The first week of May is OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down week for falls. Fatalities caused by falls from height continue to be a leading cause of death in construction, accounting for 351 of the 1,008 construction fatalities recorded in 2020 (BLS data). This doesn’t include the number of incidents that didn’t result in death but still affected someone’s ability to work. All those deaths and incidents are easily preventable. OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries in construction.
Let’s take the time to recognize OSHA’s stand-down on falls. Review and discuss this topic with your teams and ensure all our jobsite fall hazards are addressed. Remember, the best defense against a fall hazard is to eliminate that hazard. If we must, PPE is the last resort; lets plan our fall protection systems in advance and ensure we are keeping our teams safe when working at heights.