Safety Falls on Contractors’ Shoulders

A survey conducted last year by The Center for Construction Research and Training, supported by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), has resulted in a 20-page preliminary report that the ANSI/ASSP Z359 Fall Protection and Fall Restraint Committee will use to enhance voluntary national consensus standards that guide safety. Findings from the survey include:

• Insufficient or ineffective planning was the most selected primary cause for falls (27.4%).
• The odds of using fall protection were 71% lower for individuals whose employer failed to plan.
• Nearly half of respondents (48.8%) said no fall protection was being used at the time of a fall.
• The odds of a fall being fatal were 76% lower for workers who had self-rescue training.
• Those who work for a subcontractor were 2.7 times more likely to die from a fall compared to those who work for a general contractor.

For more information, visit assp.org/news-and-articles/survey-uncovers-key-findings-on-falls-from-height.