OSHA News Release
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Region 5
Region 5 News Release: 14-1011-CHI
June 3, 2014
Contact: Scott Allen Rhonda Burke
Phone: 312-353-6976
Email: allen.scott@dol.gov burke.rhonda@dol.gov
Safety Pays, Falls Cost: Linn-Mathes Inc. hosts OSHA Fall Safety Stand-Down
event at 1K Fulton construction site in Chicago, June 4
CHICAGO – 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.
Linn-Mathes will be a part of this nationwide effort on Wednesday, June 4 beginning at 11:30 a.m. CDT at the 1K Fulton construction site. Linn-Mathes is the general contractor for the project which is transforming an existing 10 story cold storage loft building in Chicago's historic Randolph/Fulton Market Area for the Sterling Bay Companies into a state-of-the-art LEED certified 630,000 square-foot office and retail building. A toolbox talk will be presented by the company's safety consultant, Safety Check Inc. on fall protection. The training session will include 15-20 subcontractors and approximately 150 workers. The stand-down is being coordinated through the Calumet City 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.
WHO: Nick Walters, OSHA Regional Director, Chicago
Kathy Webb, OSHA Area Director, Calumet City, Ill.
William Griffith, Vice President, Linn-Mathes Inc.
Frank Marino, CSP, Partner, Safety Check, Inc.
WHAT: Fall Safety Stand-Down
WHERE: 1K Fulton Project Site
1000 W. Fulton St.
Chicago, IL
WHEN: Wednesday, June 4, 2014
11:30 a.m. CDT
Add to your iCal/Outlook calendar
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
Or William Griffith at 312-454-0200
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