Summer Safety - On the Job and At Home

With the heat settling in across our NJ and eastern PA work zones and summer activities ramping up, June is the right time to keep safety front of mind both on the clock and off. June also marks the 30th anniversary of National Safety Month, built around four weekly themes: moving safety forward, staying safe on the roads, promoting holistic worker health, and preventing slips, trips and falls. The reminders below carry those themes home to our crews and their families.

Water & Pool Safety. 

Active supervision saves lives. Never leave children unattended near water, even for a moment — drowning is usually silent and can happen in under a minute. Designate a dedicated “Water Watcher” whose only job is watching, with no phone or other distractions. Wear a U.S. Coast Guard–approved life jacket for boating or any water sport, even strong swimmers. Never mix alcohol with swimming or operating watercraft — impaired operation on the water is every bit as dangerous as impaired driving on the road. Dive only in designated deep areas, check the depth first, and enter feet-first when you are unsure.

Summer Travel & Road Trip Safety. 

Many of us log serious highway miles this time of year — for work and for vacation — and the same habits keep us safe in both. Get adequate rest before driving, take a break every two hours, follow posted limits, and put the phone away. This is exactly what we are reinforcing through our Smith System training: eyes up, safe following distance, and no distractions in the cab. Before any road trip, run a quick vehicle check — tires, fluids, brakes, and lights — and carry a roadside kit. Share your itinerary with someone, and never drive impaired.

Playground & Sports Safety for Families. 

With kids out of school, choose play areas with soft surfaces like mulch, rubber, or sand; make sure equipment is age-appropriate and check metal surfaces for heat before use on sunny days. Insist on helmets and pads for bikes, scooters, and skates, build in regular water breaks, and keep younger children within sight at all times.

Bringing It Back to the Work Zone. 

Every one of these reminders comes down to the same fundamentals we practice on every job: plan the work before it starts, stay alert to changing conditions, and speak up the moment something does not look right. Whether you are setting a taper on Route 35 or watching your kids at the lake, the safest people are the ones who look ahead and say something.

Let’s make it a safe summer on every job and at home.