For those who aren’t aware June 2-6, 2014 is the National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction. A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about a specific safety topic. The purpose of this National campaign is to raise awareness of fall prevention in construction. Falls from elevation continues to be the leading cause of death for construction workers. In 2012 there were 775 construction fatalities recorded and 269 of these were caused by falls from elevation.

Suggestions to prepare for the Safety Stand-Down are provided by OSHA

In addition to the resources provided by OSHA, The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) has outstanding training materials (in several languages) and include videos, handouts, “Spot the Hazard”, Toolbox Talks and many more.

For more Oregon-specific Toolbox Talks, Oregon Occupational Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OR-FACE) has toolbox talks based on construction fatalities in Oregon.

OSHA will have a webpage (active June 2 to July 15, 2012) where employers can provide feedback on their Safety Stand-Down and download Certificates of Participation.

Let’s all participate in preventing falls in construction by having a great Safety Stand-Down during this year’s campaign, June 2-6.