Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, there were 351 fatal falls to a lower level out of 1,008 construction fatalities in 2020. Preventing falls on construction jobsites can literally mean the difference between life and death.
OSHA established the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction in 2014 to highlight the importance of fall prevention with an event that would raise awareness and give employers and workers the opportunity to join with other companies throughout the U.S. to focus on fall prevention. This 9th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is being held during the week of May 2-6, 2022. Employers can support OSHA’s efforts to stop the high rate of fall fatalities and injuries at construction jobsites by taking time during the week of May 2-6 to talk to their workers about how to eliminate or reduce fall-related job hazards.
Companies can participate by having a toolbox talk, conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans or discussing job specific hazards. Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down event any time that works best for their workplace. OSHA also hosts an Events page to help employers and workers find events in their area that are free and open to the public.
Employers can share their stand-down stories by emailing [email protected] or by using the hashtag #StandDown4Safety to promote their activities on Twitter and Instagram and receive a personalized certificate of participation. OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down webpage offers many training and compliance resources in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Polish, Russian and Portuguese.