The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a fall prevention campaign to help keep workers safe from workplace injuries.

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction. In 2020, there were 351 fatal falls to a lower level out of 1,008 construction fatalities (BLS data). These deaths are preventable.

Since 2012, OSHA has partnered with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) - Construction Sector on the Fall Prevention Campaign to raise awareness among workers and employers about common fall hazards in construction, and how falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs can be prevented.

Workers who are six feet or more above lower levels are at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall. Here are some tips on preventing falls from OSHA:

• Employers must provide fall protection and the right equipment for the job, including the right kinds of ladders, scaffolds, and safety gear
• Use the right ladder or scaffold to get the job done safely
• For roof work, if workers use personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), provide a harness for each worker who needs to tie off to the anchor
• Make sure the PFAS fits, and regularly inspect it for safe use
• Every worker should be trained on proper set-up and safe use of equipment they use on the job

To learn more, visit: https://www.osha.gov/stop-falls

HazTek offers a fully comprehensive line of services and solutions — including Fall Protection Solutions — that are tailored to suit the needs of every company. We specialize in safety audits and inspections, site assessments, corporate health and safety programs, on-site safety management, and safety training. For additional information or to learn more about how HazTek can help, please contact HazTek at 888.842.9835 or email us at info@haztekinc.com

Credit: OSHA

Learn more about HazTek Safety & OSHA Training.