New fall prevention campaign heats up

May 8 2012

A new campaign to prevent falls on construction jobsites is up and running, thanks to the combined efforts of OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

“According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010 there were more than 10,000 construction workers in the private construction industry who were injured as a result of falling while working from heights on the job and another 255 workers were killed,” the groups said in a press release. “Latino construction workers also bear a disproportionate amount of the burden, suffering a greater proportion of fatal falls compared to their non-Latino counterparts.”

“Through the partnership effort among stakeholders, we believe we can make great strides in addressing this preventable cause of many workplace injuries and fatalities,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “Safety is everyone’s business and this campaign will provide the knowledge and tools to help contractors and workers stay safe on the job.”

“The busy summer months in the construction industry are upon us, and now is the time to ensure that workers and employers understand what is required to prevent falls,” added Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. “When working at heights, everyone needs to plan ahead to get the job done safely, provide the right equipment and train workers to use the equipment safely.”

For more information, log on to the official website of the Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction at www.stopconstructionfalls.com.