A new article written by NIOSH’s Dr. Christine Branche has been posted, to raise awareness of the costs of falls in the mechanical contracting industry. From the article:

Falls shatter lives, families and communities. The costs of fatal falls and injuries in construction are staggering, with heavy burdens on workers, families, employers and society. Even when workers survive, many have traumatic head, neurological and other injuries that often require lengthy recuperation periods, and place enormous emotional, medical and financial burdens on their families. Falls result in significant costs to employers as well, including lost productivity, regulatory inspection costs, and hefty increases in workers’ compensation premiums.

Plumbers and HVAC contractors face fall hazard risks at any point when they are working at heights, whether during the construction stages of a building or during maintenance tasks. We know how to prevent falls with proper equipment, training and on-site planning. Recognizing that now it is time to take action to prevent falls from heights, in 2012, and again in 2013, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and a broad group of partners launched “Safety Pays, Falls Cost,” a nationwide information and media campaign to prevent construction falls from heights. The campaign’s message has three key parts: plan ahead to get the job done safely; provide the right equipment; and train everyone to use the equipment safely. This three-part message is emphasized in posters, fact sheets, videos and other materials, available in Spanish, English and numerous languages.

Click here to read the rest of the article.