OSHA Campaign Focuses on Preventing Construction Site Falls

Earlier this month we highlighted two tragic construction site accidents and the role the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) plays in keeping workers safe when on the job. In its ongoing effort to keep American workers safe, OSHA announced a new campaign focused on preventing deadly falls in the construction industry.

On Workers’ Memorial Day, observed April 28 across the country to remember workers who lost their lives as a result of preventable injuries, OSHA unveiled its latest campaign to “provide employers and workers with life-saving information and educational materials about working safely from ladders, scaffolds, and roofs.”

According to OSHA, more than 10,000 construction workers were injured as a result of falling while working from heights, and another 255 workers were killed in 2010.  In Pennsylvania, 219 workers died in workplace accidents in 2010. Of those fatalities, 46 were caused by falls.

“Falls are the most fatal out of all hazards in the construction industry, accounting for almost one in every three construction worker deaths. Our simple message is that safety pays, and falls cost,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis in a press release announcing the campaign.

The campaign is a joint effort with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and NIOSH’s National Occupational Research Agenda program.

In support of the campaign, OSHA has developed a new fall prevention Web site with detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards.  In addition, NIOSH and NORA also created new web pages on the Centers for Disease Control.  The links for the sites are:

• OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign
• NIOSH Fall Prevention
• The Center for Construction Research and Training Fall Prevention

Our Pennsylvania construction accident attorneys applaud the efforts of OSHA for focusing on the dangers of falls at construction sites.  We encourage all construction employers and workers to review the material and follow safety regulations when working.

About Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

Munley Law is a Pennsylvania accident and injury law firm that represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Pennsylvania and the Northeast, including those injured in accidents that involve speeding, distracted driving, drunk driving, fatigued driving, aggressive driving and careless driving in hazardous weather conditions. The Pennsylvania personal injury law firm’s additional practice areas include trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, toxic chemicals, workplace injuries, nursing home litigation and other serious accidents. To contact the law firm, use the firm’s online contact form.