BAC Journal > Get Ready: Sixth Annual Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls Scheduled for May 6-10

Get Ready: Sixth Annual Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls Scheduled for May 6-10

2019 Issue 1
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When asked to identify their top safety and health concerns in a 2017 survey, BAC members ranked “falls from scaffolds” as number two, immediately after “dust and silica,” while employers ranked falls as their number one concern. This is a valid concern for all workers that work at heights. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls continue to be the number one cause of deaths in construction, with 386 fatalities in 2017[1].  In addition to the high number of fatalities, fall-related injuries resulting in lost work days has increased 23% in recent years, from 19,710 in 2011 to 24,160 in 2017, accounting for 30% of the nonfatal injuries in construction in 2017. While the majority of these injuries were the result of a fall to a lower level, falls on the same level have increased faster than any other type of nonfatal fall injury, reaching 8,420 in 2017, a 54% increase over the 2011 level of 5,460[2].

Fall protection

Now in its sixth year, the National Safety Stand-Down, organized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), raises awareness for fall hazards and how to prevent them. The Stand-Down is a call to employers to pause work and trainers to take a break in their schedule to have a conversation with their employees and trainees about fall hazards, protective equipment and practices, and safety policies, goals and expectations. This should also be an opportunity for workers to talk to their employer and their trainers about fall hazards they have encountered.

To learn more about falls hazards, how to protect yourself and your co-workers, training materials, hard hat stickers, and stories of past successes visit www.stopconstructionfalls.com and the online ordering form at  https://stopconstructionfalls.com/online-ordering-form.


[1] Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2017 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (final data). Industry by event or exposure, 2017. Accessed 2/11/19. https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm#2017.

 

[2] Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table R4. Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work by industry and selected events or exposures leading to injury or illness, private industry, 2017. Accessed 02/11/19. https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/case/cd_r4_2017.htm