Since its establishment by the National Safety Council (NSC) in 1996, National Safety Month has been observed each year in June. The event is designed to bring extra attention to safety in the workplace through increased awareness and education.

The council notes that for too long, preventable deaths and injuries have been called accidents, implying they are unavoidable, or due to a fate we are powerless to stop. NSC believes that we can eliminate preventable deaths in our lifetime. There is a lot of work to do toward achieving this goal. In the United States, preventable injuries are at an all-time high, ranking as the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.

Preventable Deaths  There were 227,039 preventable injury-related deaths in 2022 (latest available figures), a 0.9% increase from 2021, and a 162% increase from 1992.

Preventable Non-fatal Injuries  The number of nonfatal preventable injuries is even more staggering. In 2022, 63 million people – about 1 in 5 – sought medical attention for an injury.

Construction remains one of the most hazardous industries.  Every year, one in 100 construction works is injured severely enough to need time off work. Nearly one in five deaths among workers in the U.S. is in the construction industry.

Safety training and awareness are effective tools.  According to OSHA, every dollar spent on safety programs saves construction companies $4 – $6.

New workers benefit from comprehensive safety training.  Over 60% of accidents in construction happen during the worker’s first year, highlighting the importance of ongoing safety education and mentorship for new hires.

The Tri-State/Service Group works continuously to improve safety performance–evaluating and refining processes daily–with a zero injury and illness goal through our safety program “Working. Safe.” When you work with us, you are working with a company that prioritizes safety each day, each month, including June – National Safety Month.