Every year, falls are the leading cause of death for construction workers in the United States. In 2012, 269 of 775 total construction fatalities were the result of falls. All of those deaths were preventable and each of us can help prevent fatalities from falls.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is leading a partnership with other federal and local agencies to prevent worker falls. The group has called for a National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction the week of June 2-6.  The purpose is to raise awareness of fall hazards and fall prevention.

NASA asks that all centers voluntarily participate in a construction safety stand-down or make preventing falls a topic at your next tailgate or tag-up. Talking about safety practices is key to preventing accidents. Please encourage your construction employers to participate.

To support the stand-down, OSHA is offering free educational materials on the websites mentioned below. The literature and videos include OSHA’s fall prevention campaign message: “Plan. Provide. Train. Three Simple Steps to Preventing Falls.” You can help prevent construction falls and save lives by following the three steps:

PLAN ahead to get the job done safely by deciding how the job will be done, what tasks will be involved and what safety equipment may be needed to complete each task.

PROVIDE the right equipment to protect workers at heights of 6 feet or more. That includes fall protection along with the right kinds of ladders, scaffolds and safety gear.

TRAIN everyone to use equipment safely so workers know how to properly set up, use and maintain ladders, scaffolds and fall protection systems.

Everyone involved in construction at NASA is responsible for ensuring that NPR 8715.3C (NASA General Safety Program Requirements) and OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1926 (Safety and Health Regulations for Construction) are met. That includes the employer, the inspector reviewing the job site, the contracting officer responsible for the safe completion of the task, the center’s safety oversight office and the workers themselves.

The fact that one-third of construction fatalities are caused by falls is an unacceptable statistic. Job site falls can be prevented through proper planning, providing the right equipment and adequate training. We must all do our parts to raise awareness of fall hazards and take the necessary steps to prevent construction falls. Remember…Plan, Provide and Train!

For more information on the National Safety Stand-Down and the Fall Prevention Campaign, visit these online resources.