Update on this year’s National Safety Stand-Down

NIOSH, CWPR and OSHA are looking to expand the annual National Safety Stand-Down event to prevent falls in construction.

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Taking place May 2-6, 2022, the annual Safety Stand-Down serves as a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety. Falls remain the leading cause of work-related deaths in construction. Therefore, this event focuses on fall hazards as well as fall prevention.

According to organizers, expanding the event beyond one week can allow new workers to attend who may not be available during the previously scheduled timeframe. Periodic events can also reenergize a group and bring the focus back on fall prevention, the organizations said.

“Being able to reach people virtually during the pandemic has been beneficial, but we are hoping to get back to physical interactions and move participation onto work sites,” they noted.

The safety organizations want to remind everyone: safety training can save lives. The stand down emphasizes that falls are preventable, and everyone plays a role in construction safety.

Scott Ketcham, director of construction for OSHA, said this event helps “get across that total fatalities are significant- any fatality is significant. I’m not claiming success until we can minimize that number as much as we can.”

In addition to expanding the stand-down, infographics and training are being updated to include languages such as creole, Portuguese, Vietnamese and others. Currently, fall protection training is available in English and Spanish.

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