Why is a Safety Stand Down Important?

If you are not aware of what a “SAFETY STAND DOWN” is, it is simply a pause at sometime during the work-day to allow some time for management, safety, supervisors or a combination of all of the above, to discuss an important safety and health topic.  A Stand Down serves as a “special emphasis” to the current safety and health activities at your workplace.

For those of you who are not aware, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has requested that employers consider holding a voluntary Safety Stand Down for their employees anytime during the week of May 2-6, 2022.  While OSHA has focused on falls in construction this year, the topic is relatable to all industries, “Falls in the Workplace”.

A Safety Stand Down is a good way for you and your internal team to focus on a particular site-specific hazard or potential risk for injury within your workplace, and perform activities around that risk that stand out.  This is an effective way to raise awareness by employees of the hazard(s) and how to mitigate the risk.

Some tips and strategies for holding a Safety Stand Down are as follows:

• Don’t wait until an incident or accident to consider a Stand Down.  It can be used to add emphasis to situations or conditions at any time.
• Keep the Stand Down short and to the point and allow for interaction.
• Have a call to action, or what I refer to as “Education to Action”.  For example, “As a result of the Stand Down, we are expecting that you, check your work areas for fall or trip hazards and fix or report them immediately.”

What areas are of significant risk in your workplace?  These might be topics for a Stand Down.

Stand Downs, while typically used for focus or emphasis on a specific risk, can also be used for items such as Employee Mindset.  A common topic that I use is; “Is your Mind in the Game”.

For example, in the manufacturing and related industries, the leading causes of injury* are as follows:

1. Overexertion/back injuries
2. Falls on the same level (trips/slips)
3. Struck by object or equipment
4. Caught in equipment or machine (cuts/lacerations)

Now that you are educated on what a Safety Stand Down is, you might check your calendar and determine when you and your team will hold one.

*Leading cause of injury obtained from the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, 2020.