The fifth annual OSHA Safe + Sound Week is being held from August 9-15, 2021. This is the perfect time to start planning! This national event is intended to promote the value of workplace health and safety programs. Employers are encouraged to hold events and activities that highlight the elements of their EHS program during this week.
Why participate?
Participating in the program is a great way to recognize your safety successes and show your commitment to safety. Participating in Safe + Sound Week can help get your program started, energize an existing one, and provide a chance to recognize your safety successes.
Remember- safe workplaces are sound businesses. Successful safety and health programs can proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, improving sustainability and the bottom line.
Who should participate?
Businesses of any size and in any type of industry looking for an opportunity to recognize their commitment to safety are encouraged to participate. Last year more than 3,400 businesses helped to raise awareness about employee health and safety!
How can my company participate?
Companies can either participate privately or officially register on OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week webpage. The webpage has lots of great ideas for Safe + Sound Week activities, many of which don’t take a lot of time to plan for.
Safe + Sound Week has been a huge success for Safety Partners’ clients who have participated in previous years! Some ideas from events we’ve helped clients plan include:
- Providing annual safety training during Safe + Sound Week
- Offering hands-on fire extinguisher training
- Organizing a demonstration on the proper use of biosafety cabinets
- Planning safety-related games including safety bingo and a safety scavenger hunt with prizes
- Scheduling ergonomics stretching sessions and ergonomics lab and office equipment demonstrations
- Holding a mock spill drill
- Scheduling a fire drill
- Preparing Safe + Sound week banners for posting throughout the facility
- Offering awards for good personal protective equipment compliance
- Scheduling presentations by a nutritionist and an ergonomics specialist
Taking advantage of this campaign may be the key to engaging more employees in your safety program on a daily basis. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of your safety program in a fun and engaging way!
For additional information on OSHA Safe + Sound Week, or for assistance with planning for this year’s event, please email [email protected].
This blog was written by Beth Graham, our Associate Director of Quality, Research, and Training who has been with Safety Partners for the last 11 years.