Focus on Safety Products During National Safety Month and Always

June is here: the birds are singing, the kids are celebrating vacation break, and it feels like summer has finally arrived in Minnesota. And while some of us are focusing on our summer plans, it’s good to take a moment to review how to practice safety within our engineering benches, our warehouses, and all aspects of our lives.

Safety can sound like a bore of a topic. Fortunately, modern advances make hazards feel like a distant danger. But the danger is closer than you expect: In 2020, 4 million workplace injuries happened, and it sent 1.8 million workers into emergency rooms for work-related injuries (CDC, 2022). A year later, the National Safety Council estimated that over 800,000 injuries happened in the manufacturing and warehousing sectors alone (NSC, n.d.).

National Safety Month began in 1996 to increase awareness of safety and health risks that spike during the summer months (NSC, 2022). DigiKey’s portfolio of products can help you stay safe not just in June but throughout the year.

Staying safe in the lab

Engineers, makers, students, hobbyists, and the like can benefit from inexpensive yet highly effective safety items. Wearing a pair of eyeglasses or earplugs is an easy thing to do that returns the huge benefit of protecting vital senses. Safety products on the benchtop include devices like fume extractors for removing solder fumes from the station and third hands workstations that prevent cuts and burns. Additionally, ensuring that all equipment power cords are in good condition and not damaged or frayed is always a good practice.

Making the workplace safer

Beyond the lab, DigiKey offers various products that improve the overall workplace.

• Body harnesses, hard hats, and hearing protection protect employees from hazards before they happen.
• Mats offer a variety of purposes, including preventing slips and providing fatigue relief for workers.
• Lockout / Tagout systems prevent employees from interacting with equipment that is being repaired or under service.
• Fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and eye wash stations are crucial in times of emergency.
• Signage provides exit paths, warns of locational risks, and advises medical equipment locations.

Industrial automation products

DigiKey’s Safety products in our industrial automation portfolio aim at products incorporated into systems that protect workers in industrial settings. Examples include emergency stop switches, light curtains, safety mats, and more. You can view all the products in the Automation portfolio on the Industrial Automation Safety Products page.

Resources:

NSC Observes 26^th National Safety Month This June. June 7, 2022. National Safety Council (NSC).  Retrieved May 18, 2023 from https://www.nsc.org/newsroom/nsc-observes-26-national-safety-month

Traumatic Occupational Injuries. July 26, 2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Retrieved May 18, 2023 from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/fastfacts.html

Work Safety Introduction. N.d. National Safety Council (NSC). Retrieved May 18, 2023 from https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/work-overview/work-safety-introduction/