OSHA News Release
-
Region 7
Region 7 News Release: 14-995-KAN
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: Kirkwood Community College to participate in
OSHA Fall Safety Stand-Down events this week
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – 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.
Kirkwood Community College will be a part of this nationwide effort. More than 100 workers are expected to attend the stand down including members of the Cedar Rapids Fire Department. The stand-down is being coordinated through the Des Moines Area OSHA office and will include classroom training, fall and rescue demonstrations.
"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
8:30 -11:30 a.m. CDT
WHO: Mike Whitmore, Iowa OSHA
David Hughes, Kirkwood Community College
Campbell Supply, DBI-SALA
WHAT: Fall Safety Stand-Down
WHERE: Kirkwood Community College
101 50th Ave. SW.
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.
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 Roxann Foley, Kirkwood Community College, 319-398-5678 or roxann.foley@kirkwood.edu
# # #
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).