With this year’s National Fall Safety Stand-Down – which began on Monday – OSHA is hoping to reach even more than the million+ workers who heard the word in the 2014 event, by way of the more than 5,000 construction industry employers who got involved.
The goal of the Stand-Down is to prevent falls - the #1 killer in the industry.
“The construction industry is so important to our economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “It drives growth and prosperity. It generates good, middle-class jobs that can support a family. But we have to make sure those jobs are as safe as they can possibly be.”
Fall protection is the most frequently cited OSHA violation.
How it works
During the two-week Stand-Down, employers and workers will voluntarily stop work to focus on these hazards and preventing them. Industry and business leaders, including universities, labor organizations, and community and faith-based groups, have scheduled Stand-Downs in all 50 states. In addition, the U.S. Air Force will be hosting fall Stand-Downs at bases worldwide and a major event will be co-hosted at the United States Capitol Dome with Turner Construction.
“The people that fall are not just numbers, they are mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “The cost of building our nation and economy cannot be the lives of its workforce, and that’s what this Stand-Down is all about. These deaths are preventable if we plan ahead, provide workers the right equipment and train each and every one of them how to use it.”
Who's involved
The National Safety stand-down is part of OSHA’s fall prevention campaign, launched two years ago with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH’s National Occupational Research Agenda and The Center for Construction Research and Training.
“Construction workers help build our communities, and we must look to keep these communities whole by preventing these tragedies,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “This safety Stand-Down serves as an important opportunity for everyone to take the time to learn how to recognize and prevent fall hazards.”
The National Safety Stand-Down Web page 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. For a list of Stand-Down events free and open to the public near you, please visit the Stand-Down calendar of events.
