This week is the OSHA National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. Throughout this week, OSHA is encouraging employers to take a break from their work to discuss the importance of fall protection in the construction industry. In 2021, 378 out of 986 fatalities in the construction industry were the result of falls from height. Which is far and away the most common cause of fatalities in the construction industry.
The goal of the National Safety Stand Down is to bring the topic of falls to the forefront and bring awareness to the hazards associated with working from heights. In order to accomplish this, OSHA has provided various resources including posters, toolbox talks, fact sheets, training materials, and many other publications. These resources are available at this link: Resources for Employers and Employees | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov).
At Atlantic Testing Laboratories (ATL), all employees are introduced to fall protection their first week at their New Employee Safety Orientation. In addition to this awareness training, any employee who is required to utilize a Personal Fall Arrest System (harness and lanyard) is required to go through additional classroom and hands-on training specific to that type of fall protection. ATL is participating in the National Safety Stand Down by sending out email communications with toolbox talks to all employees to highlight and bring awareness to the hazards associated with working from height.
