The OSHA Training Institute Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District is inviting construction industry employers and workers to participate in OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down during the week of June 2-6, 2014, to help raise awareness about the hazards of falls, which account for the highest number of deaths in the construction industry. The Safety Stand-Down program is a voluntary opportunity for companies to talk directly to their workers about fall hazards and to reinforce the importance of fall prevention.
Fall protection has topped the list of OSHA’s most frequently cited standards for the last three years, and more than one third of all fatalities in construction are the result of falls. OSHA began a campaign in 2012 to reverse this alarming trend by providing employers with lifesaving information and resources on how to plan ahead to prevent falls, provide the right equipment for their workers and offer training in the proper use of that equipment.
OSHA’s message to the construction industry is simple: safety pays and falls cost.
During the National Safety Stand-Down construction companies are asked to break from their regular work schedule during the week of June 2-6, 2014, to conduct a safety meeting or toolbox talk on a fall prevention topic relevant to their jobsite, such as ladder safety, fall protection equipment or scaffold safety. The meeting may include specific information about worksite hazards and protective methods as well as company policies, goals and expectations regarding fall prevention and overall safety. Following their participation in the stand-down, employers will have the opportunity to download OSHA Certificates of Participation, provide feedback on their fall prevention activities and offer suggestions on how OSHA can improve future safety initiatives.
The OSHA Training Center encourages construction industry employers and workers to plan a National Safety Stand-Down activity that works best for their jobsite in order to help reduce the high incidence of preventable accidents resulting from falls.