From May 7 11, OSHA is inviting employers across the U.S. to take part in National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls.

As we've often discussed in our blog, slip and fall injuries are one of the biggest causes of injuries in the workplace.

Consider the following:

• According to the National Safety Council, fall injuries constitute approximately $70 billion in compensation and medical costs in the U.S.
• Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 370 of the 991 construction fatalities recorded in 2016
• The manufacturing sector alone accounted for 16% of injuries that resulted from same-level falls

And the hard truth is that most of these injuries and fatalities were preventable with the right combination of training and safety equipment.

That's why OSHA's National Safety Stand-Down was created, to raise fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.

What is the Safety Stand-Down?

The Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety. Any workplace can hold a stand-down by taking a break to focus on "Fall Hazards" and reinforcing the importance of "Fall Prevention." It can also be an opportunity for employees to talk to management about fall and other job hazards they see.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone who wants to prevent hazards in the workplace can participate in the Stand-Down. In past years, participants included commercial construction companies of all sizes, residential construction contractors, sub- and independent contractors, highway construction companies, general industry employers, the U.S. Military, other government participants, unions, employer's trade associations, institutes, employee interest organizations, and safety equipment manufacturers like Arbill.

Partners

OSHA is partnering with key groups to assist with this effort, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), OSHA approved State Plans, State consultation programs, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the National Safety Council, the National Construction Safety Executives (NCSE), the U.S. Air Force, and the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers.

How to Conduct a Safety Stand-Down

Companies can conduct a Safety Stand-Down by taking a break to have a toolbox talk or another safety activity such as conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussing job-specific hazards. Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down that works best for their workplace anytime May 7-11, 2018.

OSHA also hosts an events page with events that are free and open to the public to help employers and employees find events in your area.

Providing Fall Prevention Solutions

At Arbill, we support every effort to prevent slip and fall injuries. We provide employees with fall protection harnesses and hardware, industrial footwear and the training programs they need to get maximum use from their equipment. We also offer EHS Training in Fall Protection Awareness and Competent Persons Fall Protection/Prevention Training.

Looking for more ideas on how to provide your employees with the PPE and training they need to avoid slip and fall injuries on the job? Talk to one of our safety advisors today. You can learn about our custom PPE options and schedule a site assessment.

Arbill is a safety solutions company. We are all about protecting your workers in the workplace. Our mission is to keep workers safe and return them home safely at the end of the day. Visit arbill.com for more information about being safe and subscribe to Safer Every Day, the definitive digital magazine for workplace safety.

Have a safe day!