“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” That famous quote from Ben Franklin aptly sets the stage to highlight National Safety Month, the National Safety Council’s (NSC) annual June observance aimed at “reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on the road and in our homes and communities.” This year’s NSC theme is “No 1 Gets Hurt” – a theme that really resonates with our “Why Not Zero” goal – and our Safety Council colleagues are communicating around each focus topic throughout the month to our employees.
As its first focus topic, the NSC spotlights Emergency Preparedness. Emergency situations can happen at any time, making it crucial that you are prepared before something happens. At D&Z, we have numerous emergency procedures in place and frequently practice drills to stay sharp. Fire drills and weather drills depending where you live are just as important at home, and even when traveling. Whenever I’m in an unfamiliar location or somewhere I don’t frequent, I always take a moment to locate the nearest exits upon arrival. Whenever I’m flying, I find the closest emergency exit and count the number of chairs to it so I can easily access it if needed. Those are some things I routinely do, and I invite you to share your safety habits, tips and best practices in the comments below.
With Safety our #1 core value at Day & Zimmermann, we use this National Safety Month as an opportunity to reenergize our commitment to our “Why Not Zero” target and reinforce the responsibility we all share of keeping ourselves and each other safe. I encourage everyone use this time to think about actions you can take to be safer and better prepared for emergencies at work and at home.
Hal Yoh is chair and chief executive officer of Day & Zimmermann, a leader in construction & engineering, staffing and defense solutions for leading corporations and government agencies around the world. He is the third generation of the Yoh family to lead Day & Zimmermann—a family-owned business and former recipient of the U.S. National Family Business of the Year award. As chairman and chief executive officer since 1999, Hal has helped shape the strategic growth that the company has achieved over the last few decades.