This audio is automatically generated. Please let us know if you have any comments.
WASHINGTON — About 1,000 hard hats and safety vests converged on the National Mall Wednesday as construction leaders highlighted the “Together” mantra of Construction Safety Week.
During the event, Construction Safety Week and OSHA signed an official partnership to advance total worker health together. The partnership includes a focus on preventing serious injuries and fatalities, as well as helping with general life issues such as mental health struggles.
The overcast and rainy day meeting marked the 13th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, an event led by Gilbane Building Co. in partnership with OSHA to highlight training and awareness. Industry leaders held events throughout the week draw attention to safety and reinforce best practices in fall prevention and protection.
Other guests included industry partners, skilled trades, labor and OSHA officials.
“This is about construction safety,” said Adam Jelen, CEO of Gilbane Building Co. and chairman of the Construction Safety Week executive committee, during the event. “We have a shared goal, and that is to send everyone home healthy, safe and, most of all, better than when you came.”
The alliance with OSHA aims to provide information, guidance and access to training and education, according to Gilbane.
“We took another important step through a new alliance signed moments ago with OSHA, deepening and strengthening our long-standing partnership,” said Jelen. “More awareness, better education and, most importantly, greater impact.”
This year, Construction Safety Week has introduced something new series of technical bulletins developed by its technical committee. These bulletins support a more consistent and proactive approach to high risk risk management throughout the project lifecycle.
“During the last decade, approximately 1,000 fatalities in construction occur every year, i five times that number of suicides every year,” Jelen said. “It’s about saving lives.”
The emphasis on total health of workers aims to highlight safety practices beyond physical risks, meaning both inside and outside the workplace for workers. Event leaders stressed that doing so will require alignment between contractors and regulators, and especially within individual teams.
“One is too many. One fall is too many. One serious injury is too many. One death is too many,” OSHA Assistant Secretary of Labor David Keeling said at the event. “Our job is to block and tackle for you. I want to make sure this group understands that you have OSHA’s full commitment when it comes to doing the right thing for you, your families, and protecting you and the companies you work for.”
