Safety Pays, Falls Cost

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)'s newest outreach campaign, Safety Pays, Falls Cost: Preventing Falls in Construction presents new material. While falls are the leading cause of death in construction, fatal falls can be prevented when employers plan, provide, and train workers how to use the right equipment and do the job safely.

When working from heights, such as ladders, scaffolds, and roofs, employers must plan projects to ensure that the job is done safely. Begin by deciding how the job will be done, what tasks will be involved, and what safety equipment may be needed to complete each task.

When estimating the cost of a job, employers should include safety equipment, and plan to have all the necessary equipment and tools available at the construction site. For example, in a roofing job, think about all of the different fall hazards, such as holes or skylights and leading edges, then plan and select fall protection suitable to that work, such as personal fall arrest systems (PFAS).

OSHA has posted three new educational factsheets on preventing falls in residential construction: Erecting Exterior and Interior Walls offers guidance on safely standing wood framed walls, Floor Joist Installation and Decking (PDF*) provides information on ways to safely install floor and ceiling joists as well as decking, and Working in Attics explains how to protect employees working in attics. More resources and information are available on OSHA's Fall Protection in Residential Construction page.

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AplusA-online.de - Source: U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration