June is National Safety Month
Celebrate National Safety Month by taking care of yourself and your family. Wear a helmet when biking. Apply sunscreen. Schedule your annual physical.
Safety can apply to many situations: baby-proofing your home, safe-lifting at work, keeping charged batteries in your smoke detector, wearing protective gear when playing sports, providing your child's daycare with emergency contact information...the list could go on.
Overall, safety means preventing harm to yourself and others.
This month, reflect on what you currently do and what you might not (yet!) do to take care of yourself, your family, and your friends.
How Can I Promote Safety?
- Wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or motorcycle.
- Apply sunscreen when spending time outdoors to help prevent skin cancer.
- Learn how to be active in your self-care and healthcare.
- Recognize when to call the doctor.
- Make healthy choices - don't drink and drive, quit smoking, practice safe sex, drive safely.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Why is self-care and prevention important?
Being an active partner in your health maximizes your chances of living a long, healthy, and productive life. Learn about more benefits.
Take this self-care and prevention assessment, and then set some personal goals.
Helpful Safety Websites
The following websites provide detailed information to help you and your family stay safe during your daily activities.
Joint Commission's Speak Up Program http://www.jointcommission.org/GeneralPublic/Speak+Up/
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - Patient Safety Info http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/errorsix.htm
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) www.fda.gov/
The Medical Library Association www.mlanet.org
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) https://nccih.nih.gov/
National Institutes of Health www.nih.gov/
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/
The Center for Disease Control - TIPS page (Tobacco Information and Prevention Sources) www.cdc.gov/tobacco
WebMD www.webmd.com
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - bike helmets http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00425