Falls - Articles - Page 5

What is the National Safety Stand-Down?

April 16, 2019

The 6th annual National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls takes place the week of May 6-10, 2019. The Stand-Down was conceived by OSHA in 2014 as part of the National Falls Campaign to raise awareness surrounding the severity of fall hazards in construction and the importance of preventing them. In a construction setting, the term “safety stand-down” is used to describe a wide variety of activities where normal work is paused and the entire site focuses on a particular safety issue.

Fla. worker injured in 26’ fall; company cited

"Providing workers with fall protection is not optional"

April 15, 2019

An Ohio-based construction company failed to ensure that workers used fall protection while doing roofing tasks, leading to a worker sustaining a serious injury, according to an OSHA inspection following the incident. The agency has cited Hiebert Bros Construction LLC for exposing employees to fall hazards after the worker was injured from a 26-foot fall at a construction worksite in Gainesville, Florida.

What is the National Safety Stand-Down?

April 15, 2019

The 6th annual National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls takes place the week of May 6-10, 2019. The Stand-Down was conceived by OSHA in 2014 as part of the National Falls Campaign to raise awareness surrounding the severity of fall hazards in construction and the importance of preventing them. In a construction setting, the term “safety stand-down” is used to describe a wide variety of activities where normal work is paused and the entire site focuses on a particular safety issue.

Three NYC construction workers die in one week

April 15, 2019

Three New York City construction workers died last week at three different worksites – two as the result of struck-by incidents. In Brooklyn, news sources report that 34 year-old Gregory Echevarria was killed when part of a crane he was helping to assemble fell on him. The incident occurred at 3:15 a.m. on Saturday at the entrance to the Holland tunnel, when a 7.5 ton counterweight fell on Echevarria.

A FairWarning Story

Job-related falls should be easy to prevent, but workers are still dying in record numbers

Eli Wolfe

April 11, 2019

Last August, Higinio Romero was working on the roof of a condo in South Florida when he slipped and fell two stories, landing on rocks below. Emergency workers found him unconscious and bleeding from his ears. Romero — a father of two children, 4 months old and 10 years old — died about an hour later. According to a sheriff’s report, he had unclipped his safety harness shortly before the fall.

Falls, struck-by incidents claim workers lives in recent weeks

April 9, 2019

A worker who was replacing a roof at a Jefferson County, Kentucky high school died March 28 after falling through the roof. News sources say 40-year-old Fredy Godoy-Mendoza died shortly after 5 p.m. at Waggener Traditional High School. Godoy-Mendoza was reportedly employed by a roofing contractor. In Pacoima, California, a forklift operator was killed March 31, when he was struck by a car while making a delivery.

ladder accident prevention, fall protection

What causes ladder accidents?

Mistakes like improper set up, standing on the top step, or accessing a roof with a stepladder

David Francis

April 3, 2019

Even though ladders have been around for most of recorded history, they haven't changed much in function and design since their primitive origins. This simple design is so practical almost everyone uses it; on the other hand, it is so basic it is also easy to misuse and can be dangerous.

From MSA – The Safety Company

Join us in support of National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction

April 2, 2019

There were 370 fatal falls to a lower level out of 991 construction fatalities in 2016 (BLS data). These deaths are preventable. While the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) mandates safety protocols to reduce incidences, employers can take action to help reduce hazards that lead to fall-related events. The National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.

Worker reports serious injury; employer gets him arrested by ICE

Text messages, phone calls tell the tale

March 21, 2019

OSHA has filed a lawsuit against a Boston, Massachusetts-based contractor, alleging that the company retaliated against an injured employee by facilitating his arrest. The complaint filed last month with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against Tara Construction Inc. and its chief executive officer, Pedro Pirez, states that the worker sustained a serious injury when he fell from a ladder on March 29, 2017. He reported his injury to his employers. OSHA found out about the fall and investigated.

Fla. roofing contractor fined $265K for repeat fall hazards

March 7, 2019

OSHA has cited Crown Roofing LLC for allegedly exposing employees to fall hazards at two separate residential worksites in Port St. Lucie and Naples, Florida. The Sarasota, Florida-based contractor faces penalties of $265,196. OSHA initiated the inspections in August and October of 2018, as part of the agency's Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction, after inspectors observed the company's employees working on roofs without fall protection.