Safety Stand-Down Week is May 6-10

More construction workers died on the job in 2022 than in any other industry sector. The leading cause of these fatalities were falls from elevation,¹ accounting for 395 of the 1069 construction fatalities recorded in 2022. 

To raise fall hazard awareness across the country, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) started the annual National Safety Stand-Down Week in 2014. The event was very successful and now continues every year to start off the construction season to help stop fall fatalities and injuries.

Are deaths from falls unavoidable?

Deaths from falls can be avoided with proper equipment, training, and action. This year’s Safety Stand-Down week (May 6-10, 2024) is a good opportunity for a dialogue about fall protection, safety issues, and a chance to reassess current practices.  This voluntary event is focused on construction, but workers in other industries are welcome to join the discussion and have their own stand-downs. Managers or entire organizations should take some time to stop or “stand-down” and concentrate on safety and prevention. Employers can do a toolbox talk where employees can participate in safety activities such as training, hazard identification and risk evaluation. There is no one way to do a stand-down, so you can choose a combination of activities that are relevant to your workplace and employees.

What’s in Your Toolbox?

Prepare for your workplace safety talk with some or all of the following tools:

·       Training

·       Fall protection demonstrations

·       Safety drills

·       Safety audits

·       Equipment maintenance

·       Reviewing safety policies and procedures

The stand-down can also include conversations about near-misses or actual incidents to help employees learn from previous errors and take steps to prevent them from happening again. The main goal of a safety stand-down is to increase awareness and encourage a culture of safety within a team and organization as a whole. By doing the training, drills, and audits, workers can lower the number of incidents and accidents and further prevent injuries and deaths. Managers should plan these events based on what works best for their workers. Let them have a break and gather as a team. No company is too small or too big to participate in a safety stand-down.

Safety Training Year-Round

With the construction season in full swing, this stand-down comes at an ideal time. However, safety stand-downs can and should be done several times a year to make sure that workers, equipment, and protocols are up to date. Jobs at height also need complete safety training solutions. Honeywell training provides a total solution in high-risk safety training, inspection, and assessment services - taught by qualified, knowledgeable industry experts. Find out what’s best for your needs:  Choose from a variety of in-person, instructor-led, virtual or online courses.

Sources

¹ https://www.osha.gov/stop-falls-stand-down#:~:text=Fatalities%20caused%20by%20falls%20from,Those%20deaths%20were%20preventable