OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down

National Safety Stand-Down events put in motion by OSHA give employers tools and talking points for discussing safety with their employees. Stand-downs are important enough for construction leadership, safety officials and project managers to literally stop work on an active job site, perhaps a tad behind schedule, to share open, two-way dialogue about safety concerns. Southern Air supports OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Downs each year, speaking at job sites to the men and women we depend on every day.

The reason Stand-Downs are so valuable is they address very relevant issues regarding construction safety. Southern Air has team members working in hazardous construction environments all year long and injuries happen. Many of them do not have to, which is the point we want to drive home. Our teams perform intense, physically demanding and dangerous work. Some folks are oblivious to the dangers plumbers, electricians, HVAC mechanics, welders and any other trade professionals face on a daily basis.

The numbers, however, do not lie.

During National Stand-Down week, we want to bring awareness to our team and others to respect ladders. The statistics show 164,000 ladder incidents a year, with 300 deaths. You don’t think about that kind of a number from falling off a ladder, but it happens every year.

OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down

There is no success without people; our people are Southern Air’s greatest asset. Taking time to pause, reassess situational awareness, and understanding the ‘what if’ scenarios is just as valuable as any other tool box at the beginning of the work day. Most accidents are classified as avoidable in the end, meaning the very real injuries people encounter shouldn’t have happened at all.

Let’s avoid them.