In 2019, GBCA will be promoting safety awareness around OSHA’s Focus Four Hazards: Fall Hazards, Electrocution Hazards, Struck By Hazards, and Caught In-Between Hazards.

The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness in the recognition, evaluation, and control of these hazards through the delivery of toolbox talks for employers to provide to their workers. These toolbox talks will be available during the campaign for employers to use at their own discretion.

The Focus Four Hazards have accounted for the vast majority of injuries and fatalities in the construction industry. In an effort to prevent future injuries and fatalities, OSHA, our state plans, consultation projects, and construction industry partners have initiated a “Focus Four Hazards” campaign from March through June in Region Three’s jurisdiction.  The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness in the recognition, evaluation, and control of these hazards through the delivery of toolbox talks for employers to provide to their workers.  These toolbox talks will be available during the campaign for employers to use at their own discretion.

Construction’s “Fatal Four”

Out of 5147* worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2017, 971 or 21% 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 (60%) of the construction worker deaths in 2017*, according to BLS reports.

  • Falls — 381 out of 971 total deaths in construction in CY 2017 (39%)
  • Struck by Object – 80 (8%)
  • Electrocutions – 71 (7%)
  • Caught-in/between* – 50 (5%)

*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

Eliminating these Four Hazards would save 582 workers’ lives each year.

Starting in February 2019, we will focus on a different hazard each month. We will conclude this campaign in May with Fall Hazards, coinciding with OSHA’s National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, May 6-10, 2019.

Learn more about OSHA’s training resources about the Focus Four Hazards:

 

If you have any questions about this campaign, or other construction safety questions, contact GBCA Director of Safety Services Frank Durso at fdurso@64.207.152.120.