National Safety Month is celebrated in June when people focus on how they can keep their environment safe and free from any danger. Started by the National Safety Council in 1996, National Safety Month aims to spread awareness of common safety hazards to prevent injuries and promote overall safety and wellbeing within your workplace, home and community. By learning about these methods, we can create a safer and overall healthier community for us and our residents.
How to Successfully Celebrate National Safety Month in Your Community
Perform a Community Safety Inspection
- Ensure any public roadways or parking lots are clearly labeled, clear of debris and accessible
- Check playground, pathway and common area lighting to ensure visibility and safety of residents
- Test fire alarms and emergency shut off valves within community buildings like clubhouses or fitness centers
- Check to be sure each building has clearly labeled fire escape routes and procedures
- If your community has a pool, perform an annual inspection and ensure safety signage is clearly visible for residents
Host a Neighborhood Watershed Cleanup Event
Host a Safe Community Day Event
Holding a Safe Communities Day event will show your residents how they can prevent crime in their neighborhoods, find out what services are available to keep their community safe and provide an opportunity to meet and get to know their neighbors so they can work together to reinforce what’s presented during the event. Pro Tip: Entice community participation by hosting a local food truck, ice cream social, local live band or kids puppet show geared towards safety.
Here are a few ideas:
- Conduct a community fire drill – either all at once or building by building, check to see if residents are following the emergency exit procedures and provide a prize for the fastest responders!
- Stranger Danger children’s safety event, host fingerprinting with your local police department and provide education for kids and their parents to ensure they feel safe in your community. Pro Tip: Reach out to local EMT and rescue services to see if they’re willing to bring fire trucks and/or ambulances for children to tour and experience.
Pet Safety
Pet safety in your community is also important! Make sure your walking paths are clear of debris and if possible, provide pick up bags for your residents. Our four legged friends are also – unfortunately – often the last priority for responding emergency services personnel during an emergency. Providing residents with special pet door and/or window clings will help indicate the types of pets that reside with them, and will help provide peace of mind during a fire or flooding disaster.
Host a Weekly/Monthly Safety Meeting with Site Staff and Maintenance Workers
There are a lot of digital tools available at your disposal. OSHA and NIOSH both release weekly toolbox talks & safety meeting sheets, and depending on your local government, you can also find resources available through your local fire and rescue services. Important safety discussions include a refresher of where to locate emergency shut offs for water and electrical, fall protection best practices and regulations for maintaining your facilities and grounds. Because Covid-19 isn’t going away anytime soon, a friendly reminder to stay masked-up while inside of community facilities and resident homes is also an important topic.
To summarize, the goal of National Safety Month is to promote safety within your community and workplace, reminding residents how to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe – and have fun at the same time!
Learn more by watching our May 25 Virtual Coffee Break, below:
