You want to be safe when you’re at work. Failing to work safely means that you could hurt yourself or others. In a worst-case scenario, someone could be killed.
National Trauma Awareness Month is May 2020, which means that it is a good time to talk about how you can prevent injuries to yourself and others. Staying focused is one of the key ways to prevent serious injuries, disabilities or death. That’s why this year’s title is, “Distracted to Death, Pay Attention or Pay the Price,” which applies to many different situations.
How can you stay focused? It depends on what you’re doing. Here are some tips for staying focused and safe while you’re at home, driving and at work.
Staying focused at home to prevent injuries
At home, it’s important to focus on what you’re doing instead of multitasking in a way that could lead to injuries. Did you know that 37,600,000 people ended up being seen by their medical providers as a result of accidents in the home? Many were seen for falls, which may have occurred due to distractions, clutter, poor lighting and uneven floor surfaces. Clean up at home or work to make sure those accidents don’t happen. You can also apply these tips to your workplace, because cluttered workrooms are an accident waiting to happen.
Stay attentive to the road to prevent crashes
Another major issue is the concern of distracted driving. Distracted drivers took the lives of 3,166 in statistics from 2018. Whether you’re driving for work or other purposes, stay focused. Don’t eat behind the wheel, put down your devices and remember that a second or two of distraction is all it takes to end up in a serious collision. If you do need to take a work-related call, make sure you pull over.
Stay safe with good workplace practices
Finally, if you want to stay safe while you’re at work, it’s important for you to maintain safe practices when using vehicles, machinery or other devices. You should understand which chemicals you use and how they could affect you. You should also be able to locate and use safety checklists in your workplace, so that you can minimize the risk of an accident taking place.
In 2018, there were 5,250 people killed in work-related incidents. The causes ranged from being distracted to working on damaged machinery, but the reality is that many of the incidents could have been avoided.