Celebrate National Safety Month with us as we jointly draw attention to the top causes of avoidable injuries and deaths, enabling people to enjoy the healthiest lives possible.
Top 10 Preventable Injuries
86% of all preventable deaths are connected to motor vehicles, falls, and poisoning. No other preventable cause of mortality, including burns, fires, drowning, and environmental or natural disasters, makes up more than 5% of the total.
On the other hand, fall-related injuries account for 33% of all preventable nonfatal injuries and account for most nonfatal ER visits. The only other injury event that accounts for more than 10% of the total (11%), is struck by or against.
Poisoning and motor vehicle accidents rank third and fourth in terms of preventable injury causes, accounting for over 9% and 8% of injury-related ER visits, respectively. Overexertion and cuts and piercings are next on the list, accounting for 7% of visits to emergency rooms.
There are just three injury causes that rank in the top 10 for both nonfatal and fatal injuries:
- Poisoning
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Falls
Minute by Minute
Ten minutes go by so quickly that you might not give it any thought. However, in the United States, avoidable incidents result in four deaths and 1,199 serious injuries every ten minutes.
The scope and consequences of these deaths and injuries, all of which were avoidable, are demonstrated in this short video:
Resources Available Outside of the Workplace
These tools can assist you and those you love in staying safe.
- Family Fire Escape Plan Template
- Emergency Supplies for Your Home and Vehicle
- Older Adult Fall Safety checklist
- Stay Safe in the Heat Tip Sheet
Visit these links for more information:
Safety Engagement Quiz:
https://www.nsc.org/getmedia/5f6befa8-0b3d-4909-85ae-21dc43f7b666/2024-nsm-game-engagement.pdf
National First Aid and CPR Week:
https://cpr.heart.org/en/training-programs/cpr-and-aed-awareness/cpr-and-aed-awareness-week
Harness team spirit to energize safety:
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/24846-all-about-you-harness-team-spirit-to-energize-safety
BOTTOM LINE: YOUR SAFETY & HEALTH MATTER, BOTH ON AND OFF THE JOB.
YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF DIRECT LINE.