National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls, May 8–12

The fourth annual National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction, May 8–12, 2017.
Sponsored by OSHA and The Center for Construction Research and Training, the voluntary weeklong outreach event is an opportunity 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. Companies can have a toolbox talk or another safety activity such as conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussing job specific hazards.
It’s a chance for employers to have a conversation with employees about hazards, protective methods, and the company’s safety policies and goals, and can also be an opportunity for employees to talk to management about fall hazards they see.
In past years, more than one million workers participated in Stand-Down events.
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.
Falls from elevation are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, accounting for 350 of the 937 fatalities industrywide in 2015.
The National Safety Stand-Down has recently expanded to include industries beyond construction.