Construction Workers to Pause for Safety Stand Down on Fall Hazards

 

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is partnering with more than 300 employers and labor organizations to sponsor a safety stand-down beginning at 11 a.m. on Sept. 3 at construction sites throughout Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

The focus of the stand down is to raise awareness among employers and workers about the hazards of falls, which are the leading cause of deaths in the construction industry.

In 2011, there were 262 fall fatalities out of 738 total fatalities in construction. For more information, visit the OSHA Stopfalls page.

“This stand down underscores the imperative need to identify and address fall safety hazards,” said Marcia Drumm, OSHA’s acting regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. “Fall hazards are preventable and lives can be saved with three simple steps: plan, provide and train.”