Since about half of New England's fatal falls have been in the construction industry, much of the emphasis is on this industry. Compliance officers are being asked to keep an eye out for potential fall hazards not just during inspections of construction sites, but also while there're traveling from site to site. But the program extends to general industry as well as construction, and outreach as well as enforcement. Bob Hooper, the assistant regional administrator who headed up development of the LEP, rolled the program out through OHSA area offices. In April and May, area directors conducted seminars on fall prevention throughout New England.
Compliance officers are also on the lookout for fall hazards in general industry.
During inspections, when they examine an employer's OSHA 200 log, Hooper says they'll specifically look at fall - related injuries. If an organization has a significant number of these injures, OSHA will ask whether they've assessed fall hazards. To help the organization comply with OSHA standards, the agency will also provide a special floppy disk on fall prevention. The on-disk sample programs can be modified to meet the organization's needs. New England employers interested in obtaining a copy of the disk should contact an OSHA area office.