1-800-724-3888 info@airiggers.com

Pictured above (left to right) Travis Michaud, Nate Barry, Lonnie Judy,
Tom Kellogg, Scott Maynard, Adam Burgio and Julie Frazier

Photo Credit: Jim Burke, President Associated Industrial Rigging Corp

What is a “Safety Stand-Down?”

In the construction industry, a Safety Stand-Down is an event where normal work is put on hold while the site focuses on a safety issue. This is because the workers “stand-down” for about an hour to review important safety topics, and also give their feedback about current safety procedures.

The largest and most well-known of these “Stand Downs” is the National Safety Stand-Down, presented by OSHA, that usually occurs in the beginning half of May. Job sites nationwide paused at least one day during National Stand Down week May 6-10th , and focused on what they are doing to focus on safety issues and make sure that every employee or worker has the knowledge to keep themselves safe. During this May event, the focus is on fall protection and how workers can protect themselves from falls.

In our series of meetings, we asked our crews a series of questions including:
Do you know your fall hazards?
Do you know how to inspect your fall protection gear?
Do you know how and what to look for on your harness and lanyards?
We discussed Webbing Visual and Touch Inspection, Hardware Visual and Touch Inspection, Tagging Systems, Cleaning and Storage, and Harness Checklist.
In closing, we reviewed our policies on reporting equipment and issues and our goals in Fall Protection/Equipment.

Falls are still the #1 cause of death on job sites – and have been for quite some time. In fact, the numbers show no signs of subsiding. In 2016, 84 out of 991 total deaths in construction were from falls. Many construction workers are not aware of these alarming statistics. That is why Safety Stand-Downs are so important.

The sad thing is that injuries from falls are 100% preventable. By wearing correct fall protection equipment, practicing simple safety tips, and continuing to be diligent on job sites, it’s possible to reduce that number to 0.

Source: https://www.onsitesafety.com/safety-articles/safety-stand-down-2019/