As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on safety. November is the month to do just that, with several events focused on keeping people safe and healthy. From Drowsy Driving Protection Week to Computer Security Day, this month offers a wealth of opportunities for employers and individuals alike to learn, educate, and take action. Let’s take a closer look at six important November safety observances and provide resources to help you make the most of them. Plus, we’ll share some bonus tips on how to close out your safety year strong.

Drowsy Driving Protection Week
November 5th-11th

For those of you who work with fleets, this is a good one to reinforce with your drivers. The National Sleep Foundation’s Drowsy Driving Prevention Week® encourages everyone to prioritize sleep and drive when they are alert and refreshed. Their goal is to help people get the sleep they need and reduce the number of drivers who choose to drive while sleep-deprived. Grab some tools and resource here >

Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 5th

Decrease in alertness, reaction time and decision-making ability all have the potential to affect our health and safety and the health and safety of those around us while at work, on the road or at home. (Source)

ASSP has some recommendations for how to keep your employees safe >

Veterans Day
November 11th

On this day at 11:00 am, World War I ended in 1918. We have a TON of KPA employees who are Veterans – they’re awesome, and we truly appreciate their service to the country. 

Great American Smokeout
November 16th

Did you know smoking causes an estimated 480,000 deaths every year? You wouldn’t be reading this post if you didn’t care about your employees’ health…and your job title means you obviously care about fire prevention. Here’s a great chance to cover both of these topics.

Grab some tools and resources here >

Thanksgiving
November 23rd

What are you thankful for? 

Here at KPA, we’re thankful that you’re taking the journey with us to keep people out of harm’s way. 

Computer Security Day
November 30th

National Computer Security Day is designed to raise awareness about cybersecurity issues. It also helps people maintain online security. By now, we’ve all seen so much news about cyberattacks and data breaches—or have experienced an attack ourselves—in that the techno-dystopian fantasies of sci-fi movies and books seem like quaint relics of a more innocent time.

The National Cybersecurity Alliance has some resources for you >
And KPA has cybersecurity resources and expertise for you as well!

Bonus: Recommendations on How to Close Your Safety Year Strong

Did you miss last week’s podcast episode? It was a good one! 

In this episode of The Safety Meeting, KPA’s Amanda Rawls discusses how safety professionals can ensure a strong year-end finish. She stresses the importance of looking back — self-assessment, reviewing incident trends, and training completions — while also planning ahead to proactively consider new technology, 2024 budgets, and goals.

Listen in >

If you haven’t already, now’s the time to start implementing November safety observances into your safety plans.

This is the perfect opportunity to level up your knowledge and take action to keep yourself and those around you safe. When we all prioritize safety, we create a culture that benefits everyone. So let’s make the most of this month and take advantage of the amazing resources available to us!

Need help? Check out the Compliance Calendar as a great way to keep on top of all your important dates >

Stay safe out there!