Wednesday, May 8, 2013

NIOSH, OSHA and CPWR Announce Re-launch of the National Campaign to Prevent Falls


As you may have read, construction remains one of the most dangerous industries in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of two construction workers die each day in the U.S. Fatal falls, in particular, account for 35% those deaths.

The persistence of this problem has brought together the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Center for Construction Research and Training(CPWR) to re-launch the construction fall prevention campaign.

"Falls are the leading cause of death in construction so it is vitally important for employers to provide the right equipment and properly train their workers in a language they understand so they can do their jobs safely," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Falls can be prevented and lives can be saved by planning ahead to get the job done safely, providing the right equipment and training workers to use the equipment safely."

The re-launch of the campaign further enhances the organizations’ commitment to worker safety by providing the knowledge and resources they need, said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D.

Videos, training resources, news, success stores, campaign information and more is available on the central campaign website managed by CPWR (www.stopconstructionfalls.com), but other materials and resources can be found on the NIOSH website (www.cdc.gov/niosh/construction/stopfalls.html) and the OSHA website (www.osha.gov/stopfalls). 

To learn more about the campaign and how to join, visit the campaign website at www.stopconstructionfalls.com