AGC Launching New Fall Protection Safety Training with $130,000 Federal Grant

The Associated General Contractors of America will launch a new fall protection safety training program next year thanks to a new federal safety grant. The association will use the $130,000 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to tackle one of the most pressing safety issues in construction.

While the overall number of construction fatalities has declined by nearly 50% over the past five years, fall-related fatalities remain the single largest cause of construction deaths. Fatalities from falls accounted for 260 out of the 751 construction fatalities reported in 2010, or nearly 35% of the total.

The safety program will provide comprehensive information about fall protection for both commercial and residential construction. The association will offer the safety program in eight different sites during 2012 and expects to instruct as many as 500 construction workers during the year.