GREENVILLE, Pa. – Werner, the world leader in ladders and manufacturer of a complete line of climbing products and fall protection equipment, will lead more than 150 training events across the country this month in support of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). The safety trainings began this week aligned with the kickoff of OSHA’s annual Safety Stand-Down initiative, scheduled from May 8-12, 2017. A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk about safety and raise awareness in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries in construction.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 350 of the 937 construction fatalities recorded in 2015. More than two-fifths of fatal falls occurred from 15 feet or lower, and these lower-elevation falls accounted for nearly 40 percent of fatal work injuries. To raise awareness about the risks associated with elevation at any height, Werner plans to train more than 25,000 professionals at jobsites around the country.
“Proper awareness along with in-depth ladder and fall protection training from our team can help create safer working environments for construction employees,” said Chris Filardi, VP of marketing for WernerCo. “Our field team of End User Specialists (EUS) provide expert guidance that makes safety more attainable by bringing real-world workplace scenarios to life.”
Deaths from construction falls are preventable, and the Safety Stand-Down events provide a focused environment for everyday reminders and demonstrating proper safety techniques.
Safety Training Events from Werner
The Werner EUS team, consisting of 30 best-in-class professionals throughout North America, will conduct Safety Stand-Down events throughout the month of May. Each member of the team is engaged in continuous, year-round on-site training simulations and has extensive experience in worker safety. The EUS team trains end users on their own jobsites and offers a range of services from 10-minute safety inspections before work to multiple-day jobsite competent person courses.
In the month of May, jobsite participants will be trained on basic safety protocols by application and how to respond when a potential incident occurs. These hands-on trainings will include ladder inspections, fall protection equipment inspections, harness adjustment trainings, fall protection tripod training sessions and more. Participants will also have the opportunity to register to win a NEW Werner ProForm™ high performance harness.
For those who are not able to attend one of Werner’s events across the country, please visit www.wernerstanddown.com to take a free online class, register for a free onsite training or review comprehensive literature and other safety resources.
As part of the Safety Stand-Down initiative, OSHA is asking everyone to help spread the safety message. To join the conversation, use the hashtag #StandDown4Safety or visit www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown to learn more.
