Preventing Construction Falls

CDC/NIOSH works in partnership with The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), Hollywood, Health and Society, and the Spanish-language network Telemundo to develop and evaluate this new approach to disseminating workplace safety and health information.

The storyline, part of Telemundo's hit show Pecados Ajenos (weeknights at 10 PM), is intended to raise awareness among Spanish-speaking construction workers, and their friends and families, about the safety risks they often face at work and how to prevent them.

The focus of the storyline was determined by a few basic facts:

• More than 2 million Latinos work in construction in the U.S.
• Every day, four construction workers die on the job, and one of them is Latino.
• Falls are the most common cause of fatal injuries to construction workers.
• The consequences of a fall affect not only the worker, but also his family and community.

Construction falls can be prevented. Contractors and foreman can do many things to organize the worksite to be safer for their employees. But workers themselves can also make some inexpensive, simple changes to the way they work that can save their lives.

Ladders are one of the most common pieces of equipment on a construction site. But that doesn't mean they are safe. There are construction workers who are injured or killed falling from a height every day. Using ladders more safely is one way to start preventing falls at your work site.

Your co-workers can learn a lot from you.

At first, you might be the only one who is concerned with safety at your worksite. But over time, other workers will see that the foreman will give you the time you need to be safe. They will see how many little things add up to big effects on safety. And they will see how they, too, can help to make your worksite safer.

So, set an example!

Don't worry about being the first—they'll thank you for it later.