OSHA’s 2023 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is May 1-5. The annual safety event raises awareness of fall hazards and encourages workplace conversations about fall prevention.
According to OSHA, falls from an elevation remain the leading cause of death among construction workers, accounting for 378 out of the 986 construction fatalities in 2021. Those deaths were preventable.
Employers are encouraged to talk to their employees about ways to stop fall injuries and fatalities during the National Stand-Down. These ideas can help you get started:
1 Plan a toolbox talk to discuss how to prevent falls.
Toolbox talks are informal group discussions that focus on safety. Use this time to discuss job-specific hazards. Consider focusing on preventing falls from ladders, roofs, scaffolds, aerial lifts, or even slips and trips.
2 Take a break to conduct a safety activity.
Use a few moments to conduct safety equipment inspections or a fall protection demonstration. Be imaginative and select activities that fit your company’s culture and the type of construction work you do. Consider inviting a fall protection equipment manufacturer, vendor, or safety professional to the meeting to help. Ask your subcontractors, architects, engineers, and others associated with your projects to participate.
3 Create or revise your written fall prevention safety plan.
A detailed fall protection plan for your business is vital to protect workers at risk for a fall. The Stand-Down is a great time to bring a task force of managers, safety personnel, and lead workers together to create or revise the fall protection safety measures you have in place. The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC)’s publication, Fall Protection for the Construction Industry Sample Written Program, provides a fall prevention plan template in English and Spanish that can help.
4 Pause work to focus on rescue.
Workers need to know and regularly review your rescue plan if someone falls. Do not depend solely on emergency responders. They may not be able to make it on time or have the required rescue training. Ensure workers know how to self-rescue safely based on the job, location of work, and fall protection equipment being used.5 Provide training for all workers.
Not all workers come to the job with the same level of experience and training. Providing regular training shows management’s commitment to building and reinforcing a safety climate. A good place to start is to ensure all employees have OSHA 10-Hour and 30-Hour Construction Training. This two-day or four-day training can save lives!
For more information on the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, visit OSHA.gov or call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742). DWC safety training specialists are available to help: SafetyTraining@tdi.texas.gov.