WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released 12 educational videos about potential hazards in the construction industry. The educational videos are easy to understand, short segments and geared to employers and workers. Each year, nearly 800 construction workers die on the job; one in every five workplace fatalities occurs within the construction industry. The videos are based on real-life incidents and include detailed depictions of hazards and the safety measures that would have prevented these injuries and fatalities.

“I urge anyone who works in the construction industry or operates a construction business to watch the videos. Share them with your co-workers and friends in the construction industry; organize screenings for your workers; and post them to your web pages,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Health and Safety Dr. David Michaels. “Every step we take to educate workers about their rights and the safety measures employers must take to protect workers in construction helps us avoid preventable injuries and the tragic loss of life.”

These videos cover falls in construction, workers who are struck by vehicles and heavy equipment, sprain and strain injuries, trenching and excavation hazards, and carbon monoxide poisoning. These videos are written for workers and employers, including workers with limited English proficiency.

Most of the videos are two to four minutes in length, and all but one are animated. Each video is available in English and Spanish for Web viewing or downloading. All video scripts are also available online in English and Spanish. The videos are located at http://www.osha.gov/dts/vtools/construction.html (Spanish-language videos are available at http://www.osha.gov/dts/vtools/construction_sp.html). After selecting a video from this page, users may choose to watch the video online, download the videos for future screenings or view the videos on the U.S. Department of Labor’s YouTube channel.

For more information, visit www.osha.gov.