Leading cause of death — fatalities caused by falls from elevation in construction!
May 7th through May 11th, 2018 is National Safety Stand-Down Week, to help prevent safety incidents such as falls in construction. Sponsored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA, www.osha.gov), the National Safety Stand-Down Week highlights how “…fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 370 of the 991 construction fatalities recorded in 2016 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or BLS data). Those deaths were preventable. The National Safety Stand-Down Week raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.” For example, weather events such as precipitation events and ice events can make both walking and working surfaces slippery on the construction site, leading to falls from elevation.
Stand-down to talk about weather safety, dangerous thunderstorms and lightning strikes!
Stand-down for weather safety! OSHA describes safety stand-downs as “…a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety,” such as weather safety across the construction industry and built environment, including safety risks and safety threats posed by dangerous thunderstorms and lightning strikes. As a part of the National Safety Stand-Down Week, OSHA recommends that employers support stand-downs by leading “toolbox talks” to focus on critical construction safety topics such as fall hazards and fall prevention. Further, OSHA advocates discussing other job hazards, which can include dangerous thunderstorms and lightning strikes for outdoor workers, and reviewing safety policies, such as lightning emergency action plans or EAPs.
Weather safety, dangerous thunderstorms and lightning strikes impact all outdoor contractors!
During previous National Safety Stand-Down Weeks, OSHA remarks that participants included commercial construction companies, such as general contractors and construction managers, of all sizes – not only large contractors. National Safety Stand-Down Week participants also included specialty contractors, such as trade contractors and subcontractors, and residential construction companies and independent homebuilders. Further, participants also included highway contractors, general employers across the construction industry and built environment, and the U.S. Military and many other government participants. In summary, weather safety, dangerous thunderstorms and lightning strikes impact all outdoor workers, regardless of company type or company size.
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