The Occupational Safety & Health Admininistration (OSHA), a division of the United States Department of Labor, has designated the week of May 2-6 as “Fall Awareness Week.” Falls are the number one cause of fatalities and safety violations in the construction industry. According to the National Safety Council, about 20,400 deaths from falls occurrered in homes in 2014.
Gregory Construction Services, Inc., a local construction company, has earned the Mississippi Chapter Association Builders and Contractors Gold Level Safety Award in 2014 and 2015 and will participate in the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction by observing a companywide “Safety Stand-Down” on May 6.
Over 700,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury. The two most commonly used ladders are extension ladders and step-ladders. Injuries from ladder falls can be preventable if basic safety rules are followed:
1. Ladders should be thoroughly inspected prior to use.
2. Ladders must be placed on firm footing and secured before being climbed.
3. When climbing or descending, both hands must be free to firmly grip the ladder.
4. One should always stay in the center of the ladder and never stand on the top step.
5. Always use the correct ladder for the job. Never use a step-ladder as a straight ladder.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.