FROM THE DESK OF RANDALL A. KROCKA

SMOHIT Administrator

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OSHA gears up for annual Fall Safety Stand-Down in Construction

Building on its unprecedented participation from last year's event, OSHA has announced this year's Fall Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction, scheduled for May 4-15, 2015. Last year, tens of thousands of employers and more than 1 million workers across the country joined OSHA in a week-long construction Fall Safety Stand-Down, the largest occupational safety event ever hosted in the United States.

"With the economy on the rebound and housing starts on the rise, now is the time to for all of us to renew our commitment to sending workers home safe every night," said Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "Last year's Stand-Down showed us what employers and workers sharing that commitment can accomplish. Responsible employers understand that safety is not a luxury - it is a necessity."

During the 2015 two-week stand-down, employers and workers will pause during their workday to focus on preventing fatalities from falls through talks, demonstrations and trainings.

The National Fall Safety Stand-Down is part of OSHA's construction fall prevention campaign, launched three years ago with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda and CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training. The newly launched 2015 National Safety Stand-Down Web page provides details on how to conduct a stand-down; receive a certificate of participation; and access free education and training resources, fact sheets and other outreach materials in English and Spanish. See the news release for more information.