WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tens of thousands of employers and more than 1 million workers across the country are expected to join the Occupational Safety and Health Administration this week in safety stand-downs to focus on preventing fatalities from falls. Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, with hundreds of workers dying each year and thousands more facing serious injuries. Lack of fall protection is also the most frequently cited OSHA violation, proving that these deaths are preventable when employers provide the right safety equipment and properly train workers how to use it.Starting June 2 and continuing … Read more

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ladder safety smart phone app is a finalist in the national HHS Innovates awards contest. The app addresses the major causes of ladder falls by placing a number of interactive and easy-to-use, graphic-oriented safety tools, checklists and guides into the hands of ladder users wherever and whenever they are needed. The HHS Innovates program recognizes and celebrates internal innovations by employees and promotes them across the department, as well as to the public. The public voting period to help select “The People's Choice” will take place May 29-June 6. Vote at http://www.hhs.gov/idealab/innovate/ladder-safety-niosh-has-an-app-for-that/. … Read more