News

OSHA Offers Resources on Fall Prevention, Compliance Assistance for the Construction Industry

January 16, 2019

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration has created a collection of events, training guides, videos and web pages to provide employers and employees with prevention and compliance assistance to prevent falls in the workplace.

According to a DOL news release, falls are the leading cause of worker fatality in the construction industry, and as part of the goals of the DOL’s Office of Compliance Initiatives, OSHA aims to promote awareness about common fall hazards, educate job creators and workers on fall prevention and reduce the number of fall-related injuries and fatalities.

Along with its web page on fall prevention, OSHA provides the following resources:

• The sixth annual National Safety Stand-down to Prevent Falls in Construction will be held May 6-10, 2019. The weeklong outreach event encourages employers and workers to pause during the workday to discuss fall hazards and how to prevent them.
• A series of videos show how to prevent construction-related fall hazards from floor openings, skylights, fixed scaffolds, bridge decking, reroofing and leading edge work.
• OSHA’s Fall Prevention Training Guide provides a lesson plan for employers, including several toolbox talks.
• Fact sheets on ladders and scaffolding provide guidance on the safe use of these types of equipment while performing construction activities.
• A brief video, Five Ways to Prevent Workplace Falls, encourages employers to develop a fall prevention plan and to provide workers with fall protection and training.

Additionally, OSHA offers an On-site Consultation Program that provides no-cost safety and health services to small- and medium-sized businesses. Job creators who implement workplace improvements can reduce lost time due to injuries and illnesses, improve employee morale, increase productivity and lower workers’ compensation insurance premiums, according to the news release.

ABC offers a variety of safety resources and tools for measuring safety performance through its Safety Training Evaluation Process and provides employers and employees with safety best practices.

Additional fall prevention materials and general safety information can be found on ABC’s website. 

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