Michigan Employers and MIOSHA Stand-Down for Safety to Prevent Falls
 Safety stand-down banner at Michigan Central Train Station in Detroit
As part of the May 2-6 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, MIOSHA joined employers and employees this week at worksites across the state as they voluntarily stopped work on construction projects to focus their safety efforts on fall hazards and how to prevent fatal falls and injuries.
In total, MIOSHA participated in 10 safety stand-down events to engage in dialogue with companies and more than 1,000 workers about the importance of:
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Fall hazards, such as holes or skylights
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Training on proper set-up and safe use of equipment
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Protective methods, including guardrail systems and fall protection harnesses
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Company safety policies and goals
The following companies held stand-downs at construction sites and offices throughout the week:
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Barton Malow — University of Michigan Pavilion project in Ann Arbor
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Barton Malow — Wayne County Criminal Justice Center in Detroit
Tuesday
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Newkirk Electric Associates, Inc. — Muskegon Office
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First Companies and Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan — commercial project in Ada
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Lakeland Electrical Services — commercial project in Comstock Park
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Newkirk Electric Associates, Inc. — transmission and distribution project in Sparta
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Black & Veatch — telecommunications project in Ann Arbor
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Ford, The Christman Company in a joint venture with L.S. Brinker, A Brinker Company (Christman/Brinker Corktown Transformation Joint Venture) — Michigan Central Station project in Detroit
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Toebe Construction — road construction in Kalamazoo
Friday
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LiftBuild — The Exchange project in Detroit
MIOSHA also reminded Michigan employers of their duty to protect employees from fall hazards. Workers who are six feet or more above lower levels are at risk of serious injury or death if they should fall. To ensure protection, employers must provide fall protection and the right equipment for the job, including proper ladders, scaffolds and safety gear.
“Deaths from falls are completely preventable,” said MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman. “We urge all employers, this week and beyond, to take the time to hit pause and talk candidly with their teams about common fall hazards in the workplace and how to prevent them.”
Falls are the number one cause of construction worker fatalities in the U.S., accounting for one-third of all on-the-job deaths in the industry. While fall hazards are found in many work settings, construction has the most fatal falls out of all industries, representing 51% of all falls nationally, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
If your workplace needs help identifying fall hazards or providing the right safety equipment or training, MIOSHA can help. Request free consultative assistance at www.michigan.gov/cetrca.
For more information on fall prevention and workplace safety requirements in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/miosha. For federal OSHA resources or more information on how to hold your own safety stand-down, visit www.osha.gov/preventfalls.
 MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman addresses workers at Michigan Central Station about fall safety
 Barton Malow employees discuss fall prevention at the site of the University of Michigan Pavilion in Ann Arbor
 Black & Veatch employees join MIOSHA reps to discuss the importance of stopping falls in the workplace
 Barton Malow employees stand-down for safety at the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center
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