It’s not too late for your company to participate in next week’s 6th Annual National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down. You can participate in a scheduled event in a location near year or plan your own. The Stand-Down runs from May 6th-10th.
OSHA notes that fall hazards continue to account for a significant number of injuries and deaths. In construction, for example, OSHA says that falls continue to be “a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 366 of the 971 construction fatalities recorded in 2017 (BLS data).” The National Safety Stand-Down aims to raise awareness and train employees on protecting themselves from fall hazards.
Federal and state OSHA programs, NIOSH, and other government agencies are joining forces with a number of industry associations for the nationwide event, including the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the National Safety Council, and the National Construction Safety Executives (NCSE).
Lots of resources to get involved
OSHA has a wealth of resources on its web site to help companies participate, including training materials, social media graphics so you can tweet or post your company’s participation, posters in English and Spanish, FAQs, and certificates of participation. In addition, OSHA has collected:
- A series of fall safety videos on preventing falls from floor openings, skylights, scaffolds, bridge decking, reroofing, and leading edge work.
- A Fall Prevention Training Guide with a lesson plan for employers, including several Toolbox Talks.
- Fact sheets on ladders and scaffolding that describe the safe use of these types of equipment while performing construction activities.
- A brief video, 5 Ways to Prevent Workplace Falls, about developing a fall prevention plan and training employees.
The Husch Blackwell Safety and Health team is proud to spread the word about this great educational and training initiative!