Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Begins Today

Today marks the beginning of the annual National Safety Stand-Down for fall prevention in construction. NAHB is once again partnering with OSHA to encourage home builders to participate in the week of fall safety awareness.

The safety stand-down is designed to raise awareness about the hazards of falls, which are responsible for the highest number of deaths in the construction industry, contributing to 366 worker deaths in 2017 alone. Fall protection is also the most frequently cited OSHA violation each year.

A safety stand-down is a voluntary event that gives employers an opportunity to talk directly to employees about fall hazards and reinforce the importance of fall protection.

Anyone who wants to prevent hazards in the workplace can participate in the stand-down. In past years, participants included both small and large construction companies, residential construction contractors, sub- and independent contractors, trade associations, and safety equipment manufacturers.

Visit the NAHB stand-down page or StopConstructionFalls.com for more details and ideas for your stand-down. A good place to start is with NAHB’s Fall Protection Toolbox talk (video below).

If you do hold a stand-down on your job site, consider snapping a picture or two and posting them to social media using the tags #StandDown4Safety and #StopFalls.

For more information on the 2019 safety stand-down, contact Rob Matuga.