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Join the
National Safety
Stand-Down
To Prevent Falls in Construction
May 4-15, 2015
The purpose of the National Fall Prevention Stand-Down is to raise awareness of preventing fall hazards in construction. Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction workers, accounting for 291 of the 828 construction fatalities recorded in 2013. Those deaths were preventable. Fall prevention safety standards were among the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards, during fiscal year 2014.
2015 Stand-Down Goals
Last year's Stand-Down was a tremendous success, reaching more than 1 million workers. This year, OSHA's goal is for more than 20,000 Stand-Downs involving more than 3 million workers to take place from May 4-15, 2015. If we meet this goal, we will have touched almost 4 out of 10 construction workers in the country.
Who Can Participate?
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.
Partners
OSHA is partnering with key groups to assist with this effort, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), OSHA approved State Plans, State consultation programs, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the National Safety Council (NSC), the National Construction Safety Executives (NCSE), the U.S. Air Force, and the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers.
What is a Safety Stand-Down?
A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety. This Stand-Down focuses on "Fall Hazards" and reinforcing the importance of "Fall Prevention".
How to Conduct a Safety Stand-Down and FAQ's
Companies can conduct a Safety Stand-Down by taking a break to have a toolbox talk or another safety activity such as conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussing job specific hazards. Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down that works best for their workplace anytime during the May 4-15, 2015. See Suggestions to Prepare for a Successful "Stand-Down" and Highlights from the 2014 Stand-Down. OSHA also hosts an Events page with events that are free and open to the public to help employers and workers find events in your area.
Share Your Plans With Us
If you want to share information with OSHA on your Safety Stand-Down, Fall Prevention Programs or suggestions on how we can improve future initiatives like this, please send your email to oshastanddown@dol.gov. If you plan to host a free event that is open to the public, see OSHA's Events page for more information and to contact your Regional Stand-Down Coordinator.
Announcements
Stand tall, stand proud, stand down to prevent falls in construction with Secretary Perez
Hello, this is Labor Secretary Tom Perez, and I want to talk to you briefly about one of the most important worker safety challenges we face.
Every year falls are the leading cause of death for workers in the construction industry. In fact, falls took the lives of almost 300 construction workers in 2013, with thousands more seriously injured. These incidents are tragic and devestating but also preventable. That's why I'm here to announce the second annual National Safety Stand Down to raise awareness about ways we can prevent falls.
The Stand Down is a two-week event lasting from May 4th through the 15th. During that time we're asking employers and workers around the country to pause from their work and talk about construction fall hazards.
We're working with NIOSH and other partners to get out the word that we can prevent dangerous and deadly falls with three simple steps.
- Number one: Plan ahead to get the job done safely.
- Number two: Provide the right equipment.
- And number three: Train workers to use the gear safely.
Last year's Stand Down was a big success. Twenty-five thousand employers talked about fall protection with over one million workers. It was a tremendous committment on the part of everyone. It was effective because of a partnership and shared committment to safety on the part of businesses and workers alike. I'm very confident that we can do even better this year, so I encourage you to get involved.
To find out how you can partner with us on this national Stand Down, visit osha.gov/stopfallsstanddown. Following your stand down, come to our website to tell us about it and you'll receive an official cerificate of participation.
The construction industry is so important to our economy, we all depend on it every day. It's responsible for building our homes, roads and bridges. It drives growth and prosperity. It generates good middle-class jobs that can support a family. But we have to make sure those jobs are as safe as they can possibly be. That's why fall prevention and this stand down are so important.
Thank you so much, and I hope you'll join us in this life-saving campaign.
- Record numbers of construction workers expected to get prevention message in 2015 National Fall Safety Stand-Down. OSHA News Release, (2015, May 4). OSHA partners with thousands of businesses to save lives by preventing falls in construction.
- Stand Tall, Stand Proud and Stand-Down for Fall Safety! DOL News Release, (2015, February 18). OSHA will host second-annual Fall Safety Stand-Down May 4-15, 2015.
Stand-Down Partners
- Standing Tall with OSHA on Fall Safety Stand-Down. National Safety Council (NSC).
- NAOSH Week 2015: May 3-9. ASSE's North American Occupational Safety & Health (NAOSH).
- Safety week 2015. National Construction Safety Executive's (NCSE).
Falls are the leading cause of DEATH in construction
Falls are the leading cause of DEATH in construction
More than 3,500 workers have died from falls... Over the last decade
Every fall can be PREVENTED
Take a stand
STANDDOWN
Help us reach our goal
Over 3 million workers... At over 20,000 stand-downs
National Safety STAND-DOWN to prevent falls in construction, May 4-15, 2015
Get involved
osha.gov
#StandDown4Safety
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, CDC Workplace Safety and Health, NORA, NIOSH.
Highlights from the 2014 Stand-Down
Last year, OSHA hosted the first ever National Fall Prevention Stand-Down.
- 2014 Stand-Down Highlights
- Analysis of OSHA'S National Falls Campaign
Stand�Down Data (PDF*). Based on the downloaded certificates of participation data.Prepared by: CPWR - The Center for Construction Research & Training
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*Accessibility Assistance: Contact OSHA's Directorate of Construction at (202) 693-2020 for assistance accessing PDF materials.
All other documents, that are not PDF materials or formatted for the web, are available as Microsoft Office® formats and videos and are noted accordingly. If additional assistance is needed with reading, reviewing or accessing these documents or any figures and illustrations, please also contact OSHA's Directorate of Construction at (202) 693-2020.
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