Every day, contractors face one of the leading causes of death in the American workplace.

That’s a pretty menacing statement, but “falling”–the cause of all these deaths—doesn’t really sound so scary. After all, kids fall on the playground, then get right back up and keep on playing!

But on a construction site, where tools or wires are easy to trip over and working at height is an everyday occurrence, falls are much less benign.

The overwhelming majority—82 percent–of fatal workplace falls are from one level to another (as opposed to tripping and falling on the same level). About 25 percent of those falls from one level to another were falls of 10 feet or less, and about 20 percent were falls of more than 30 feet.

Every week, we see news stories about fatal falls because contractors weren’t using fall protection or following safety policies. That person’s family is changed forever, and the employer faces major financial ramifications—particularly if that employer didn’t provide the appropriate safety equipment or safety training for the workers.

Every company should value the safety of its employees. After all, they’re the ones who do the work that keeps the company moving forward.

You can help prevent falls on the construction site by installing signs alerting people to changes in floor elevation; installing railings along elevated surfaces; providing fall arrest equipment and other safety equipment; and training staff in their proper use; and developing safety policies and procedures and training workers to follow them.

Don’t allow your workers to become part of the devastating statistics about workplace falls. Help them to stay safe while working at height and on the construction site—and protect your company’s future.

ContractorHelpers.com is a service of Insurance Partners, Inc., which has been providing quality protection for contractors for more than 35 years. California contractors insurance specialists work with companies on everything from California general liability and California workers compensation insurance to contractor bonds and a “pay as you sell” liability insurance program designed especially for homebuilders. If you have questions about your contractor insurance coverage, contact us.