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Region
4 Emphasis Program
Falls
in Construction
Mission:
To reduce construction accidents and fatalities in Region IV
resulting from falls to lower levels.
The
U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
published data showing that, nationwide; there were 733 fatalities
in 2000 resulting from falls to a lower level, accounting for over
twelve percent of all fatal injuries in all workplaces.
One-fifth of the fatal falls were from or through roofs.
Falls from ladders and falls from scaffolds each accounted
for one-seventh of the total. Other
common work surfaces from which fatal falls occurred included:
stairways, open-sided floors (unprotected sides and edges), stacked
materials, building girders, or other structural steel, and
nonmoving vehicles.
In Region IV, in 2001, 83 fatalities resulted
from falls, which was 33% of all the fatalities region wide.
Fifty-eight of those fatalities were in construction accounting for
70% of all fall fatalities. To
further reduce fatalities in the construction industry in Region IV,
OSHA added a Regional Emphasis Program to focus on fall hazards.
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