This Year’s National Safety Stand-Down to Focus on Falls

Falls killed 350 construction workers in 2015, making it the leading cause of death in the construction industry. More than one out of every three fatal falls were from heights of 15 feet or less. And one in four deadly falls were from ladders.

Image courtesy of OSHA
Image courtesy of OSHA

These are just some of the statistics to be highlighted during this year’s National Safety Stand-Down, the annual workplace safety event being held this week and sponsored by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Preventing Falls through Awareness

As part of the week-long event, the National Roofing Contractors Association hosted a free webinar Monday to discuss the hazards present after a worker has fallen from a roof and the personal fall-arrest system or harness has been deployed.

And on Wednesday the organization will host a live Facebook chat to talk about trending roofing and construction safety topics.

Local National Safety Stand-Down Events

In addition to online events, local events are being held nationwide at local businesses, construction sites, college campuses, union halls, and other places.

In Chicago, the Polish American Contractors and Builders Association will hold a presentation on the types and use of fall protection equipment. The event will be at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave., at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9.

In Evansville, Indiana, business owners, employers, and others are invited to participate in the annual safety campaign to prevent falls, which will feature educational presentations, safety program best practices, and OSHA statistics. The event will be held at the Health Professional Building, at 8600 University Blvd., Room 1027, at 11 a.m.

And in Madison, Wisconsin, a representative of Capital Safety will demonstrate the various types of fall protection available for construction operations and answer questions about personal fall protection systems. The event will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 16, at Witte Hall, on the University of Wisconsin campus, at 615 Johnson St.

Highlighting Workplace Safety

The safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event that encourages employers to talk directly to workers about safety. Any workplace can participate by taking a break to focus on fall hazards and reinforcing the importance of fall prevention, including the use of personal fall protection equipment such as harnesses.

OSHA will provide free materials to promote discussions on topics like conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussion job specific hazards. Employers can also download a certificate of participation that can be presented to employees participating in the event.

The federal agency is also encouraging participants to post videos and infographics on social media using the hashtag #StandDown4Safety.