Falls cause more deaths in construction than any other hazard, accounting for one-third of on-the-job injury deaths in the industry. Workers who are performing jobs 6 feet or higher on ladders, scaffolds, and roofs are at risk of falling and sustaining serious injuries or even death.
Preventing falls can mean the difference between life and death. It is reported that hundreds of workers die from falls annually. Each year, more than 200 workers die and over 10,000 are seriously injured from falls. However, these serious injuries and deaths are preventable when employers develop plans to perform the job safely, provide the proper fall protection equipment, and provide training to their workers to both perform the job and use the equipment safely.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a nationwide “Fall Prevention” campaign back in 2012 to educate and raise awareness among employers and workers about fall hazards while working on various jobs. OSHA partnered with the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA), the Construction Sector on this campaign, in hopes that by providing informational, educational, and training resources, injuries and even death can be prevented.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC):
The Campaign uses a variety of strategies to reach key construction audiences with 3 main messages:
1. Contractors and workers can plan together, before every job, to work safely at heights.
2. Contractors must provide the right equipment for working at heights, and workers need to use that equipment.
3. Contractors and workers need to be trained to use the equipment and to work safely.
Campaign materials such as posters, fact sheets, information sheets, videos, etc. are available on the Campaign’s website at www.stopconstructionfalls.com. It is important to remember that vital safety training, information, and proper equipment is not only necessary in the construction industry, it is absolutely critical to ensure the safety of the lives of all workers.
Benny Agosto, Jr. is a partner at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner in Houston, Texas. For over 65 years, Abraham Watkins has successfully represented injured people and families who fall victim to catastrophes. Our attorneys have the knowledge, experience and resources necessary to obtain just compensation their clients. If your life has been impacted by an employer’s negligence, please contact the office of Benny Agosto, Jr. at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, by letter at 800 Commerce Street, Houston, Texas 77002, or by phone at (713) 222-7211.