Personal injuries have become so commonplace the National Safety Council (NSC) has named June National Safety Month. NSC and thousands of other organizations across the country have made it their mission to raise awareness of safety risks across the United States. Each year, National Safety Month focuses on reducing the leading causes of death and injury at work, on the road, and in the home and community.
Risk by Age
According to NSC 2016 Injury Facts®, preventable injuries are the 4th leading cause of death in the country, following heart disease, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory disease. For children under 12 months, mechanical suffocation is the most dangerous risk. For those ages 1 to 24, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death and injury. For those ages 25 to 64, poisoning is the highest cause of preventable death; more than 92 happen every day, largely from prescription medications. For those 65 years of age and older, falls are the leading cause of mortality.
Road Safety
Last year, in 2016, around 40,000 people died in vehicle crashes, the leading causes of which were alcohol, speeding, and distracted driving. Impaired driving is easily prevented with caution and consideration for others. The NSC and several other traffic safety and health advocacy organizations are attempting to help end impaired driving by offering courses for employers and employees in leadership and employee engagement, risk management, and safety management systems and measurements. Likewise, some insurance companies have offered discounts for drivers who take defensive driving courses, the first of which was started by NSC in 1964.
Safety at Work
In 2014, about 4,821 people died while doing their jobs. These kind of numbers are unacceptable, which is why implementing important safety measures is so important. NSC safety training builds skills needed to save lives, including offering the following:
- Workplace training
- First aid training
- Defensive driver training
- Nation’s Premier Annual Safety Event
For more than a century, the NSC has been trying to help make the work environment a safer place to be. If you’re an employer or an employee, consider visiting the NSC website for information on the OSHA-NSC Alliance agreement, which aims to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths. It also offers safety measurement tools to determine how safe your workplace is. You can find out more here.
If you’ve been injured through negligence, make sure to seek compensation for any medical bills or lost wages your injury may have caused. Talk to one of our Wichita personal injury attorneys at Hutton & Hutton Law Firm, LLC. We have been helping residents of the state get compensation for their injuries and illnesses since 1979 and are known for our reliable and compassionate advocacy. Our skilled attorneys are licensed to represent you in several different states, so we can serve clients from around the United States. Let us see what our highly rated and ethical attorneys can do for you. Remember, we don’t get paid unless we get you compensation. We look forward to working with you.
Contact us at (316) 688-1166or fill out our online form to schedule a free case consultation today.