Every year, more than 80,000 workers suffer an injury on construction job sites across the U.S. One incident is one too many—
life is too precious not to make safety the number one focus in the U.S. construction industry. With the common goal of building safety together, ABC is joining the Construction Industry Safety (CISI) initiative and the Incident and Injury Free CEO (IIF) Forum for the second annual Safety Week May 3-9. 

Safety Week 2015 is about helping our industry learn how to work safe, but also how to create a culture where safety is a core value—one that we do not compromise on for the sake of production, scheduling or profit. 

Each day of Safety Week 2015 has been designated as a “Safety Learning Day” where topics have been selected for members and chapters to focus their training and outreach efforts around during the week of May 3-9. These efforts include safety stand downs, multi-lingual training courses, recognition events and resource “bundles” available, free of charge, to employers and employees to use not only on the jobsite, but at home. They include:

Monday, May 4 – Fall Protection – OSHA has moved their National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction to coincide with Safety Week 2015. As part of ABC’s efforts to help employees identify and eliminate fall protection hazards on the jobsite, toolbox talks on the hierarchy of fall protection will be provided, as will direct links to Capital Safety’s library of fall protection training videos. 

Tuesday, May 5 – Health & Wellness – Safety on the jobsite goes beyond the traditional construction topics and includes teaching employees proper techniques to keep their bodies in peak condition. Resources for Health & Wellness Day will include model stretch & flex programs, workplace violence guides and toolbox talks on healthy living.

Wednesday, May 6 – Soft Tissue Injury Prevention – As each of us in the industry grows older, we must pay more attention to how we perform our work in order to prevent strains, strains and pulls. Soft tissue injury prevention guides will be circulated, along with proper lifting technique wallet cards to help employees understand ways in which they can perform safely.

Thursday, May 7 – Hand Protection – Cuts and fractures to the hands are some of the most common—and most preventable—injuries in the construction industry. Resources will be provided on proper cutting techniques, as well as “Know Your Glove” quick cards to help employees identify the different types of cut-resistant gloves for the job at hand.

Friday, May 8 – Employee Appreciation Day – Environment, Health & Safety at Home – ABC’s Safety Week 2015 efforts culminate in a nationwide “Employee Appreciation Day” to celebrate the merit shop’s safest—those who not only look out for their own safety, but are constantly on alert to protect their fellow employees. Guides on incentive programs to reward based on stop work/near miss reports will be provided, as well as instructional information on using PPE at home when performing household chores. Safety begins on the jobsite, but continues at home for our employees.

Safety Week 2015 will be a week focused on reaching the industry’s goal of zero incidents; however, safety is a year-round, around-the-clock endeavor that involves the total commitment of both corporate leadership and field employees to hold safety as their core value. The resources developed by the Safety Week coalition and ABC will remain available throughout the year as we help our members achieve world-class safety programs and performance. 

For questions about Safety Week 2015, visit www.safetyweek2015.com or contact Chris Williams, ABC National Director of Safety, at [email protected].