources during National Safety Month to highlight leading causes of preventable injury and death, both on and off the job. This year’s topics are:
- Week 1: Emergency preparedness
- Week 2: Slips, trips and falls
- Week 3: Heat-related illness
- Week 4: Hazard recognition
From natural disasters to workplace hazards, there is no shortage of dangers facing your workforce. Insights-based tools from NSC can help you create a culture of safety where everyone – from leaders and safety professionals to individual workers – does their part, not just in June but all year long.
Remind your workers that doing their part today can help save a life tomorrow, maybe even their own. You can choose a day or week in June to encourage your team to wear green – the universal color of safety – and hold up the printable #GoGreenForSafety sign in photos. You can also take the NSC SafeatWork Pledge and ask workers to follow your lead to:
- Help improve workplace safety programs
- Report hazards promptly and suggest solutions
- Be a good safety role model for friends and family
Visit nsc.org/nsm to access your free materials and partner with NSC to give safety the spotlight it deserves this National Safety Month.
Tailgate Talk
Secure Your Load
Road debris is a contributing factor in thousands of crashes every year in the U.S. Hundreds of people are hurt or killed, and billions of dollars are spent on clean-up projects. The dollars amount to nothing compared to the heartache felt by those who have had their lives altered.
Many of these incidents can be traced to an unsecured load. Work for positive change and join us June 6 in the national observance of Secure Your Load Day. How can you tackle this safety issue? Start by reviewing your policies and procedures for loading trucks, flatbeds, delivery vans and pickups.
Then, share tips your employees and their family members can use in the coming months, during the height of moving, garage sale and DIY season.
While on the go, pack your trailer, pickup or flatbed as if friends or relatives were following behind:
- Tie down your load with rope, netting or straps
- Tie large objects directly to your vehicle or trailer
- Consider covering the entire load with a sturdy tarp or netting
- Don’t forget to secure livestock
In a crash, a 20-pound object traveling at 55 mph hits with the force of about 1,100 pounds on impact. A small load of lumber weighs a lot more than 20 pounds. Go out of your way to protect yourself and others.
Share a little about the history of Secure Your Load Day during a safety meeting:
- Robin Abel, a resident of Renton, Washington, founded this safety observance. She has worked to make U.S. roads safer since her daughter was blinded and nearly killed in an unsecured load crash in 2004.
- Robin worked to pass Maria’s Law, making an unsecured load that causes significant property damage, injury or death a crime. Robin tells the story in her book, Out of Nowhere.
- Today, most states have signed proclamations declaring June 6 as Secure Your Load Day, including Texas.
Download these free resources from Abel’s website to promote road safety:
- News articles (including this one featuring a Texas incident): Abandoned Mattress Likely Cause of Deadly Crash in Grand Prairie
- Campaign Resources: Secure Your Load poster, Robin’s story (video), safety talk and public service announcements
What else can you do?
- Use our free Traffic Safety Huddle to connect with your team
Safety and security often go hand-in-hand. When you take steps to reduce risk when hauling cargo, everybody wins.