NIOSH Calls for Struck-By Stand-Down
Contributed by BSM Staff

WASHINGTON -- During National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 15-19, 2024) the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will sponsor the 5th annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents in work zones. 

Struck-by incidents are the second leading cause of workplace deaths and the leading cause of nonfatal injuries among construction workers. In 2020, there were 168 construction worker deaths and approximately 14,000 nonfatal construction injuries from struck-by incidents.

The kickoff event for the 2024 National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents is a live stand-down event at a construction site in Mobile, Alabama on April 15 from 1:30-2:15 p.m. EDT. Watch the livestream on YouTube.

“Stand-downs provide the opportunity to inform workers and management about these hazards and provide training on how to prevent these injuries,” said Scott Earnest, director of the NIOSH Office of Construction Health and Safety and an event speaker.

The live event is coordinated by the NORA Construction Sector Council and supported by the Alabama Road Builders, Alabama Associated General Contractors, Alabama Department of Transportation, and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

A second event for the 2024 Stand-Down is a webinar on Thursday April 18 from 2-3 p.m. EDT. The webinar, “Developing and Enforcing Internal Traffic Control Plans,” will focus on the importance of internal traffic control plans and how planning ahead to coordinate the flow of construction vehicles, equipment, and workers operating in work zones can prevent crashes, injuries, and deaths. The webinar will include a panel of experts who will discuss practical and real-world issues related to use of internal traffic control plans to help protect workers in roadway work zones.

NIOSH is planning the National Stand-Down with the NORA Construction Sector Council, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, and many other construction partners from industry, academia, and the federal government.

Resources and additional information related to struck-by hazards and the National Stand-Down are available on the NIOSH National Construction Center’s website. NIOSH research and prevention efforts provide the leading science, guidance, and prevention expertise needed to protect workers.

NIOSH is the federal institute that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths.

Find more information about NIOSH at www.cdc.gov/niosh.