Because falls are the leading cause of death in construction, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is conducting the 2nd Annual National Safety Stand-Down campaign to raise awareness of the impact of fall hazards and how to prevent them. Any construction company or organization that wants to prevent falls in their workplace is highly encouraged to participate - commercial, residential, highway, sub- and independent contractors, unions, trade associations, etc.

This year’s event is May 4-15; but if you haven’t started it’s not too late. OSHA continuously provides and updates resources and training to help you communicate to your employees how to prevent falls in various situations such as on bridges, scaffolds, towers and roofs using specific equipment like ladders and tools. Lehigh CustomFit also provides helpful resource articles in our Safety Resource Center.

The campaign promotes three simple steps to preventing falls – Plan, Provide, Train. Planning ahead is important so that you know your work environment and people on the job in order to Provide the right gear, tools and necessary equipment to do the job safely. Training on proper usage of equipment and knowing when to use it is critical.

One key tool that every construction worker needs and good employers provide an allowance for is proper safety footwear. The right pair of boots can help prevent slipping in numerous conditions, such as working on a ladder, by aiding in worker balance and providing better grip with a specific outsole construction. Check out our Boots and Ladder article in our Safety Resource Center for proper ladder safety.

For more information about the Stand-Down, how to better communicate to your employees best practices to prevent falls on any construction site and to see OSHA’s fall prevention resources visit OSHA.gov/StopFallsStandDown