Concord, NH North Branch Construction participated in National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down week by hosting OSHA assistant area director George Kilens and compliance assistance specialist Andrew Palhof at the firm’s office for a presentation about fall hazards and prevention. North Branch’s entire staff, along with safety representatives from local subcontractors including Envirovantage, Multi-Weld, CRM, and Chestnut & Cape, were in attendance.
National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down week raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop preventable fall fatalities and injuries. According to osha.gov, fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 350 of the 937 construction fatalities recorded in 2015.
Safety Stand-Downs are voluntary events at which companies can talk directly to their employees about safety. Any workplace can hold a Stand-Down by taking a break to focus on “Fall Hazards” and reinforcing the importance of “Fall Prevention,” providing an opportunity for conversation about hazards, protective methods, and the company's safety policies and goals. It can also be an opportunity for employees to talk to management about fall hazards they see. Upon completion, the company receives a Certificate of Participation from OSHA.
North Branch Construction’s award-winning Safety Department continues to raise the bar for construction jobsite safety with the development and utilization of a Safety Fine Program, by performing random jobsite inspections, and by obtaining OSHA 30-Hour Certification for all of their project managers and project superintendents. This diligence has led to North Branch Construction repeatedly obtaining the lowest EMR of all members of the Workers’ Compensation Self-Assurance Group with which the firm is affiliated. North Branch Construction also reported zero OSHA Log 300 recordable injuries for 2016. At the end of each year, the company donates all proceeds from its Safety Fine Program to the non-profit charities and organizations that they work with. 2016’s proceeds were given to Mascoma Community Healthcare.
