Remarks Prepared for Delivery
Loren Sweatt
Acting Assistant Secretary
National Fall Stand-Down Kickoff Event
Texas Rangers Stadium
Arlington, TX
Monday, May 6, 2019

• Good morning. It is great to be in Texas with all of you for the kickoff event of the 2019 National Fall Stand-Down.
• I’d like to thank the Texas Rangers and Manhattan Construction for hosting this event, as well as the other speakers here today – Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams, Executive Vice President of the Texas Rangers Rob Matwick, and the President of Manhattan Construction John Reyhan. 
• Thanks to all of you who have worked tirelessly and safely to build this amazing facility. Your craftsmanship and professionalism is evident.
• I would also like to acknowledge and thank Jim Cuddihee, the Vice President of Operations for Manhattan. Jim is overseeing the building of the ballpark, and has been a driving force for making this event happen today.
• Most importantly, I want to thank everyone in attendance today for valuing the safety and lives of workers, and your commitment for putting an end to preventable falls.
• Falls can be prevented with training and education about these hazards, and by using appropriate protection.
• During this week, thousands of worksites across the country and around the world will take time during the workday for safety demonstrations, training in hazard recognition and fall prevention, and talks about hazards, protective methods, and the company’s safety policies, goals, and expectations.
• This event is your opportunity to discuss important issues dealing with fall prevention, and reflect on how it could protect you in your work.
• Since OSHA began this initiative six years ago, more than 10 million workers have been reached with the message that falls can be prevented.
• But, too many workers continue to be injured or lose their lives in preventable falls every year. 
• Falls remain the leading cause of death in construction – accounting for nearly one-third of all construction fatalities – and falls are consistently one of OSHA’s most cited hazards.
• So, it is important to remain vigilant at all times – beyond today and this week.
• Safety doesn’t start at a stand-up or a campaign kickoff event, and it certainly cannot stop when we leave here today. 
• Safety must start on day one and be a continuous process. It starts with a first step – whether that is a safety meeting, improvements in safety and health programs, participation in a stand-down, or a simple harness check. 
• You are building a structure for America’s national pastime. I am sure a lot of you coach your kid’s sports teams, cheer them to victory, and support them in defeat. To do that, you have to be there.
• Wear your protective equipment, tie off, and take the time to work safely so you can coach them to play in a stadium like this one day.
• We will measure the success of this week by the number of workers reached and the number of worksites participating – because those are numbers we can tally. 
• However, the true success of this week will be a statistic that we’ll never know – the true success of this week will be if we can prevent just one fall, save just one life, and prevent just one worker from becoming just another terrible statistic.
• Together we can make a difference and save lives. Let’s do all that we can to send every worker home safe and healthy each and every day.  Do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones.
• Thank you. And go Rangers!