Promote Workplace Safety During North American Occupational Health and Safety Week

May 4 - 10, 2008

The American Red Cross is working with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) along with 35 other organizations and large corporations in an alliance to focus increased attention on reducing workplace injury and illness through promotion of NAOSH week.

A special toolkit has been developed that any organization can use and adapt (see sections beginning on page 13).

Potential promotional activities include:

• Focusing on your chapter's workplace safety. Ensure employees and volunteers are trained to respond to emergencies and your worksites are hazard free.

• Locating your local chapter of ASSE. Contact one or more of the officers and ask about working with them to support NAOSH Week and, in the process, discuss other ways in which your chapter can work with ASSE to promote workplace safety. Involvement with your local chapter of ASSE (including attending meetings and exhibiting at their local or state level conferences) can be a good way to develop relationships that may lead to new customers.

• Encouraging your current workplace customers to take advantage of this special occupational safety week. Direct them to the online toolkit and to make statements to their employees about the importance of safety on the job.

• Contacting alliance organizations (see page 7 of the toolkit). If you have any of these employers or members of the listed associations in your chapter, contact them now about conducting Red Cross classes during that week as a part of their commitment. Also, ask their safety officer about other joint efforts- such as special lunch hour safety presentations, or promoting Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED classes to all interested employees - not just those who are on the emergency response team.