Category: Falls

The Problem of Falls from Elevation in Construction and Prevention Resources

The Current Situation with Falls In 2022 falls from elevation represented approximately 81% of all fatal and 20% of all nonfatal slips, trips, and falls for all industry workers (BLS 2023a, BLS 2023b).  Many of these falls occurred in the construction industry, and significantly impact construction employers, workers, and their families. In fact, construction workers Read More >

Posted on by Christina Socias-Morales, DrPH; G. Scott Earnest, Ph.D, PE, CSP; Jessica Bunting, MPH; Rosa Greenberg, MPH; Scott P. Breloff, Ph.D; Asha Brogan, MS; Douglas Trout, MD, MHS1 Comment

Safety for Workers in Elementary and Secondary Schools

As teachers, school administrators, students, and parents get ready to go back to school, safety should be top of mind. School safety most often emphasizes keeping students safe from violence, bullying and harassment, and the influence of substance use (NCSSLE, 2023), but it should also include the safety of those who work in schools. To Read More >

Posted on by Makayla Hughes and Kitty J. Hendricks, MA2 Comments

Prevention of Injuries and Fatalities Involving Overturn of Drill Rigs and other Specialty Equipment for Foundation Construction

Introduction Every year, drill rigs and other heavy, specialty equipment used for deep foundation construction (Figure 1) overturn potentially causing injuries and fatalities, as well as damage to the surrounding sites. There are many safety hazards associated with working around this heavy equipment, including the “Focus Four Hazards”: falls, caught-in or -between, struck-by, and electrocution. Read More >

Posted on by Peggy Hagerty Duffy, PE, DGE; Richard Marshall, CHST; Douglas Trout, MD, MHS; and G. Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP2 Comments

National Safety Month 2023

Each June, we celebrate National Safety Month. Safety matters every day of the year, but during June it gets the extra attention it deserves so we can all stay safe from the workplace to anyplace. As part of the celebration of safety, the National Safety Council (NSC) selects themes for each week of the month. This Read More >

Posted on by Jennifer M. Lincoln, PhD, CSP; Lauralynn Taylor McKernan, ScD, CIH; and John Dony4 Comments

Standing Down to Prevent Falls in Construction

Overview Construction workers are at risk for injuries from many sources, but falls continue to be the leading cause of death (accounting for 37% [379 out of the 1015 fatalities] of all construction fatalities in 2021). This year marks the 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction, an event to raise awareness Read More >

Posted on by Mirle Pena, MS; Jessica Bunting, MPH; CDR Elizabeth Garza, MPH, CPH; Douglas Trout, MD, MHS; Asha Brogan, MS; Scott P. Breloff, Ph.D; G. Scott Earnest, Ph.D, PE, CSP2 Comments

Staying Safe Up on the Rooftop and in Extreme Temperatures

As Santa prepares to head out for the big night, we have a few last-minute bits of advice to keep him safe in the elements and while working at heights. Fall Prevention With the amount of time Santa spends “up on the rooftop” a review of the NIOSH falls prevention materials is an essential item Read More >

Posted on by Julie Tisdale-Pardi, MA, and Katie Shahan, JD1 CommentTags

National Safety Month

Each June, we celebrate National Safety Month. While we all know safety is important year-round, this month we work to highlight efforts to prevent injury and death, from the workplace to anyplace. In this blog, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Safety Council (NSC) are highlighting research and prevention Read More >

Posted on by Dawn Castillo, MPH, and John Dony2 Comments

Falls Campaign 2022: Making Research Work

  Falls are the leading cause of death among construction workers.  Tragically, each year roughly 300–400 construction workers fall to their deaths, most often while working at heights on roofs, ladders, and scaffolds. In 2020, out of 1,034 falls that resulted in death in the construction industry, 353 were due to falls from a height Read More >

Posted on by Scott Earnest, J’ette Novakovich, Scott Breloff, Douglas Trout, Elizabeth Garza, Christopher Pan, and Bryan Wimer

Stand-Down for Falls in Its 8th Year: Continuing Need to Prevent Falls in Construction in the U.S. and Internationally

The National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction was launched in 2012 through the NORA Construction Sector Council with leadership from NIOSH, OSHA, and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training to address the high rate of both fatal and nonfatal falls in the industry. While we encourage participation in the Campaign year-round, Read More >

Posted on by Douglas Trout, MD, MHS; Sang D. Choi, Ph.D., MPH(c), CSP, CPE; Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP; CDR Elizabeth Garza, MPH, CPH

Stand-Down for Falls in Its 7th Year: Fatal Falls are Falling

The National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction was launched in 2012 through the NORA Construction Sector Council with leadership from NIOSH, OSHA and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training. Each year as part of the Campaign, safety stand-downs are held by employers across the country to focus on fall prevention. The Read More >

Posted on by Scott Breloff, PhD; Elizabeth Garza, MPH, CPH; Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP; Alan Echt, DrPH, CIH; Christina Socias-Morales, DrPH; Jeanette Novakovich, PhD1 Comment

¿Reduce el calzado antideslizante los resbalones, tropezones y caídas en entornos de servicios alimentarios?

Los resbalones, tropezones y caídas son el segundo tipo de causa más común de las lesiones mortales relacionadas con el trabajo y el tercer tipo de causa más común de las lesiones no mortales relacionadas con el trabajo en los Estados Unidos (1, 2). Aunque las caídas desde alturas tienen más probabilidades de causar la Read More >

Posted on by Jennifer L. Bell, PhD; Jim Collins, PhD, MSME; Sharon Chiou, PhD; y Sydney Webb, PhD5 Comments

Does Slip-Resistant Footwear Reduce Slips, Trips, and Falls in Food Service?

Slips, trips, and falls are the second most common type of fatal work-related injuries and the third most common type of non-fatal work-related injuries in the United States (1, 2). Although falls from heights are more likely to result in a fatality, falls on the same level (which often start as a slip or trip) Read More >

Posted on by Jennifer L. Bell, PhD; Jim Collins, PhD, MSME; Sharon Chiou, PhD; and Sydney Webb, PhD14 Comments

Labor Day Message from NIOSH Director, John Howard, MD

More than just a “day off,” Labor Day provides us a moment to pause and reflect on the efforts and sacrifice all men and women across the nation have worked through to keep this country moving, day and night, contributing to the economic and material well-being of its inhabitants. NIOSH’s mission has been and will Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD2 CommentsTags

Ladder Safety in the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector: Take the Right Steps towards Safety

In 2014, work-related falls to a lower level in the wholesale and retail trade (WRT) sector accounted for over 12,500 reported injuries. These injured employees were out of work for an average of 7 to 11 days [BLS 2015, BLS 2016]. This blog provides information about preventing ladder-related injuries in the wholesale and retail trade Read More >

Posted on by Peter Simeonov, PhD; Vern Putz-Anderson, PhD, CPE; and Donna Pfirman4 Comments

Fall Fatalities among Oil and Gas Extraction Workers, 2005-2014

Previous research has shown that fatality rates for oil and gas extraction workers were decreasing for all causes of death except for those associated with falls. (1) A new study from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, examined risk factors for fatal fall events in this Read More >

Posted on by Krystal L. Mason, ScM; Kyla D. Retzer, MPH; Ryan Hill, MPH; and Jennifer M. Lincoln, PhD2 Comments

It’s National Ladder Safety Month

March is the first-ever National Ladder Safety Month. Each year in the U.S., more than 500,000 people are treated1 and about 300 people die2 from ladder-related injuries. The estimated annual cost of ladder injuries in the U.S. is $24 billion, including work loss, medical, legal, liability, and pain and suffering expenses1. Data analysis from three Read More >

Posted on by Peter Simeonov, PhD, and Sydney Webb, PhD8 Comments

Workers Memorial Day Message 2016

  Each year we pause on April 28 for Workers Memorial Day to publicly remember the workers who died or suffered from exposures to hazards at work. While worker deaths in America are down, on average, even one death or one injury is still too many. To prevent injury, illness, and death in today’s workplaces, Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD 6 Comments

Traumatic Brain Injuries in Construction

  Falling 25 feet to the ground from a roof, being struck in the head by a steel beam as it is transported across a worksite, or getting hit by a vehicle moving supplies–these are only a few examples of why the construction industry has the greatest number of both fatal[i] and nonfatal [ii] traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) Read More >

Posted on by Srinivas Konda, MPH14 Comments

NIOSH Ladder Safety App Evolves with User Feedback

  The award-winning NIOSH Ladder Safety App is now updated based on our users’ feedback. First introduced in 2013, the app has received much positive feedback.  As of the end of 2015, it has more than 52,000 downloads. Among those promoting the app are state officials, industry leaders, and safety professionals. Many companies have even Read More >

Posted on by Peter Simeonov, PhD, and Rebecca Olsavsky, MS9 Comments

Workers Memorial Day 2015

  Every year we pause on April 28 for Workers Memorial Day to publicly remember the workers who died or suffered from exposures to hazards at work. While worker deaths in America are down, on average, even one death or one injury is still too many. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the passing Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, M.D.9 Comments