Promote Fall Prevention Awareness During National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls Week

The OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, an OSHA authorized OTI Education Center headquartered in Northern California, is urging construction contractors to participate in its National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction during the week of May 6-10, 2019, by taking a break during the workday to reinforce the importance of fall prevention. Employers have the opportunity to support the efforts to stop the high rate of fall fatalities and injuries at construction jobsites by taking the time to talk to their workers about how to eliminate or reduce fall-related job hazards.

“Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction workers, accounting for 366 of the 971 construction fatalities recorded in 2017,” says Cari Elofson, assistant director of the OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. “Employers can help eliminate these preventable deaths by raising fall hazard awareness among their construction work crews. We urge contractors to plan a workday activity during the week of May 6-10, 2019, such as offering a toolbox talk, conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans or discussing specific jobsite hazards.”

Over the last five years, thousands of companies have participated in the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, reaching millions of construction workers across all 50 states and internationally. Participants have included commercial construction companies of all sizes, residential construction contractors, sub- and independent contractors, highway construction companies, general industry employers, unions and employer’s trade associations.

The National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction provides a forum to reinforce the importance of safety training and remind employers that they are responsible for the safety and health of their employees while on the job. In conjunction with its fall prevention initiative, the OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District is offering OSHA 3115-Fall Protection, a 3-day course that provides an overview of fall protection technology and current OSHA requirements, at multiple locations throughout California in May, August, September and October 2019.

OSHA has created a National Safety Stand-Down area on its website that offers an overview of the event, suggestions for how to conduct an activity and an opportunity to share your company’s story and receive a Certificate of Participation. OSHA also offers a variety of fall prevention resources, publications, training materials, videos and a 24-page illustrated Fall Prevention Training Guide. Employers are encouraged to take advantage of OSHA resources as part of an ongoing effort to help prevent falls and make their worksites safer.