May 1-5, 2023
The first week of May marks the 10th annual OSHA safety stand-down. Falls continue to be a leading (and preventable) cause of death for construction workers. Fatalities from falls account for over ⅓ of all construction-sector deaths. Companies participating in the annual stand-down aren’t limited to the construction industry. Any workplace where falls or other hazards may be present is encouraged to participate. Even low-risk companies may engage in stand-down activities for any hazard applicable to their employees or contractors.
What Exactly is a Safety Stand-Down?
From equipment inspections to “toolbox talks,” each company’s version of participation in the stand-down may differ. For companies where falls are a major risk, discussing fall rescue plans, proper fall protections use, or specific hazards may occur.
Safety personnel may conduct surveys to understand and address employee concerns about particular jobsite hazards or equipment that may contribute to an individual’s exposure to potential falls or other injuries.
Regional Events
Free events that are open to the public may be found here for each of the 10 regions across the U.S. From live demonstrations to discussions on correct equipment use and inspections, anyone with an interest or responsibility toward increasing workplace safety is welcome to attend.
That’s right. You can show up in Columbus, Ohio and see a person get dropped from a height to demonstrate proper functionality of fall protection equipment. For free. Let’s hope that goes well. It might be worth the drive.
Everyone Gets a Trophy
Fine. It’s not exactly a trophy, but companies that participate in this year’s stand-down have the opportunity to submit an explanation of what their version of the safety stand-down was and get a Certificate of Participation (OSHA’s capitalization). You know…like a safety trophy. A digital one.
If your company participates in safety stand-down activities during the national event, be sure to use #standdown4safety on your social media posts.
Why It Matters
Head to OSHA.gov and watch the scroll of names in the Remembering Lost Workers ticker. Go ahead and click one to see the investigation report about how that person lost his or her life on the job that day. It’s sobering.
OSHA’s Every Worker is More Than a Number campaign is part of an annual memorial event. This year, it will be held on April 27th in Washington, D.C. to honor the lives lost at the workplace. Mothers, fathers, children, siblings, best friends…each person who didn’t make it home at the end of the day represents so much more than a statistic.
Here at OPM, we put #safetyfirst
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