📅 August: A Month for Safety Awareness
August is a critical month for workplace and public safety awareness. With multiple national campaigns aimed at preventing injuries, promoting well-being, and raising awareness about critical hazards, this month provides safety professionals and team leaders a chance to drive meaningful conversations. Whether you're hosting toolbox talks, department meetings, or safety stand-downs, August offers key observances, such as Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Stop on Red Week, and Safe + Sound Week, all of which provide relevant and timely safety topics.
Here’s a closer look at the major safety themes and suggested topics to focus on in August 2025.
🚗 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over (August 14 – September 2, 2025)
The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), highlights the deadly consequences of impaired driving. August, a month often filled with travel, late-summer events, and end-of-season vacations, unfortunately, sees an increase in alcohol-related traffic accidents.
🛠️ Toolbox Talk Ideas: Impaired Driving Awareness
🍺 Dangers of Impaired Driving: Discuss how alcohol and drugs (even prescription medications) can impair judgment, reduce coordination, and increase the risk of accidents.
👀 Recognizing the Signs of Impairment in Co-workers: Train employees to recognize the signs of substance misuse, particularly in roles that involve vehicles or heavy equipment.
📜 Company Policy on Substance Use: Reinforce workplace policies about drugs and alcohol, including the consequences of violations and the resources available for support or counseling.
🚗 Designating a Driver or Using Rideshare Services: Promote planning ahead when attending events where alcohol is present.
📊 Key Statistics on Drunk Driving
🚨 In 2023, over 13,000 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in the U.S.
⚠️ 1 in 3 traffic deaths involves a drunk driver.
🛑 Stop on Red Week (August 4–10, 2025)
Sponsored by the National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR), Stop on Red Week aims to educate the public about the dangers of running red lights. Intersection safety is not just a public traffic issue; it’s a workplace concern for any employee who drives as part of their job.
🛠️ Toolbox Talk Ideas: Intersection Safety
🚦 Intersection Awareness: Highlight the importance of staying alert at intersections, especially during work-related travel.
🛡 ️Defensive Driving Techniques: Teach drivers to anticipate mistakes from others, scan the road ahead, and slow down at yellow lights rather than speeding up.
📸 Red Light Cameras and Enforcement Zones: Explain how red-light violations are enforced in your region and the importance of adherence.
🚶♀️ Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety at Intersections: Stress the need to watch for vulnerable road users at crossings and traffic signals.
📊 Did You Know? Red-Light Running Facts
🚨 Nearly 1,000 people die annually in red-light running crashes.
⚠️ Over 50% of those killed in red-light crashes are pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers who did not run the light.
🛠️ Safe + Sound Week (August 11–17, 2025)
Safe + Sound Week is an annual nationwide event to recognize the success of workplace health and safety programs and offer ideas on how to keep workers safe. Organized by OSHA and its partners, it encourages a proactive safety culture.
🛠️ Toolbox Talk Ideas: Promoting Workplace Safety
Safe + Sound Week is a perfect time to focus on key workplace safety practices. Here are some valuable toolbox talk ideas that can help foster a proactive safety culture and ensure that employees are actively engaged in safety efforts.
🔍 IIdentifying Hazards Before They Happen: Teach employees how to conduct basic risk assessments and report potential hazards.
📋 Importance of Safety Reporting: Create an open culture where near-misses and safety concerns are documented without fear of retaliation.
👥 Leadership’s Role in Safety: Discuss how supervisors and managers set the tone for safety by modeling good behavior.
🤝 Employee Involvement in Safety Programs: Encourage workers to participate in safety committees or improvement initiatives.
🏆 Recognition for Safe Behavior: Highlight and reward employees or teams who demonstrate strong safety practices.
🎉 Engagement Activities for Safe + Sound Week
🎮 Organize safety trivia games or host lunch-and-learn sessions focused on safety topics.
🚨 Conduct a mock emergency drill.
🍴 Launch a suggestion box for safety improvements.
📧 Share daily safety tips via email or a workplace bulletin board.
☀️ Heat Safety and Hydration Awareness
August is often one of the hottest months of the year, especially for outdoor or industrial workers. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and other health risks.
🛠️ Toolbox Talk Ideas: Heat Safety
🤒 RRecognizing Symptoms of Heat Illness: Such as confusion, heavy sweating, nausea, or fainting.
💧 Staying Hydrated: Encourage frequent water breaks and availability of electrolyte-rich drinks.
👕 Proper Clothing and Rest Breaks: Recommend light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and scheduling heavier tasks during cooler parts of the day.
🚑 Heat Illness First Aid: What to do when someone shows signs of heat-related illness.
🎒 Back-to-School and Traffic Safety
As schools begin reopening in late August, drivers must be more cautious of school zones, buses, and pedestrian crossings.
🛠️ Toolbox Talk Ideas: Back-to-School Traffic Safety
🚦 Driving Safely Around School Zones: Emphasize slower speeds, increased awareness, and strict adherence to traffic signals.
🚌 SSchool Bus Safety for Drivers: Highlight the laws around stopping for school buses and avoiding distractions.
🚗 Teen Driving and Family Safety: For employees with young drivers at home, provide resources or advice on helping teens drive safely.
🦴 Ergonomics and Injury Prevention
As routine work picks up after the vacation season, it’s important to refocus on injury prevention, especially those related to repetitive strain, poor posture, and heavy lifting.
🛠️ Toolbox Talk Ideas: Ergonomics and Injury Prevention
🏋️♂️ Proper Lifting Techniques: Teach the lift with legs, not the back, method, and encourage asking for help with heavy loads.
🖥️ Ergonomic Workstations: Discuss correct chair height, monitor positioning, and keyboard/mouse use to reduce strain.
🤸♂️ Stretching and Microbreaks: Promote regular breaks to prevent fatigue and muscle tension.
💭 Final Thoughts: Promoting Safety Awareness in August
August provides a rich opportunity to promote safety awareness across a variety of topics. From preventing impaired driving and red-light accidents to workplace wellness and heat safety, every week presents a chance to engage workers and reinforce life-saving behaviors.
By aligning toolbox talks with national campaigns like Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Stop on Red Week, and Safe + Sound Week, you not only meet adherence goals but build a stronger culture of safety in your organization. Keep sessions brief, focused, and interactive to maximize impact, and most importantly, lead by example.
