On May 1, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a National Emphasis Program to prevent falls for people working at heights in all industries.

According to the OSHA release, “The emphasis program will focus on reducing fall-related injuries and fatalities for people working at heights in all industries. The targeted enforcement program is based on historical U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and OSHA enforcement history. BLS data shows that of the 5,190 fatal workplace injuries in 2021, 680 were associated with falls from elevations, about 13% of all deaths.

“The program establishes guidance for locating and inspecting fall hazards and allows OSHA compliance safety and health officers to open inspections whenever they observe someone working at heights. An outreach component of the program will focus on educating employers about effective ways to keep their workers safe. If a compliance officer determines an inspection is not necessary after entering a worksite and observing work activities, they will provide outreach on fall protection and leave the site,” according to the release.

"Fall protection is essential on construction jobsites as falls are a leading cause of injuries and they are completely preventable. OSHA is utilizing all resources to combat fatalities caused by falls,” said Joe Xavier, ABC senior director of health and safety, in a statement published in Engineering News-Record’s coverage of the announcement.

ABC encourages the national fall protection program's outreach, partnerships and alliances.

Learn more about federally required fall protection here.