The lack of proper fall protection is the most frequently cited violation by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which could explain why falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry.
To address this, the federal agency will once again be sponsoring its annual “Fall Safety Stand-Down Event” from May 4 to 15. The event is designed to increase awareness of workplace fall hazards and encourage US companies to follow safety rules in order to lower the number of worker deaths from falls.
Widespread Industry Participation
More than 1 million workers were reached by the 2014 Stand-Down. This year, the agency is aiming for more than 20,000 Stand-Downs involving more than 3 million workers. If it reaches this goal, OSHA will have touched nearly 4 out of 10 construction workers in the country, according to a fact sheet for the event.
Every industry is invited to participate in the event. In 2014, participants included commercial construction companies, residential construction contractors, sub- and independent contractors, highway construction companies, general industry employers, the US military, other government participants, unions, employer’s trade associations, institutes, worker interest organizations, and safety equipment manufacturers.
How to Conduct a Stand-Down
A Stand-Down involves taking a break to talk with workers about workplace safety. Topic talks, demonstrations and training on how to use safety harnesses, guardrails, and other means to protect workers from falls will be featured. Or it can include other safety activity such as conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussing job specific hazards.
Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, said fatal falls and injuries affect workers in all types of jobs and in every kind of industry. But the agency has received a strong response each year, so it’s clear that fall safety is an important issue to many.
Feedback and Certification
OSHA encourages managers to fit a Stand-Down into their workdays anytime during the 11 days of the event. Those who participate will receive a certificate of participation signed by US Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez. They also will e able to provide feedback about their Stan-Down on OSHA’s official website.
The National Fall Safety Stand-Down is part of OSHA’s fall prevention campaign, which was launched three years ago in cooperation with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the NIOSH’s National Occupational Research Agenda, and the Center for Construction Research and Training.
Additional partners for this year’s event include the American Society for Safety Engineers, the National Safety Council, the National Construction Safety Executives, the United States Air Force, OSHA-approved state plans, state consultation programs, and OSHA Training Institute Education Centers.
NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard said that no child should lose a parent, no wife should lose a husband and no worker should lose their life in a preventable fall. The Stand-Down serves as an important opportunity for worksites to recognize the hazards that cause falls, rain employers and workers how to avoid falls so that these needless deaths can be prevented, he said.