Summer Safety

Hazards of Distracted Employees

Summer, while full of fun in the sun, can often also bring many non-routine tasks and unexpected circumstances to the workplace. From preparing for and having your own summer plans to covering for a coworker’s vacation, distractions can lead to unsafe decisions if safe habits aren’t already in place.

Not Just for the Summer!

If we don’t practice safe habits to the point that they are instinctive and automatic, it is likely we will make an unsafe decision in response to an unforeseen incident or event. These best practices can help keep you and your employees safe not just during the summer, but year-round.

General Safety

Keep your eyes on the task you’re doing. Look in the direction where your hands or feet are going before you move them. Inattentiveness can create accidents!
Take your time. In addition to sometimes creating a subpar end product, rushing through a task can lead to unsafe decisions.

Vehicle Safety

Look where you are stepping out before placing weight on your foot when exiting a vehicle.
Check your blind spots before changing lanes.
Allow yourself enough time to arrive at your destination so you aren’t rushed and/or speeding!

Trips/Falls Safety

Move things off the floor in entryways and walkways (at home and at work!) to alleviate potential trip hazards for you or others.
Stay alert to your environment. Pay attention to things like bunched up rugs, slippery floor cleaners, unstable handrails, etc.

Need more summer safety training? Contact your Strategic Comp Loss Prevention Consultant for information about our Streamery library, offering access to more than 800 training programs covering a wide variety of hazard-specific and industry-specific topics.

Let's make this work!

Loss control consultation services are provided to our insureds by employees of the Strategic Comp Division of Great American Insurance Company (“GAI”) in conjunction with a workers’ compensation and employers liability insurance policy provided by one of GAI’s insurance subsidiaries. As stated in Part Six (A) of that policy, we do not provide safety inspections and we do not undertake a duty to provide for the health or safety of our insureds’ employees or the public. We do not warrant that all potential hazards and conditions have been evaluated and identified, or that they are safely controlled. We also do not warrant that our insureds’ workplaces are safe or healthful or that they comply with laws, regulations, codes or standards. The liability of GAI (and/or its affiliated subsidiaries) is limited to the terms, limits, and conditions of the insurance policies that it writes. GAI assumes no liability beyond that provided under the terms, limits, and conditions of the policies it has issued, when engaging in loss control consultation services. © 2026 Great American Insurance Company, 301 E. Fourth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 5726-STC (8/26)