OSHA Campaign Aims to Prevent Construction Site Falls
According to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), the government agency tasked with overseeing the health and safety of U.S. workers, construction work is among the most dangerous work in the U.S. OSHA reports that falls are the No. 1 cause of work-related deaths in construction and a leading cause of injuries.
Nationwide in 2010, more than 10,000 construction workers were injured as a result of falling while working from heights, and another 255 workers were killed. In New York 182 workers lost their lives in on-the-job accidents, and another 81 died in New Jersey workplace accidents, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In an effort to limit the injuries and fatalities suffered each year by construction workers falling from heights, OSHA announced its new fall prevention campaign. Announced to coincide with Workers’ Memorial Day, which was observed April 28 across the country to remember workers who lost their lives as a result of preventable injuries, the campaign aims to “provide employers and workers with life-saving information and educational materials about working safely from ladders, scaffolds and roofs.”
“Falls are the most fatal out of all hazards in the construction industry, accounting for almost one in every three construction worker deaths. Our simple message is that safety pays, and falls cost,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis in the press release announcing the campaign.
The campaign is a joint effort with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and NIOSH’s National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) program.
During the campaign, OSHA and NIOSH will work with trade associations, labor unions, employers and other organizations to provide employers and workers with education and training on common-sense fall prevention equipment and strategies that save lives.
OSHA, NIOSH and NORA have all created new web pages in support of the campaign. OSHA’s website has detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards. According to OSHA, many of the new resources target vulnerable workers with limited English proficiency. The links for the sites are:
- OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign
- NIOSH Fall Prevention
- The Center for Construction Research and Training Fall Prevention
If you are hurt in a New York or New Jersey construction site fall accident, we may be able to help. We have represented many construction workers who were injured on the job, and we know what legal and financial hurdles you face.
Contact our New York or New Jersey construction accident attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez & Winograd, LLP, today to discuss your case and how we might be able to help.
