Safety is King: NYC videos focus on fall protection

New York — Aiming to keep construction workers safe from falls, the New York City Department of Buildings is relying on fashion and a music legend to help spread safety messages.

In February, DOB debuted a series of public service announcement videos that promote safe work practices in unique ways, highlighting the fact that falls are the most common cause of injury and death on construction sites every year.

A New York City Fashion Week-themed video features two construction workers walking a runway with cameras flashing while they model proper personal protective equipment, including a fall protection harness. 

In another video, an Elvis impersonator attempts to put on a fall protection harness before being asked to leave because he doesn’t have a DOB Training Connect Site Safety Training Card, which is required on city jobsites. 

“Elvis has left the building,” the site supervisor says.

In a two-part series called Gravity Don’t Give a Damn, workers explain that they’re excited for a post-work date, for an upcoming vacation and about learning of a new baby on the way, or that they’re the sole breadwinner in their family. 

To each explanation, the video repeats its title and encourages construction workers to “always wear a safety harness, because gravity don’t give a damn.”