(OSHA) Cited and Fined! Employers Are Discovering OSHA Is Serious About Eliminating Falls

As a few employers are finding out, OSHA is serious about reducing the number of workers killed in fatal falls.

Falls are the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the construction industry, and failing to provide fall protection is one of the 10 most-frequently cited OSHA violations. In 2012, 269 fatalities – nearly one-third – of the 775 construction-related fatalities nationwide were fall-related.

OSHA has created a Stop Falls Web page at with detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards. The page offers fact sheets, posters and videos that vividly illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures. OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection be in use when workers perform construction activities 6 feet or more above the next lower level.

The agency will have a National Safety Stand-Down from June 2-6 to raise awareness among employers and workers about the hazards of falls. During the stand-down, employers and workers are asked to pause during their workday to talk about fall prevention in construction and discuss topics, such as ladder, scaffolding and roofing work safety. OSHA also launched an official National Safety Stand-Down web site with information on how to conduct a successful stand-down. Afterward, employers will be able to provide feedback and receive a personalized certificate of participation.

In the meantime, though, the agency appears to be targeting fall hazards on construction sites. Here are just a few of the companies cited by OSHA in the past month.

Source: EHS Today