On Monday, May 4, OSHA kicked off the 2015 National Safety Stand-Down . Across the country and around the globe, this week and next, employers and employees are voluntarily stopping work to talk about falls and how to prevent them.
"Falls from heights remain the leading cause of death for construction workers," said Deputy Labor Secretary Chris Lu. "Over the last 10 years, more than 3,500 workers have died as a result of falls - more than 1 in 3 of all construction deaths."
Workplaces deaths and injuries from falls are preventable, and the best protection a worker can have is an employer who takes the time and effort to plan ahead, to provide the correct fall prevention equipment, and to train each worker in the proper use of that equipment.
This year OSHA and its partners are trying to reach 20,000 companies and 3 million of their workers during the two-week stand-down. Many fall prevention events have already taken place across the country this week. The American Society of Safety Engineers focused on fall hazards during its annual North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, which included a panel on fall prevention at ASSE's America's At-Risk Workers Symposium on May 6 in Washington, D.C. Nearly 1,000 students and workers gathered at the Durham, Conn., fairgrounds to participate in a fall prevention "rodeo" May 5-6, featuring free training presented by the Associated Builders and Contractors. And this is just the beginning!
With another week to go, there's still time to get involved and get a Certificate of Participation . OSHA's public events page lists more than 100 events that are free and open to the public. Next week's highlights include a large stand-down event at the new Falcons Stadium Partnership site in Atlanta, Ga., the inaugural Houston Fall Prevention Day in Houston, Texas, both on Tuesday, May 12, and a roofing safety webinar hosted by the National Roofing Contractors Association .
Several international worksites are participating in this year's stand-down. Kuwait Oil Company plans to lead stand-downs every work-day from May 6-17. In Japan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to elevate awareness of fall hazards by disseminating its own Safety Stand-Down materials as part of a fall prevention training package.
OSHA's Stand-Down page offers a resources section for anyone interested in holding a stand-down. Among the resources are a Fall Prevention Training Guide in English and Spanish, fact sheets, wallet cards, and promotional posters. After hosting or participating in a stand-down, OSHA reminds employers and workers to visit the OSHA Stand-Down webpage or the National Safety Council webpage to print an official Certificate of Participation signed by the Secretary of Labor to recognize your business' commitment to workplace safety.
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