Weekly Toolbox Talk: Safety Stand Down: Fall Prevention / Fall Protection

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ATTN: Open Enrollment period starts May 11 and ends June 3, 2022. All benefits related information and actions will take place in MyMAREK. Enrollment will be passive. Coverage elections will remain the same unless you are enrolled in a Medical Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Reimbursement Account, or Health Savings Account. For these accounts, you will need to log in to MyMAREK and specify the amount you want to contribute. There will be virtual and some in-person meetings this year (per branch needs). Each branch office will send out communication to their employees on meeting dates and times.

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Safety Stand Down – May 02, 2022

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Fall prevention/ Fall protection

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OSHA identifies falls as one of the four leading causes of fatalities in the construction industry. This is why employees must be trained to recognize fall exposures and have the authority to take corrective actions.

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We have all heard the expression “it’s not the fall that hurts, but the sudden stop at the end.” Think of a fall as “a sudden, unanticipated descent in space driven by gravity.” Although this may not sound severe, the consequences are often disabling – or deadly. It takes most people about 1/3 of a second to become aware of a fall. It takes another 1/3 of a second for the body to react. A person can fall up to 7 feet in 2/3 of a second.

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Each year in the U.S. falls consistently account for one of the greatest numbers of fatalities in the construction industry.

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Events surrounding fall accidents often involve a number of factors, including unstable working surfaces, misuse of fall protection equipment, environmental factors, and human error. Studies have shown that the use of guardrail systems, fall arrest systems, safety nets, covers, and restraint and positioning device systems can prevent many deaths and injuries from falls.

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Fall hazards are foreseeable. You can identify them, eliminate exposure to them, eliminate them, or control them before they result in injuries or death. Some of the factors that contribute to fall accidents and fatalities include scaffolds, ladders, roofs, and other elevated work surfaces.

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Analyzing the work area is another important step in fall hazard prevention. Analyzing the work area may include reviewing blueprints before work begins, anticipating upcoming fall hazards as work progresses, reviewing current hazards on the site, and developing a pre-planning checklist.

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Be aware of those working above or below you. Protect yourself and others from falling objects with one of the following: hardhats, canopies, guardrails, panels and screens, barricades or fences. 

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Accidents Week of 04/22/22

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Foreman                                              Nature of Injury                                      Outcome

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MAREK HOUSTON                               FOREIGN BODY RT EYE                               REGULAR DUTY

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MAREK AUSTIN                                   LACERATION LT INDEX FINGER                   REGULAR DUTY

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