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As of May 1, OSHA is putting a National Emphasis Program (NEP) in place to identify and to reduce hazards that are causing or likely to cause serious injuries and fatalities from falls while working at heights. As such, federal workplace safety inspectors can now check for dangerous conditions that could lead to falls almost anytime they spot construction or building maintenance workers laboring at heights. Falls have consistently been a leading cause of on-the-job deaths, with 390 construction fatalities linked to falls in 2021, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the NEP became effective Monday, inspections under the program can’t begin until August when a 90-day education effort ends. The program advises OSHA inspectors that they are “authorized to initiate inspections under the scope of this NEP whenever they observe someone working at heights” at a construction project. Click here to read the full NEP directive from OSHA.