Newsletter: Beat The Heat

When a child dies in a hot car, the No. 1 question is: How could this happen? But do you know what the safety implication is at your workplace? How Do We Beat The Heat? Before you answer that, know this: About one-quarter of hot car deaths involving kids occur at a place of work (office building parking lot, daycare center, grocery store lot, etc.)

Research shows more than half of kids who die in hot cars are left behind by a parent or caregiver. Often, distraction is a contributing factor, particularly if the morning drop-off routine is disrupted. There are steps you can take to protect your employees and their loved ones:

• Start with education: Enroll your team in a free online course offered by the National Safety Council. The course, offered in English and Spanish, outlines the three primary circumstances that lead to children dying in hot cars and what we can all do to prevent these deaths. Course completion certificates are available to download.
• Use our Parking Lot Toolkit: The kit is stocked with safety posters, safety coach cards and ready made safety talks to help you create awareness. Did you know one in every five crashes occurs in a parking lot or parking garage? Or that two-thirds of drivers may be pulling into or out of
  parking spaces while distracted? Click on the Toolkits tab here.
•  Be social: Get free resources from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to create your own social media campaign.

At a time of year when the temperature is climbing, this is your chance to reinforce the ideal that everyone plays a role in safety and safety is for everyone, both on and off the job.