Summer is officially in full swing, and if you are in the Northeast like I am you are already experiencing your first heat wave of the summer.  Historically it has been shown that the summer months tend to be the most dangerous and deadly among the workforce  There are a variety of reasons that the summer months see an increase in worker injuries.  Employers need to raise awareness of this and be proactive to keep employees safe.

Some of the reasons for the increase in injuries are:

• There is an increase of road work sites, construction sites, and agricultural environments.
• More drivers on the road combined with an increase in road work leads to distracted driving which puts road workers at risk, and also those who drive for a living.
• An influx of young workers who lack experience and training can lead to more on the job injuries.
• Many sectors see an increase in manufacturing and production.
• Workers not taking proper care of themselves in the extreme heat.

There are many factors that can cause workplace injuries, and although an injury can occur at any time numbers show that there is a rise in the summertime months, part of it could even be attributed to the fact that people go to the beach and take vacations and have that on their mind when they need to be focused on the job at hand.

Whatever the reasons are lets make sure we are all putting our full focus into the job we are doing and taking all the proper steps to ensure that we are working safely so that we can enjoy those vacations.  For all those you are working outdoors make sure you stay in a cool place when you can and drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated.