While the National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents is aimed primarily at the construction industry, organizations in every industry are welcome to participate.
The annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents is taking place April 15 – 19, 2024 in coordination with National Work Zone Awareness Week.
Struck-by incidents are a leading cause of death among construction workers, and since 1992 the leading cause of nonfatal injuries in the construction industry. According to OSHA, the four most common struck-by hazards are being struck-by a flying, falling, swinging, or rolling object.
The National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents is sponsored by the NORA Construction Sector Council as they have begun undertaking a number of initiatives to increase awareness of struck-by hazards and ways to prevent them.
The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) is a partnership program to stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices. Formed in 2006, the NORA Construction Sector Council brings together individuals and organizations to share information, form partnerships, and promote adoption and dissemination of solutions that work.
The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) has put together an amazing resource list that companies can access when planning how they will participate in this year’s stand-down.
Available resources include:
- Live webinars that will be hosted throughout the week of the stand-down
- Last year’s virtual events available on-demand along with a PDF of the slides presented
- Work zone safety resources including toolbox talks and infographics
- Lift zone safety toolbox talks and infographics
- Heavy equipment articles and toolbox talks
- Relevant injury and fatality statistics
National Work Zone Awareness Week is recognized the same week as the Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents and many organizations will hold training and events that coordinate the messages of both awareness campaigns.
National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones.
For more information and resources on this year’s NWZAW campaign, visit the official National Work Zone Awareness Week website at nwzaw.org that has updated materials for this year's campaign.
A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety. Any workplace can hold a stand-down by taking a break to focus on "Struck-by Incidents" and reinforcing the importance of Workplace Safety.
This stand-down can be an opportunity for employees to talk to management about struck-by and other job hazards they see, and preventative measures that can be implemented to prevent injuries and incidents.
Companies can conduct a Safety Stand-Down by taking a break to have a toolbox talk or another safety activity such as conducting safety equipment inspections, reviewing what the sphere of safety means, or discussing job specific hazards.
Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down that works best for their workplace anytime. Decide when to hold the stand-down and how long it will last. The stand-down can take place over a break, a lunch period, or at some other designated time.
A stand-down doesn’t have to be boring for the workers. Try to make in interesting and serving snacks is always a good idea! A stand-down should be positive and interactive. Let employees talk about their experiences and encourage them to make suggestions.
If some great struck-by injury prevention ideas came out of the stand-down, consider incorporating those positive changes into the current safety program.
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