Prevent 350 Fall Fatalities and Stand-Down

Construction contractors can prevent falls from heights. Plan ahead for safety, provide the right equipment, and train workers to use the equipment safely. Join the National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction and Stand-Down.

In 2015, there were 350 fall fatalities out of 937 total fatalities in construction. Those deaths were preventable. There were more fatal injuries in construction than any other industry in the United States in 2014, accounting for nearly 20% of the nation’s 4,679 work-related deaths that year. (See Chart). Falls account for 35% of the work-related deaths suffered by construction workers (See Chart). Almost two-thirds of those fatal falls were from roofs, scaffolds, and ladders.

Join our ongoing campaign and the National Safety Stand-Down during the week of May 8-12, 2017

This photo is from a large stand-down event that occurred in 2016 at the MGM Casino construction site at the National Harbor in Maryland.

Number or work-related fatalities, by major industry, 2014

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Distribution of fatal injuries in construction, by event, 2011-2013

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The National Campaign

This national campaign to prevent construction-worker falls was launched on April 26, 2012. The Campaign encourages everyone in the construction industry to work safely and use the right equipment to reduce falls. In 2017, we are asking employers to join our ongoing campaign and the National Safety Stand-Down during the week of May 8-12. Set aside time during that week to have an open discussion with your employees about falls and how to prevent them.

Safety Pays. Falls Cost

The best in the business play it safe. Construction contractors can prevent falls from heights on their worksites.

• Plan ahead to do the job safely before starting each and every job.
• Provide the right equipment for working at heights.
• Training workers to use the equipment properly and to work safely on roofs, ladders, and scaffolds.

Watch our playlist of videos that gives insight into fall safety in the construction industry through many perspectives, from owner to safety man, to worker.

Prevent Falls and Stand-Down!

Here is what you can do to get started and prevent falls. Start with visiting stopconstructionfalls.com for posters, training materials, and more information about how to be a partner in the campaign. Set up an RSS feed so you can stay informed of the latest events and new materials.

In 2016: OSHA, NIOSH, and CPWR worked together to develop a new series of infographics that focus on preventing construction falls, the leading cause of fatalities in construction by raising awareness of the risk and providing steps to prevent falls. View and download the infographics available both in English and Spanish as PDFs or JPEGs for use in social media, presentations, and print materials.

Campaign partners can also:

• Check your ladder – NIOSH Ladder Safety App.
• Get the word out! Put a campaign link on your website, an announcement in your newsletter, a post on your social media account. Follow @NIOSHConstruct on Twitter and re-tweet the latest campaign news.
• Download and post one of the 2017 Stand-Down posters. English [3.73 MB, 1 page] | Spanish [3.92 MB, 1 page]
• View and download the 2016-2017 infographics as PDFs or JPEGs for use in social media, presentations, and print materials.
• Produce and distribute campaign materials: learn how “How-to Guide for Building a Local” Campaign [564 KB]
• Reach out to new partners in government, labor, and industry.
• Assist with evaluating the effectiveness of the campaign.
• When employers join the campaign, we will …
  • Help you produce campaign-branded materials
  • Help you plan campaign-related events
  • Connect you with other campaign partners in your region
  • List your organization on the stopconstructionfalls.com website