Did you know that in the United States, every 7 seconds, a worker is injured on the job? Employers, construction teams, and managers in high-risk work environments must take a proactive approach to protect their workforce. While the OSHA guidelines sometimes seem like an inconvenience, they are critical for maintaining the workforce safety that everyone deserves.
What is OSHA Safe + Sound Week?
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Labor that was established in 1970 to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for employees. OSHA develops and enforces workplace safety standards, conducts inspections, provides training and education, and has the authority to issue citations and fines to employers who violate safety regulations. The agency covers most private sector employers and their workers, setting mandatory standards for everything from fall protection and hazard communication to personal protective equipment and machine safety.
For contractors, OSHA certification is crucial because construction is one of the most hazardous industries, with high rates of workplace injuries and fatalities. An OSHA certification demonstrates that contractors understand and comply with safety regulations, which not only protects their workers but also reduces liability, workers’ compensation costs, and potential fines.
August is the month when an annual initiative is held by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week is a campaign that raises awareness about workplace safety in all industries. During this week-long event, the priority is to provide education so that teams can take proactive safety measures that prevent injuries – instead of always being in a reactive position and responding to issues as they arise.
Keep in mind that this week isn’t just about compliance. The real intention is to create a workplace culture where everyone diligently implements safety practices, ensuring that all team members can go home healthy and uninjured at the end of the day.
The Core Pillars of OSHA’s Safe + Sound Program
As you learn more about this OSHA program, you will find that there are three foundational elements:
- Management Leadership: Owners and managers should step up in leadership to be examples of safety in action. This is much more than delegation. It’s leading by example and fostering the best company culture that prioritizes safety.
- Worker Participation: The team-focused approach means that employees aren’t only following the rules and checking safety boxes. Everyone takes responsibility for their part in identifying hazards and minimizing the potential impact of these issues.
- Identifying and Fixing Hazards: The most successful safety and health programs teach team members how to identify workplace hazards proactively. The intention is to neutralize the threat before accidents or injuries occur.
Why Safe + Sound Week Matters
Not only do preventable accidents cost businesses billions of dollars every year, but employees deserve to be working in a safe environment. Remember: each employee has a family that is depending on them, and it’s the employer’s responsibility to protect everyone on the worksite.
Maintaining a safe workplace matters. It goes beyond the regulations for maintaining a safe environment. Really, these practices are a moral requirement to protect human life and foster healthy employer-employee relationships.
Ultimately, Safe + Sound Week gives businesses the information and approach that is needed to make safety improvements in the workplace. Businesses benefit by reducing liabilities and improving workplace productivity (by minimizing downtime). Employees benefit from the reduced risk of hazards and accidents.
How to Participate in Safe + Sound Week
How will you be participating in OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week? The best place to start is by hosting a training session that shares information with your team about industry hazards. The better education and training each team member receives, the more prepared they are to effectively avoid and handle workplace hazards that arise.
As you are planning safety training workshops, make sure that they are interactive and relevant experiences. Instead of lecturing people, it’s better to engage them in the conversation and help the team really understand the importance of these initiatives.
Examples of Safe + Sound Week participation might include a special safety training session. Or, you can have safety walks with both management and workers to discuss the real-life examples on the job site. Having management involved is essential because they can show commitment to safety through this interactive approach.
Benefits of Participation for Your Team and Business
Why does it make sense for your team to be participating in OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week? Here are some of the benefits that you can expect:
- Fewer workplace accidents help to reduce insurance costs.
- Workers feel more valued and protected, which helps to boost employee morale.
- Retention is higher when team members can see that they are safe.
- Training meetings show clients and partners that you are serious about the importance of workplace safety.
- It’s possible to boost your business reputation through the initiatives, especially if you are in a competitive market.
Make Safety a Year-Round Priority
At Mikula, we enhance workplace safety throughout the year. Our consistent, daily practices go beyond a week-long safety event. Not only do we have a safety and health program, but all team members are highly trained on the best safety practices they need to follow.
We strongly believe that safety isn’t just a one-week conversation. Our goal is to minimize the risk of accidents on your job site by integrating workplace safety and health into all of our ongoing practices.
If you are interested in learning more about our safety practices and you would like to discuss an upcoming project, then reach out to us to schedule a consultation. Our team at Mikula is always here to help.