In addition to investigating workplace accidents and deaths, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) educates employers, workers and the public about safety in the workplace. It conducts publicity campaigns, produces signs and provides classes to educate those who are most able to reduce the number of worker injuries and deaths – the employers of construction workers and the workers themselves.
An example of this is the annual National Fall Safety Stand-Down. The event, which this year runs from May 4 to May 15, is a result of OSHA’s partnership with thousands of businesses to “save lives by preventing falls in construction.” Falls are the leading cause of death among construction workers.
Fall Protection the Most Frequently Violated OSHA Standard
Fall protection is the most frequently violated OSHA safety standard. The Assistant Security of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health noted, “These deaths are preventable if we plan ahead, provide workers the right equipment, and train each and every one of them how to use it.” Not providing equipment and fall protection training is one way that some construction companies violate OSHA regulations.
What is the National Stand-Down?
What is the Stand-Down? Sometime during the two weeks of the event, employers and workers will stop working and focus instead of fall hazards and how to prevent them. There will be Stand-Downs in all 50 states as well as at U.S. Air Force bases world-wide. The two-week event provides access to free education and training resources for employers and employees. The website for the National Safety Stand-Down provides fact sheets and outreach materials in Spanish and English.
OSHA Standards and the Law
By law, employers must provide safe and healthful workplaces. OSHA standards exist to show employers how to accomplish this. Events like the National Stand-Down exist not only to help employees stay safe but to raise awareness among employers and the public about the dangers of construction work and the specific threat that falls pose to the men and women working the construction industry.
Contact a Construction Accident Attorney
This information about the National Fall Safety Stand-Down is brought to you by the construction accident lawyers at the New York City law firm of Block O’Toole & Murphy. If you were injured or suffered the loss of a loved one because of a fall, talk with them to learn about your rights and options.