More Than 1M Workers Expected to “Stand-Down” for Fall Safety

As a part of the Stand-Down this week, a record number of companies and workers around the country are voluntarily stopping work to talk about fall prevention.

Safety

Tens of thousands of employers and more than 1 million workers across the country are joining the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from June 2 - 6 in safety stand-downs to focus on saving lives and preventing fatalities from falls in the construction industry.

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction and more than 300 workers lost their lives in falls during 2012. Lack of fall protection is the most frequently cited OSHA violation, proving that these deaths are preventable when employers provide the right safety equipment and properly train workers how to use it.

As a part of the Stand-Down, a record number of companies and workers around the country are voluntarily stopping work to talk about fall prevention. Stand-Down participants are encouraged to share their experiences on Twitter by using #StandDown4Safety and tagging @USDOL

“The economy is on the rebound, housing starts are on the rise and the summer construction season is getting underway. Now is the time to focus on this vital safety issue and make sure all construction workers come home at the end of every workday," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez.

Throughout the week-long Stand-Down, employers and workers will pause during their workday to focus on the hazards of falls and preventing them. Industry and business leaders, including universities, labor organizations, and community and faith-based groups, have scheduled stand-downs in all 50 states and across the world. For example, the University of Texas at Arlington is joining OSHA staff and Balfour Beatty Construction to kick off events across the state of Texas today. Clark Construction Group LLC will also host a stand-down at the Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California. While on Wednesday, June 4, NASCAR race car driver Greg Biffle will be at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, to demonstrate fall protection at the facility, which is currently under construction. In addition, the U.S. Air Force will be hosting fall stand-downs at bases worldwide.

The National Safety stand down is part of OSHA’s fall prevention campaign, launched two years ago with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH’s National Occupational Research Agenda and The Center for Construction Research and Training.

The National Safety Stand-Down Web page provides details on: how to conduct a stand-down; receive a certificate of participation; and access free education and training resources, fact sheets and other outreach materials in English and Spanish. For a list of stand-down events free and open to the public, please visit the Stand-Down calendar of events. This is not a comprehensive list of all events taking place across the country.

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