Falls cause thousands of injuries in construction and are the leading cause of death in the industry each year. At the same time, the absence of proper fall protection is the most cited violation of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. These falls are preventable, and in 2014 tens of thousands of employers and more than a million workers across the country joined OSHA for the National Safety Stand-Down.
“With the economy on the rebound and housing starts on the rise, now is the time for all of us to renew our commitment to sending workers home safe every night,” said Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “Last year’s Stand-Down showed us what employers and workers sharing that commitment can accomplish. Responsible employers understand that safety is not a luxury — it is a necessity.”
BCSP encourages participation in this year’s National Safety Stand-Down, scheduled May 4-15, 2015. Employers and workers will pause during their workday for topic talks, demonstrations and training on how to use safety harnesses, guard rails and other means to protect workers from falls.
“No child should lose a parent, no wife should lose a husband and no worker should lose their life in a preventable fall,” said NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard. “The Stand-Down serves as an important opportunity for worksites to recognize the hazards that cause them, train employers and workers how to avoid them so that these senseless tragedies can be prevented once and for all.”
The National Safety Stand-Down 2015 website provides details on how to: conduct a Stand-Down; receive a certificate of participation; and access free education and training resources, fact sheets and other outreach materials in English and Spanish. Check the website for these and, as soon as they become available, a list of stand-down events free and open to the public.