Celebrate NAOSH Week!

I'm so excited I found a few minutes to post about the 12th Annual North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. Tomorrow (May 7) I'm celebrating Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day with one of my safety and professional mentors. Courtesy of an awesome new contract, I've been busy as ever and loving every minute of it. 

Per AIHA's website, this year's theme is "Workplace Safety Works for Everyone." I couldn't agree more. My family and friends likely get annoyed when I bring up safety hazards in the work they are doing.

NAOSH Logo

Per ASSE's website, NAOSH week is an opportunity to share your knowledge about the positive benefits a safe workplace provides - for workers, their families, friends, and community. It's a way for us to let people know that they have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and that the skills they learn about safety at work are directly transferable to their home life.

More information about Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day here. 

If you like, you can "Salute Your Safety Pro" and recognize them on ASSE's website here. 

A neat aspect of NAOSH week is the two listed sponsors: Disney and URS. Kudos for Disney's commitment to health and safety!

Banner for NAOSH Week! Live it and love it!

So take a minute tomorrow, or this week, or as soon as you can, and please let your safety professional know that you appreciate their efforts. I'll be sending an email to my mentors and colleagues and hope you'll do the same. 

Also, since I'm an artist, I felt these ASSE 2014 "Safety on the Job" posters deserved some additional attention.

My favorite:

Geek Chic - Lab Safety is Always in Style (Abbigael H, Age 8, Massachusetts)

My runner-up (creepy and surprisingly effective):

Gamble with Safety? Risk Your Life! (Riley J, Age 10, Texas)

Say thanks to your safety professional and look for new and intriguing posts soon!

The Industrious Hygienist is celebrating National Safety Month!

Just a heads up that the Industrious Hygienist will be celebrating National Safety Month with other occupational safety and health professionals, including more frequent and more educational blog posts related to the National Safety Council focus areas.

This year's focus areas are:

Week 1: Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls
Week 2: Employee Wellness
Week 3: Emergency Preparedness
Week 4: Ergonomics

There will be videos, posters/images, fact sheets, and how-to's. Stay posted and  follow me if you want to learn more.

How I am celebrating Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day!

Howdy, loyal readers! Today is Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day. I'll tell you how I am celebrating, but first I want to let you know what this day is all about.

About NAOSH

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) started this recognition day in 2006. It is held in the middle of North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, which is this week, May 5 to 11, 2013.

Here's a NAOSH marketing poster for the week-long celebration of safety and health in workplaces and homes.


Image courtesy of NAOSH promotional materials website.

 They have the slogan "Safety and Health: A Commitment for Life" and the website has events (mostly in Canada, since it is "North American" and includes Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.), resources, partners, and promotional materials for communities or companies.

My favorite promotional item is the Safety Checklist, which is written for Canadian regulations but can be easily modified for U.S. regulations. The checklist has the theme "How Safe Are You!" I like that they used the exclamation point (!) rather than making it a question (?) - it feels more like a challenge.



Checklist courtesy of the NAOSH promotional materials website.



 

 

 

 

Safety Checklists

Some of the checklist questions (since the photo is teensy) include:

1.) Does your workplace have a written, up-to-date and posted health and safety policy and a program to implement the policy?

2.) Does everyone in your workplace know their current obligations under the [Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970], as well as the relevant regulations and amendments?

3.) Does everyone know the worker representative or committee members whose role it is to address health and safety issues?

4.) Does your workplace have a system to conduct planned health and safety inspections that includes training, responsibilities, and checklists?

[skipping ahead]

7.) Is the [Hazard Communication Program] current and reviewed annually and when materials or processes change?

I'll stop on this question for two reasons: a) because you can look this checklist up yourself and see how your workplace is doing, and b) because the Hazard Communication Program regulations (HazCom for short) in the U.S. changed recently.

I've planned a series of posts on what changes will be needed in workplaces for HazCom regulatory compliance.

My Celebration

My plans for celebrating the day are pretty simple. I am going to keep doing my job as an occupational safety and health professional. Since I sit at a desk for much of the day, I am going to stave off some musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and do about an hour of yoga in the afternoon. Since I drive around a lot for projects, I am going to make an appointment to get my car serviced, and prevent a potential motor vehicle incident (MVI).

Mostly I plan to promote the Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day and NAOSH week to any unsuspecting blog reader or LinkedIn member I can get to listen.