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National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction

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Falls are the number one cause of construction-worker fatalities, accounting for one-third of all on-the-job deaths in the industry. In 2019, there were 401 fall fatalities out of 1,102 total fatalities in construction (BLS data). Falls are a hazard found in many work settings, but construction has the most fatal falls out of all industries and represents 51% of all falls nationally.*

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Credit Turner Construction Earl Dotter CPWR

Figure 1Credit Turner Construction

Safety Pays, Falls Cost

Construction falls can be deadly, but they are also preventable. The best in the business play it safe. Companies 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.
  • Train workers to use the equipment properly and to work safely on roofs, ladders, and scaffolds.

Join the National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction

In 2012, NIOSH, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and CPWR – the Center for Construction Research and Training along with the NORA Construction Sector Council launched a National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction. It is a nationwide initiative to prevent falls at construction sites. Companies can participate and find valuable resources.  As part of this National Campaign, each year a National Stand-Down is held for employers to pause work and talk directly to employees about safety. Any workplace can hold a stand-down by taking a break to focus on “Fall Hazards” and reinforcing the importance of “Fall Prevention”.

Videos

Watch our CDC playlist of videos that gives insight into fall safety in the construction industry through many perspectives, from federal programs, owners, safety professionals, and workers. For a Spanish-only CDC Construction Safety & Health video playlist click here. Also, encourage you to check out the CPWR playlist of videos on fall hazards and prevention.

Infographics

Each year, NIOSH, CPWR, along with the NORA Construction Sector Council Falls Working Group work together to develop a new series of infographics in English and Spanish. View and download the infographics as PDFs or JPEGs for use in social media, presentations, and print materials.

Resources and Tools