Staging High Work

Despite a recent focus on safety, nearly 10,000 fall-related injuries and 100 deaths occur annually in the construction industry. It’s unclear how many of those accidents take place on residential job sites — the figures include all kinds of commercial work, from bridge construction to work on water towers — but the actual number, whatever it is, is certainly too high. Fortunately, a variety of products on the market today make it easier than ever before to perform high work safely. And while most builders remain skeptical of OSHA, the agency has been showing some flexibility lately. It recently backed down from a highly restrictive series of fall-protection regulations (issued in 1996) that were widely perceived as unworkable.