OSHA’s Stand-Down was a Success

OSHA announced that millions of workers and thousands of employers participated in the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction from May 4 to 15. “Last year’s Stand-Down was a big success. More than 5,000 employers talked about fall protection with more than a million workers. It was a tremendous commitment to safety on the part of businesses and workers alike. I am confident that we can do even better this year,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez before the Stand-Down began. And it looks like they did do better, with a million workers participating in the event earlier this month. “The construction industry is so important to our economy. We all depend on it every day. It drives growth and prosperity,” Perez continued. “It generates good, middle-class jobs that can support a family. But we have to make sure those jobs are as safe as they can possibly be. That’s why fall prevention and this Stand-Down are so important.” Fall protection is the most frequently cited OSHA violation, proving the size of this problem. “The people that fall are not just numbers, they are mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “The cost of building our nation and economy cannot be the lives of its workforce, and that’s what this Stand-Down is all about. These deaths are preventable if we plan ahead, provide workers the right equipment and train each and every one of them how to use it.”