June 2-6, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is leading a National Safety Stand-Down.

Falls kill – they are the top cause of construction fatalities and account for one-third of on-the-job injury deaths in the industry. Each year in the U.S. more than 200 construction workers are killed and over 10,000 are seriously injured by falls. This week, June 2-6, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is leading a National Safety Stand-Down to give employers across the country the opportunity to talk to their workers about construction fall hazards and the importance of fall prevention.

The National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down was conceived by OSHA to raise awareness surrounding the severity of fall hazards in construction and the importance of preventing them. It is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about hazards, protective methods, and the company’s safety policies, goals and expectations. Companies can conduct a Safety Stand-Down by stopping work and providing a focused toolbox talk on a safety topic such as ladder safety, fall protection equipment, or scaffolds safety.

Participants may include trade associations, employers, federal, state and local governmental agencies, professional societies, institutes, and consumer/labor-management interest organizations, sub-and independent contractors.

Find out more about the a National Safety Stand-Down at www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown