Enhance your Safety Break
Creating safer workplaces does not have to be overwhelming. Here are some things you can start doing right away.
Elias Cruz of Coleman Seed and Hay practices using a fire extinguisher on a pallet fire as part of Safety Break 2012.
Support your safety committee
Use Safety Break to recognize the committee's accomplishments. If you haven’t done so recently, attend the next safety committee meeting or participate in a quarterly workplace safety inspection.
Reward safety accomplishments
Recognize employees who have contributed to workplace safety. Safety Break is the perfect time to present awards during a lunchtime event. We created a sample certificate you can download, personalize, and print.
Sample Award MS Word .doc or MS Word .docx
Tell new employees you’re serious about safety
Many serious accidents happen during an employee's first year on the job. New employees should know that your organization is committed to safety from day one – their first day at work. Use Safety Break to reinforce your organization’s commitment to workplace safety.
Identify hazards
During Safety Break, talk with employees about existing hazards and other safety concerns they may have. Find out where injuries are occurring and discuss how to eliminate them.
Make safety fun
Play the Safety A to Z game with employees.
Have a Dealing for Safety raffle.
Put it in writing
Write a short article about Safety Break for your organization's newsletter. Check out Oregon OSHA’s A-Z topic list topic list for article ideas.
Get the kids involved
Have fun and teach positive messages about safety and health to future workers. Why not have a coloring contest for the children of your employees and recognize their art during Safety Break?
More ideas:
- PPE fashion show
- Mock accident investigation - see who comes up with more root causes
- Best checklist contest (with time limit)
- Hazard scavenger hunt
- Safety slogan contest
- Forklift "rodeo"
- Contests/games (i.e. Jeopardy) focusing on site-specific hazards and solutions
- Develop a new/revised first report of injury form (or accident investigation form)
- Establish an accident investigation toolkit including things needed to investigate accidents or near misses (forms, disposable camera, tape measure, etc)
- Develop a new/revised safety committee minutes format or safety meeting forms
