For National Safety Month, as Health and Safety Director, I will be writing weekly posts on various safety topics, sharing important information to help everyone maintain a safe work environment whether you are in the field or in the office.
Our first topic for National Safety Month is about being ready to respond to emergency situations. By assessing potential hazards and risks, you can be equipped for anything. Did you know that all of our offices have AED’s in them and we have trained employees in the use of the AED to be better prepared? Even the fastest ambulances services and paramedics could take between 8 to 12 minutes to get to a patient after calling 911. By having personnel trained in first aid and CPR could mean the difference of life or death.
Every year we provide training for over 50 employees, even though the re-certifications are due every two years, in both first aid and CPR, and we have approximately 100 employees with active certifications (that is roughly 25-30% of our workforce!) These employees take this training seriously as they may be called to respond quickly to a serious injury or a life-threatening situation. In addition, all of our employees (fulltime, seasonal or temporary) are trained annually in emergency preparedness procedures to know where to go in of incremental weather conditions or where the staging areas are in case they have to leave their buildings.
Safety carries across work/home life boarders. If we can teach and train our employees to safe ways to perform their jobs at work, safety will carry into their private lives at home to keep them and their families safe too. Remember to: Always Engage and Think!
– Joe Tongson, Health and Safety Director
For more information on our commitment to workplace safety please visit our website. For further information on National Safety Month and what you can do to promote safety in your home and workplace, visit the National Safety Council website.