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U.S. Department of Labor | February 16, 2016
OSHA, other federal agencies
announce weeklong initiative, May 2-6, 2016
WASHINGTON – The U.S.
Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and
other federal safety agencies announced today that they have designated May
2-6, 2016, for the third annual National Safety Stand-Down. The event is a nationwide
effort to remind and educate employers and workers in the construction industry
of the serious dangers of falls – the cause of the highest number of industry deaths
in the construction industry.
OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health and the Center for Construction Research and
Training are leading the effort to encourage employers to pause during
their workday for topic discussions, demonstrations, and training on how to recognize
hazards and prevent falls.
“Falls still kill far too many construction workers,” said Dr. David Michaels, Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. “While
we regularly work with employers, industry groups and worker organizations on preventing
falls and saving lives, the National Safety Stand-Down encourages all employers
– from small businesses to large companies operating at many job sites – to be
part of our effort to ensure every worker makes it to the end of their shift
safely.”
More than four million workers participated in the National Safety
Stand-Downs in 2014 and 2015, and OSHA expects thousands of employers across
the nation to join the 2016 event. To guide their efforts, OSHA has developed the
official National
Safety Stand-Down web site with information on conducting a
successful stand-down. After their events, employers are encouraged to provide
feedback and will receive a personalized certificate of participation.
“In many workplaces, falls are a real and persistent hazard. Given
the nature of the work, the construction industry sees the highest frequency of
fall-related deaths and serious, sometimes debilitating injuries,” said Dr.
John Howard, Director of NIOSH. “Since the effort began in 2014, the National
Safety Stand-Down serves as an important opportunity for both employers and
workers to stop and take time in the workday to identify existing fall hazards,
and then offer demonstrations and training to emphasize how to stay safe on the
job.”
The National Safety Stand-Down in 2016 is part of OSHA’s ongoing Fall
Prevention Campaign. Begun in 2012, the campaign was developed
in partnership with the NIOSH
National Occupational Research Agenda program. It provides employers
with lifesaving information and educational
materials on how to take steps to prevent falls, provide the right
equipment for their workers, and train all employees in the proper use of that
equipment. OSHA has also
produced a brief video with more information about the 2016 Stand-Down in English and
Spanish.
For more information on the success of last year’s Stand-Down, see
the final
data report. To learn how to partner with OSHA in this Stand-Down, visit http://www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/.
The page provides details on how to conduct a stand-down; receive a certificate
of participation; and access free education and training resources, fact sheets
and other outreach materials in English and Spanish. To learn more about
preventing falls in construction visit http://www.osha.gov/stopfalls/.
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Media Contacts:
Brian Hawthorne, 202-693-4681, hawthorne.brian.a@dol.gov
Amanda McClure,
202-693-4672, mcclure.amanda.c@dol.gov
Release Number: 16-316-NAT
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