Werner, a leader in ladders and manufacturer of climbing products and fall protection equipment, will almost double the number of safety training events this year by offering both on-site and virtual webinars. In support of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) National Safety Stand-Down Initiative, Werner is the only manufacturer to serve both climbing and fall protection users. Ongoing training and education is a vital part of ensuring professionals are kept safe on the work site.

The 10^th annual OSHA National Safety Stand-Down event is scheduled from May 1-5, 2023, and encourages workplaces to discuss safety, potential fall hazards and the importance of fall prevention. The Safety Stand Down initiative lasts through the entire month of May and includes access to free webinars and training content for any professional that is interested. 

“Our every-day commitment to safety goes far beyond the month of May,” said Chad Lingerfelt, National Safety Training Manager at WernerCo. “Because fall prevention and fall safety are such an important part of our mission, we will always focus on the education of end-users, general contractors, Safety Directors and any other person that can help prevent an accident.” 

Falls from elevation can be prevented

Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 378 of the 986 construction fatalities recorded in 2021^[1]. Because these deaths are preventable, the National Safety Stand Down initiative will continue to raise awareness for fall hazards in an effort to prevent fall fatalities and injuries. In addition, OSHA continues to see fall protection as a top jobsite violation. For Werner, this signals the need to continue providing educational safety training in an inclusive manner, providing hands-on safety tips and practices for everyone.  

Training events, webinars and free resources from Werner

Both in-person and online Werner events are planned for the entire month of May as members of the 36-person National Jobsite Safety and Security Team will be traveling the United States to lead five levels of fall protection and ladder safety training sessions. If virtual training is preferred, Werner will host two webinars on-demand with Werner safety and technical experts. Webinars will be posted on the Werner Safety page on the following dates and will remain posted to allow flexible viewing opportunities.  

• Tuesday, May 2, 2023 – Safety ABCDEs 
• Thursday, May 18, 2023 – Self-Retracting Lines Facts and Fiction 

With the increased number of Werner focused events this year, the company has a goal of training 50,000 users, an increase of more than 20,000 from 2022. Safety directors, construction professionals and industry pros can sign up to participate for training, education and access to free resources at wernerco.com/safety. Upon completion of Werner’s Safety Stand-Down jobsite trainings, participants will receive a certificate of completion that can be shared with the company’s safety director as proof of training and can be used by the company for insurance purposes. 

For more information about the National Safety Stand Down initiative, please visit wernerco.com/safety.