The Associated General Contractors of America will continue to provide fall protection safety training next year due to a federal safety grant the association is being awarded. The association will use the $120,000 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to offer the fall protection safety training designed to prevent potentially fatal falls among construction workers, officials said.

“Nothing is more important to our members than the safety of every construction worker,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “The expanded program will help give construction workers the training they need to remain safe on the job site”

According to the latest safety statistics, fall-related fatalities remain the single largest cause of construction deaths while the overall number of construction fatalities has declined by nearly 50 percent over the past five years, Sandherr said. In 2010, fall-related fatalities account for 35 percent of the total, 260 out of the 751 construction fatalities, he added.

The fall protection safety program will be offered in eight different locations next year, reaching as many as 500 construction workers, Sandherr noted. The program will provide comprehensive information about fall protection for both commercial and residential construction, he added.

In addition to the fall protection program, the association offers a variety of safety programs and materials that many member construction firms currently use. The association offers educational materials to member firms and in-seat safety training programs across the country.

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