OSHA is hoping that 25,000 employers and half a million construction workers participate in its National Safety Stand-down to Prevent Falls in Construction, which starts today and runs through Friday. Reaching that goal means reaching nearly one in ten workers in the industry.
In an effort to raise awareness for worker safety, Honeywell (NYSE:HON), manufacturer of Miller fall protection solutions, will partner with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to support a nationwide event to promote better safety on construction sites to prevent falls.
The United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers (UURWAW) and National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) are supporting the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, organized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), taking place throughout the U.S. from June 2-6, 2014.
Following the death of 23-year-old construction worker Kyle Brown, OSHA found that his employer, Watertown-based general construction contractor MTL Design Inc., failed to provide and ensure the use of fall protection safeguards that would have prevented his death. OSHA cited the company for a willful and a serious violation.
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the world’s oldest professional safety organization, released the second edition of its popular “Construction Safety Management and Engineering” book with updated standards and technical issues in construction.
OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is fast approaching. From June 2-6, contractors, construction workers and a variety of government agencies will take time out from their regular tasks to focus on preventing falls – the top cause of fatalities in the industry.
A construction worker fatality at East Georgia State College in Swainsboro, Ga. has resulted in five safety violations against Smiley Plaster Co. The company faces $57,000 in penalties.
A new NIOSH-funded study on fatalities in the construction industry suggests roofers in residential construction are among those most likely to die in falls from roofs. The study, "Fatal falls from roofs among U.S. construction workers," finds that "the odds of fatal falls from roofs were higher for roofing and residential construction than any other construction sector."
Falls from elevations are severe accidents that occur in many industries and occupations. Falls from elevations result in injuries which are produced by contact between the falling person and the source of injury, under the following circumstances:
FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CONSTRUCTION. In 2010, there were 264 fall fatalities (255 falls to lower level) out of 774 total fatalities in construction. These deaths are preventable. Falls can be prevented and lives can be saved through three simple steps: Plan. Provide. Train.