CONSTRUCTION SAFETY AND HEALTH
Falls are the number one cause of construction-worker fatalities, accounting for one-third of on-the-job injury deaths in the industry. The National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction was launched on April 26, 2012. The Campaign encourages everyone in the construction industry to work safely and use the right equipment to reduce falls. Special emphasis and activity will focus on residential construction contractors and workers.
Join our ongoing campaign and take part in the 2017 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction: May 8-12
Distribution of fatal injuries in construction, by event, 2011-2013
The Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction grew out of multi-stakeholder discussions under the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) program. The NORA Construction Sector Council, a government-labor-management partnership, conceived the Campaign to reduce falls from roofs, ladders, and scaffolds.
Download the 2017 Stand-Down poster (available in English and Spanish).
In 2017 & 2016, as part of the National Campaign to Prevent Construction Falls, NIOSH, and CPWR–The Center for Construction Research and Training worked together to develop a new series of infographics both in English and Spanish. View and download the infographics as PDFs or JPEGs for use in social media, presentations, and print materials.
Listen to an interview on the campaign featuring Dr. Christine Branche, Principle Associate Director of NIOSH and Director, Office of Construction Safety and Health, CDC and Pete Stafford, the former Executive Director of CPWR–The Center for Construction Research and Training, who jointly led the creation of this program and campaign. (For a transcript of the interview, click here)
Watch our playlist of videos that gives insight into fall safety in the construction industry through many perspectives, from owner to safety man, to worker.
Campaign Messages
The Campaign uses a variety of strategies to reach key construction audiences with three main messages:
- Contractors and workers can plan together, before every job, to work safely at heights.
- Contractors must provide the right equipment for working at heights, and workers need to use that equipment.
- Contractors and workers need to be trained to use the equipment and to work safely.
A variety of campaign materials are available to raise awareness about construction falls and to provide practical information about fall prevention. These will include posters, fact sheets, training materials, stickers, and more. New materials will be released on a regular basis over the course of the campaign.
Materials and resources are available on the Campaign website, www.stopconstructionfalls.com, hosted by CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training (the NIOSH-funded National Construction Center). Now in Spanish! Check back often to see what’s new!
For More Information
- To become a Campaign partner, visit our main Campaign site: www.stopconstructionfalls.com
- To get information on the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction: www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/
- To see NIOSH Press Release on the 2017 Stand-Down: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-04-06-17.html
- For information on NIOSH falls-related research (including the NIOSH ladder safety app): /niosh/topics/falls/
- To get more information from OSHA on preventing falls in construction: www.osha.gov/stopfalls
- NIOSH FACE (Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program): Search Residential and Commercial Construction Falls. FACE Program
- 2017 NIOSH Science Blog “The National Safety Stand-Down: Why Falls Remain a Deadly Problem in the Construction Sector and What We Can Do About It“
- 2017 MMWR Workers Memorial Day Edition National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction — United States
- 2016 NIOSH Science Blog “Standing–Down to Prevent Falls in Construction”
- 2016 MMWR special Workers’ Memorial Day Edition National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction — United States, 2016
- 2015 NIOSH Science Blog “The Stand-Down Is On! Join the National Safety Stand-down to Prevent Falls in Construction”
- 2015 MMWR special Workers’ Memorial Day Edition National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction — United States, 2015
- 2014 MMWR special Worker’s Memorial Day Edition – National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction — United States, 2014
- Occupational Ladder Fall Injuries — United States, 2011
- Page last reviewed: July 29, 2013
- Page last updated: May 10, 2017
- Content source:
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Office of the Director