OSHA News Release
-
Region 5
Region 5 News Release: 14-1022-CHI
June 2, 2014
Contact: Scott Allen Rhonda Burke
Phone: 312-353-6976
Email: allen.scott@dol.gov burke.rhonda@dol.gov
Safety Pays, Falls Cost: Madison area construction workers to attend
OSHA Fall Safety Stand-Down events, June 3, 4 and 5
MADISON, Wis. – Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, and they accounted for 12 percent of all occupational injuries in 2012. In an effort to prevent these injuries and fatalities through education and outreach, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration launches the 2014 Fall Safety Stand-Down, which will be held from June 2-6. An estimated 1 million workers and 25,000 businesses, including construction industry leaders, will halt their work for one hour during that week to discuss the importance of recognizing fall hazards and implementing fall safety measures.
Three safety stand-down events will be a part of this nationwide effort in the Madison area, June 3, 4 and 5. Miron Construction will have a fall protection training event at the Alliant Center, June 3. Stevens Construction will stop work at their largest construction site, June 4 and Vogel Bros. employees and subcontractors will attend a training session followed by a barbeque, Thursday, June 5 at its company's facility in Cottage Grove. All the stand-downs will stress the importance of fall protection training and are being coordinated through the Madison Area OSHA office.
"Falls account for more than a third of all deaths in the construction industry," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "One fall can cost an employer their business and a worker their life. Every person participating in these events is showing their commitment to preventing a senseless loss of life and livelihood."
The stand-down is part of OSHA's ongoing Fall Prevention Campaign, which was started in 2012 and was developed in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda program.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 3, 2014
7 a.m. CDT
Add to your iCal/Outlook calendar
WHO: Jeff Harnthorn, Miron Construction, Regional Risk Control Manager
Ann Grevenkamp, Acting Area Director, Madison OSHA
WHAT: Fall Safety Stand-Down
WHERE: Alliant Center
John Nolen Drive, Hwys. 12 & 18
Madison, Wis.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHEN: Wednesday, June 4, 2014
2 p.m. CDT
Add to your iCal/Outlook calendar
WHO: Duane Reith, Stevens Construction, Safety Director
Chad Greenwood, OSHA Assistant Area Director, Madison OSHA
WHAT: Fall Safety Stand-Down
WHERE: Stevens Construction job site
420 W. Dayton St.
Madison, WI
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHEN: Thursday, June 5, 2014
3:30-5 p.m. CDT
Add to your iCal/Outlook calendar
WHO: Mike Schultz, Vogel Bros., Safety Director
Chad Greenwood, OSHA Assistant Area Director, Madison OSHA
WHAT: Fall Safety Stand-Down
WHERE: Vogel Bros. Yard
2705 County Hwy. N.
Cottage Grove, WI
Join the conversation on Twitter by using #StandDown4Safety and tagging @USDOL
Press interested in attending these events should contact
Scott Allen or Rhonda Burke using the contact information provided above
To gain access to the stand-down sites media will also need to contact:
Jeff Hanthorn at Miron Construction, 608-203-2717
Duane Reith at Stevens Construction., 608-444-0291, dreith@stevensconstruction.com
Mike Schultz at Vogel Bros., mikeschultz@vogelbldg.com
# # #
U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department's Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).