FORT BRAGG, North Carolina -- (June 3, 2016) Members of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Fort Bragg contracting office attended the May 2 kickoff to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction event.
Members of the MICC-Fort Bragg contracting office and 900th Contracting Battalion received training and a firsthand look at how job site accidents could affect contractor readiness.
To kick off the Safety Stand Down event, Kim Morton, the OSHA director for Raleigh, North Carolina, met with Fort Bragg leaders, safety and contracting professionals to discuss the importance of fall protection at the job site. The day was split into two events: a fall protection presentation in the morning at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and a construction site visit at Fort Bragg.
"In 2015, one fall at the job site cost companies an average of $100,000 in medical related bills and other worker expenses," said Clarence Moore, a Raleigh OSHA office safety compliance officer.
Falls continue to be the construction industry's leading cause of death; each year, hundreds of workers die and thousands more suffer catastrophic, debilitating injuries. Despite these chilling statistics, the absence of proper fall protection remains the violation cited most frequently by federal safety inspectors.
Contractors play a pivotal role in daily operations at Fort Bragg. Contracting professionals and contracting officer representatives on Fort Bragg continue to be champions of safety, helping maintain contractor safety.
At the conclusion of the day's events, Morton encouraged attendees to retrieve a safety certificate for participating in the OSHA 2016 National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.
A typical stand down allows companies to stop work at a designated time to discuss and demonstrate how to the best prevent falls and to encourage workers to apply these methods consistently. OSHA's National Safety Stand Down web page provides free information on how to conduct an event.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's workers by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/.
MICC-Fort Bragg is a subordinate unit under the leadership of the 419th Contracting Support Brigade which is currently deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. The 419th CSB is one of three brigades and a field directorate office comprise the Mission and Installation Contract Command. Headquartered at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the MICC is comprised of more than 1,500 military and civilian members responsible for contracting for Soldiers. In fiscal 2015, the command executed more than 36,000 contract actions valued at more than $5.2 billion across the Army, including $2.25 billion to American small businesses. The command also managed more than 600,000 Government Purchase Card Program transactions in fiscal 2015 valued at an additional $747 million.
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