OSHA issues 'call to action' to prevent workplace falls

After four recent construction accidents that took place in New Jersey, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a statement calling on construction companies to ensure that workers at height (above 6 feet) have the proper fall protection equipment to protect themselves from falls on the job.

"This is a call to action for every contractor in the state," said Robert Kulick, OSHA regional administrator in New York, in a statement. "These incidents are tragic reminders of the dangers posed to workers when they are not adequately protected from fall hazards."

OSHA currently is investigating four different jobsite falls that recently took place in New Jersey: a worker fell through a roof into a vat of acid in Clifton, NJ; a worker fell from the roof on a residential construction site in Bayonne, NJ; a worker fell while installing a steel frame in Madison, NJ; and a worker fell from an aerial lift in Secaucus, NJ.

The aerial lift fatality in Secaucus happened when Arris Tunc, 34, was catapulted from the boom lift he was operating. Reports state the boom lift was being operated on sloping, soft ground and that it tipped over. Tunc was not wearing a harness while operating the lift and fell 45 feet from the boom's basket to the ground.

OSHA said in its statement: "There are a number of ways to protect workers from falls, including guardrail systems, safety net systems and personal fall arrest systems, including properly anchored body harnesses and lanyards, as well as the use of safe work practices and thorough training. Whether working on a roof, a scaffold or in an aerial lift, all workers must have and correctly use the proper equipment to prevent falls."

In April, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced a campaign to provide employers and workers with lifesaving information and educational materials about working safely from ladders, scaffolds and roofs. According to the release, in 2010, more than 10,000 construction workers were injured as a result of falling while working from heights, and more than 250 workers were killed. OSHA's fall prevention campaign was developed in partnership with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda program.