National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction set for May

Washington — OSHA, NIOSH, the National Occupational Research Agenda, and CPWR – The Center for Construction Training and Research are providing free online resources to help employers prepare for the eighth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, set to take place May 3-7.

According to OSHA, falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of fatal injuries among construction workers, accounting for 320 of the 1,008 construction fatalities in 2018. The agency encourages construction employers and other stakeholders to promote awareness of and training on fall prevention.

“Workers suffer serious and fatal injuries from falls and have a devastating impact on families and businesses,” Jim Frederick, OSHA’s acting administrator and deputy assistant secretary, said in a press release. “This important collaboration with the construction industry encourages employers to learn how to better control fall-related hazards and improve their safety and health programs.”

The event’s webpage features a wide range of compliance resources, some in multiple languages. OSHA encourages the use of the hashtag #StandDown4Safety to promote the event on social media. Participants can download a certificate of participation after the event.

OSHA says that nearly 10 million construction workers have participated in the stand-down since the campaign began in 2014, with events taking place in all 50 states and internationally.