Occupational Health and Safety Online, in an article regarding an OSHA enforcement case in Florida, noted OSHA’s concern for fall hazards:

OSHA, a partner agency in a two-year national campaign to reduce construction fatal falls, said the violations in this case involved failing to provide eye protection for workers using pneumatic nail guns, fall protection for workers installing roofing materials on steep-pitched roofs, and a safe means for workers to access and exit a 19-foot-high roof. “The danger of fall hazards cannot be overstated. Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry,” said Brian Sturtecky, OSHA’s area director in Jacksonville. “When fall protection is absent, workers are only steps away from a deadly or disabling plunge. This employer must take effective steps to ensure that proper safeguards are in place and in use at all job sites.”

Read more about the case here.