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June 2023

MEDIA National Safety Month June 2023

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  • Safety is everyone's business! To promote National Safety Month, this year there is a Safety Tip/Fact for each day of the month of June to highlight simple things all Army personnel can to do positively impact Safety!
  • National Safety Month is a national observance. The theme is “Keep people safe from the workplace to anyplace -- total Army health.”
  • The Army Enterprise must focus on learning what went right and wrong in safety. We will do this through implementing the Army Safety and Occupational Management System.
  • We must consider the impacts the working and living environments have on Army personnel and take action to ensure our communities are free of hazards.
Links & Resources

What can YOU do to observe National Safety Month?   Share these tips daily with your Soldiers, Civilians, and Contractors!

ON-DUTY Tips

Week 1 - Emergency Preparedness in the Workplace
June 1-7
  • Engage your emergency managers in all mission planning! Make sure your risk assessment accounts for potential emergencies in the workplace!
  • Rehearse accountability procedures for fire, severe weather, and violence in the workplace regularly.
  • Inspect all fire extinguishers at least monthly and record inspection on tag. Notify fire department if any fire extinguisher appears unserviceable.
  • Emergency exits should always remain free and accessible. Do not store materials or allow clutter to accumulate around exits and stairways.
  • Ensure all emergency exits are marked and any exit that is not intended to be an exit is clearly marked "Not An Exit".
  • Learn and rehearse workplace emergency escape routes and procedures.
  • Make a plan, go to https://www.ready.gov/plan!

Week 2 - Slips, Trips, Falls
June 8-14
  • Slips/trips/falls are the #1 cause of injury to Soldiers and Civilians. The risk of slips/trips/falls must be considered in mission or task planning!
  • To avoid slips/trips/falls in foot movements, it is important to walk as smoothly as possible to reduce the high impacts and accelerations the body is subjected to when carrying heavy loads.
  • Allow hips to naturally rotate forward with each stride while walking. Do not allow knees to lock at any point in the walking cycle. Stride naturally, landing on the heel and pushing off with most of weight toward the big toe.
  • Never jump from a vehicle - maintain 3-points of contact when mounting or dismounting!
  • The ability of Soldiers to avoid slips/trips/falls is directly influenced by their combat loads. Soldier load should be limited to mission-essential equipment. Leaders should not expect Soldiers to carry equipment for all possible situations.
  • Never use make shift climbing devices like boxes, shelves or chairs. Get a step stool or ladder and use it properly.
  • During foot march halts, check clothing (for example, change socks if needed), adjust and refit loads, switch crew-served weapons and other heavy loads from tired Soldiers to those who are less tired, and check the physical condition of Soldiers.

Week 3 - Heat Injury Prevention
June 15-21
  • When conditions allow, heat acclimatization requires a minimum exposure of 2 hours per day, which can be broken into 1-hour exposures, with some activity requiring cardiovascular endurance.
  • Physical work and training programs for unacclimatized Soldiers should be limited in intensity and time. About 2 weeks of progressive heat exposure and physical work is appropriate for heat acclimatization.
  • Wear Sunscreen: Sunburn affects your body's ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated. Look for sunscreens that say "broad spectrum" or "UVA/UVB protection" on their labels- these products work best.
  • Do Not Leave Children in Cars: Cars can quickly heat up to dangerous temperatures, even with a window cracked open.
  • Avoid Hot and Heavy Meals: They add heat to your body!
  • Drink Plenty of Fluids: Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink.
  • Use a Buddy System: When working in the heat, monitor the condition of your co-workers and have someone do the same for you. Heat-induced illness can cause a person to become confused or lose consciousness.

Week 4 - Hazard Recognition
June 22-30
  • Ensure Safety & Occupational Health requirements are integrated in mission planning.
  • Leaders, don’t let your Soldiers drive impaired.  Consider lack of sleep and fatigue hazards and mitigate their risks when assigning drivers and vehicle commanders.
  • Take Soldier and Civilian driving experience into account during mission planning.
  • Engage your Safety & Occupational Health professionals in hazard recognition to determine PPE requirements.
  • Always cross within marked crosswalks where available. Look left, right and left again before crossing. Make eye contact with the driver - don't take it for granted they can see you.
  • Don't wear gloves, loose cuffs, rings, watches or other jewelry when you work with or around rotating machinery. They could get caught up and pull your hand into danger.
  • Are you driving blind?  Before any movement in a government vehicle, tactical or non-tactical, do a detailed route reconnaissance to identify hazards and mitigate the associated risks. Leaders, don’t let your Soldiers drive blindly into hazards!
  • Do you know the respiratory protection requirements of your tasks/missions? Consult the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and consult with your Safety and Occupational Health professionals to verify.
  • Safety is everyone's business! All Army personnel have the right and responsibility to stop and/or report unsafe and/or unhealthful conditions!

OFF-DUTY Tips

Week 1 - Emergency Preparedness in the Home
June 1-7
  • Always have a serviceable fire extinguisher at home.
  • Ensure there are no locks or fastening that impedes or prevents escape from the inside of the home.
  • Make sure all family members know where the fire extinguisher is and how to use it.
  • Have a fire safety plan that everyone knows and carefully plan how you will exit the home.
  • Make sure all exit doors in the home are easily accessible.
  • Make sure you have an emergency plan at home.
  • Rehearse emergency escape plans with family members.

Week 2 - PMV-4
June 8-14
  • Driving requires your full attention. Avoid distractions, such as adjusting the radio or other controls, eating or drinking, and talking on the phone
  • Keep your cool in traffic!
  • Reduce your stress by planning your route ahead of time (bring the maps and directions), allowing plenty of travel time, and avoiding crowded roadways and busy driving times.
  • Continually search the roadway to be alert to situations requiring quick action.
  • Speeding is the leading cause of automobile fatalities. Follow posted speed limits.
  • Do not take other drivers’ actions personally. Keep cool!
  • Set a realistic goal for the number of miles that you can drive safely each day

Week 3 - PMV-2
June 15-21
  • Helmets must meet DOT standards and be properly fastened under the chin.
  • Overall Tip: Be Wise. Stay Alive. Wear Your PPE!
  • Full face helmets offer the best protection. The National Highway Transporation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that helmets reduce the likelihood of a crash fatality by 37% and brain injury by 67%
  • Clothing ... Dress for the SLIDE not the ride!  Garmets made from leather or abrasion resistant fabric provide a high level of protection.
  • Experienced riders know local traffic laws - and they don't take risks. Obey traffic lights, signs, speed limits, and lane markings; ride with the flow of traffic and leave plenty of room between your bike and other vehicles; and always check behind you and signal before you change lanes.
  • Alcohol and drugs, including some prescribed medications, negatively affect your judgment, coordination, balance, throttle control, and ability to shift gears. These substances also impair your alertness and reduce your reaction time. Even when you're fully alert, it's impossible to predict what other vehicles or pedestrians are going to do. Therefore, make sure you are alcohol and drug free when you get on your motorcycle. Otherwise, you'll be heading for trouble.
  • Completing a motorcycle rider education course is mandatory for Soldiers so you have the correct instruction and experience it takes to ride a motorcycle. Contact your leadership and state motor vehicle administration to find a motorcycle rider-training course near you.

Week 4 - Hazard Recognition at Home
June 22-30
  • Mowing a lawn or weed-whacking in shorts and sandals is UNSAFE! Wear pants and a long sleeved shirt and use safety glasses, steel-toed boots and hearing protection.
  • Staircases: Keep children safe from tumbling down steps by installing safety gates at both the bottom and top of staircases.
  • Check to ensure appliances are not plugged into power strips.
  • Ensure cleaning chemicals and chemicals for lawncare are secured to prevent children from accessing.
  • Monitor children in the kitchen and do not leave them unattended.
  • Ensure that you have carbon monoxide detectors in your home and test them regularly.
  • If you have a swimming pool or pond then it should be in a fenced area. Never leave children in an unsupervised situation when water is about, including paddling pools.
  • Know how to perform first aid on your child!
  • Keep items such as rakes, saws, and lawn mowers, locked away safely in garden sheds. Follow safety procedures and use caution when using garden tools.