OSHA Prepares For National Safety Stand-Down

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is planning to host the largest and most comprehensive worker safety event next month. Dubbed the National Safety Stand-Down event, this annual event aims to educate workers and employers about the dangers of slip-and-fall accidents in the construction industry.

You might be wondering if slip-and-fall accidents are really a problem? Well, according to OSHA they account for the "majority" of general industry accidents. Approximately 15% of all work-related accidental deaths are attributed to slip-and-fall accidents, which is only  second to motor vehicles accidents as a cause of fatalities. Slip-and-falls are particularly problematic in the construction industry, however, as workers are often forced to work from elevated surfaces.

Slip-and-fall accidents can be broken into two different categories: from same level and from elevated surfaces. Same-level falls are more commonplace but tend to yield less severe injuries, whereas falls from an elevated platform or surface are less common but tend to yield more severe injuries. Unfortunately, construction workers typically succumb to the latter, placing them at risk for serious injury or death.

This year's National Safety Stand-Down will take place on May 4-15, with construction companies from across the country using this time to promote fall safety. It's important to note that that National Safety Stand-Down is completely voluntary and construction employers are in no means required to participate. However, doing so will almost certainly prove beneficial in the long run, as it reduces the risk of worker injury, which subsequently increases productivity.

When speaking in Cleveland, Ohio during Construction Safety Day earlier this year, OSHA Deputy Regional Administrator Bill Donovan said slip-and-fall accidents were the single leading cause of work-related death in the state. To put the problem into perspective, approximately 34% of all work-related fatalities in Ohio are attributed to falls, which is more than any other cause of death. OSHA hopes to turn these figures around by promoting construction worker safety during the upcoming National Safety Stand-Down.

"Anyone who wants to prevent falls in the workplace can participate in the Stand-Down. Last year, participants included commercial construction companies of all sizes, residential construction contractors, sub- and independent contractors, highway construction companies, general industry employers, the U.S. Military, other government participants, unions, employer's trade associations, institutes, worker interest organizations, and safety equipment manufacturers," wrote OSHA on its website.

As noted on OSHA's website, employers who intend to host a National Safety Stand-Down event that's open to the public should check the Events page for more information and to find a Regional OSHA Coordinator.