OSHA shares fall prevention resources ahead of National Safety Stand-Down

Washington — To help employers prepare for the sixth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, set to take place May 6-10, OSHA is offering free compliance assistance resources online.

Falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities in the construction industry, according to OSHA. The stand-down gives employers and workers an opportunity to address common fall hazards and ways to reduce related injuries and deaths.

Among the resources:

• The agency’s Fall Prevention Training Guide, which includes a lesson plan for employers and several toolbox talks.
• A 40-second video titled 5 Ways to Prevent Workplace Falls, along with other videos on fall hazards from skylights, bridge decking, fixed scaffolds and floor openings, among others.
• Fact sheets on the safe use of ladders and scaffolding.

In its most recent Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 887 fatal falls in 2017 – the highest total in the 26-year history of the census. Those falls accounted for 17.2 percent of the 5,147 overall workplace deaths.

“Falls can be prevented if employers plan ahead to ensure the job is done safely, provide the right equipment and train workers to use the equipment safely,” OSHA states in a Jan. 11 press release.