BWC Safety Event Focuses on Protection from Falls
AUSTINTOWN, Ohio — Boak and Sons Inc. recently hosted staff from the Youngstown office of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s division of safety and hygiene along with safety consultants from Rettew Associates Inc. to review safety issues related to the construction industry.
More than 100 area professionals attended the May 10 Safety Stand-Down. Those attending included representatives from the Builders Association of Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
Each year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration encourages employers across the country to participate in the National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about fall protection. A stand-down is a break from the typical work duties for employers to talk directly to their workers about safety, focusing on fall hazards and reinforcing the importance of fall prevention.
David Costantino, BWC loss prevention supervisor, and his staff presented statistics and information about falls on construction sites including:
- Of the 937 deaths on construction sites in 2015, 350 were from falls.
- In the October-December 2016 timeframe, 25% of injuries were from falls.
- 30% of claims for the Ohio BWC are related to falls.
- The average claim amount from falls is $75,000.
- OSHA requires training for fall protection.
- 25% of fatal falls are from ladders.
Also during the event, Monica Rakoczy and Kristen Morgret from Rettew’s safety consulting division demonstrated the proper inspection and use of harnesses and the proper techniques for rescuing a suspended incapacitated worker whose fall protection successfully served its function.
SOURCE: Builders Association of Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
