Jefferson City, Mo. – In June, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) joins the National Safety Council (NSC) in promoting National Safety Month.
According to the NSC, preventable injuries are at an all-time high, ranking as the third leading cause of U.S. deaths behind heart disease and cancer. In 2023, 62 million people – about 1 in 5 – sought medical attention for an injury.
“It’s easy to get caught up in going through the motions and the repetitiveness of our day-to-day routines, but this is often how accidents happen,” DCI Director Angela Nelson said. “Whether on the road, at home or at work, it’s important to keep safety in mind. Consider potential hazards in various settings and take the necessary steps to reduce risk and keep yourself and others safe.”
Due to the nature of some routine tasks, people can lose focus, negligence can set in, overconfidence can cause carelessness, and mistakes might occur. DCI and the NSC remind Missourians that accidents are preventable and to focus on the following safety topics each week of June:
- Continuous Improvement: According to 2023 data from the NSC, preventable incidents cause over 7,000 injuries every hour, 510 of which happen at work. Continuous improvement efforts go beyond compliance to proactively identify and mitigate hazards in the workplace. This approach ensures potential risks are identified and addressed on an ongoing basis, fostering an adaptive environment that effectively reduces incident occurrence.
- Employee Engagement: Workers at all levels play a vital role in creating a culture of safety within an organization. Having a structured approach to employee engagement establishes consistent and equitable opportunities for participation in hazard awareness and prevention efforts. Hosting safety events, conducting training, planning team-building activities and seeking feedback are all great ways to encourage employee engagement and input.
- Roadway Safety: Being attentive and alert while driving can help prevent crashes that cause unintentional injury and death. According to preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Transportation, 954 fatalities occurred on Missouri roadways in 2024, representing a 4% decrease compared to 2023 and a 10% decrease from 2022. Despite the continued progress, this number still amounts to nearly three lives lost on Missouri roadways every day. Always buckle up, keep your phone down, slow down and drive sober.
- Wellbeing: A comprehensive approach to safety must consider the underlying causes leading to or contributing to injuries that may not be visible to the human eye. Wellbeing-related factors like fatigue, substance misuse and mental distress can all lead to impairment and impact our ability to be alert and perform work safely. Employers who prioritize protecting employee mental health as much as physical safety see a strong return in improved health and productivity.
DCI is charged with protecting Missouri consumers through oversight of the insurance industry, banks, credit unions, utilities and various professional licensees operating in the state. For more information about the department, please visit our website at dci.mo.gov.