Working at height can be a hazardous job, one that exposes workers to significant risks that range from structure collapses to slipping through floor openings to being struck by falling objects. A new survey from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, supported by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), aims to gather key insights from safety and health professionals this spring that can help advance fall protection in all industries worldwide.

Results from the online Fall Experience Survey, which explores the root causes of falls from height, will assist the ANSI/ASSP Z359 Fall Protection and Fall Restraint Committee in enhancing voluntary national fall protection and fall restraint consensus standards that guide occupational safety at construction sites and across all industries.

“While data is available on the types and rates of fatal and non-fatal falls, we don’t have enough information on the causes of those falls,” said Thomas Kramer, P.E., CSP, chair of the Z359 committee. “We need to learn more about trends, case studies and interventions so we can strengthen fall protection and fall restraint standards and ultimately help prevent injuries and save lives.”

ASSP is secretariat of the Z359 committee that develops voluntary national consensus standards to address fall protection equipment and systems for climbing, work positioning, fall arrest, rescue, evacuation and other fall hazards. The standards also focus on worker training and steps organizations can take to identify and abate hazards to help their employees avoid injuries and fatalities when working at height. The standards are a key component of an employer’s comprehensive fall protection program.

In the 15-minute survey now available, safety professionals are asked for details about a fall incident they have experienced, witnessed or investigated. Responses are collected anonymously.

“Falls are consistently the leading cause of construction fatalities,” said Jessica Bunting, MPH, assistant director of CPWR’s research to practice. “It’s important to remember that all falls are preventable, and that is driving us to gather better information that can foster new and effective operational solutions on the job site.”

Safety professionals are encouraged to participate in the Fall Experience Survey by April 30. A recent CPWR webinar provides more information about the survey and identifying root causes of falls from height.

Please direct questions about the online survey to CPWR’s Jessica Bunting at jbunting@cpwr.com.