During the months of February, March, April, and May, OSHA asks that all companies focus their safety meetings and toolbox talks on the Focus Four hazards.  The GBCA will be posting sample toolbox talks in the News-at-a-Glance newsletter every week during this four-month period to assist you in your training efforts.  Below is copy of OSHA’s Focus Four Campaign notice

Should you have any questions visit the OSHA website at www.osha.gov or contact GBCA’s Director of Safety Services, Don Ashton, at dashton@64.207.152.120

 

Letter from OSHA

Dear Stakeholder:

OSHA and our construction industry partners have initiated a “Focus Four Hazards” campaign throughout OSHA’s Region III’s jurisdiction.  We are reaching out to entities to assist us in promoting this campaign and to encourage your leadership to participate in this four month cooperative initiative being launched in February 2017. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness in the recognition, evaluation, and control of these hazards.  As noted below, the Focus Four Hazards account for the vast majority of injuries and fatalities in the construction industry.

Construction’s “Fatal Four”

Out of 4,836* worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2015, 937 or 19% were in construction―that is, one in five worker deaths last year were in construction.

The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls, followed by struck-by, electrocution, and caught-in/between. These “Fatal Four” hazards were responsible for well over half (65.1%) of the construction worker deaths in 2015*, according to BLS reports. Eliminating the Fatal Four would save 602 workers’ lives in America every year.

  • Falls — 364 out of 937 total deaths in construction in CY 2015 (38.8%)
  • Electrocutions – 81 (8.6%)
  • Struck by Object – 90 (9.6%)
  • Caught-in/between* – 67 (7.2%)(*This category includes construction workers killed when caught-in or compressed by equipment or objects, and struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material)

We appreciate your assistance with promoting this campaign and request that you follow up with us noting your entities support and participation. This will assist us in promoting our joint efforts and evaluating our impact in the construction industry.  All feedback is also welcomed. Please send your feedback to OSHA’s Regional Office, in care of Nicholas DeJesse and James Touey at DeJesse.Nicholas@dol.gov and Touey.james@dol.gov

We will be following up with you with the first series of Focus Four Tool-Box Talks (Electrical) as well as a Trainers Tool. Additional Tool-Box talks will be sent each subsequent month (March, April, May) culminating in May in coordination with OSHA’s National Fall Hazards in Construction Campaign.