The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is holding its seventh annual National Safety Stand-Down Sept. 14-18 to raise awareness among employers and workers about the hazards of falls in the construction industry. The event was postponed from its original May dates because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Falls remain the leading cause of death among construction workers, and thousands more suffer serious injuries because they lack the right safety equipment and/or the knowledge and training to prevent falls. Each year, during the National Safety Stand-Down, employers and workers take a break to focus on preventing falls as part the National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction.
This week, OSHA, CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health encourage employers and workers to participate virtually or with social distancing measures on job sites. OSHA, CPWR and NIOSH have developed activities and materials to facilitate safe stand-downs, such as webinars, videos, a podcast, infographics and ideas to help companies participate virtually.
To learn how your company can participate in the safety stand-down, visit www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown or stopconstructionfalls.com.
