Creating a safe environment for workers is the responsibility of all employers in the construction industry. Unfortunately, many owners, supervisors, and others with authority ignore their duties and either create serious hazards or fail to take steps for the prevention of disease, illness, and injury. When corners are cut for the sake of cost or time efficiency, the health and safety of everyone on site is put at risk.
Maintaining a safe workplace is not only the right thing to do, it’s the law. There are a variety of regulations at the state level aimed at protecting workers from negligence in worksites. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is the federal agency charged with enacting and enforcing workplace safety legislation. They also compile and release accident and injury statistics in hopes of improving employer safety standards. Preliminary OSHA Census data for 2011 revealed that 4,609 workers died on the job last year — demonstrating that safety compliance is severely lacking.
The Consequences of Workplace Negligence
When employers and other supervisory staff overlook important safeguards for worker wellness, they endanger the lives of everyone around. The effects of injuries and illnesses due to construction site negligence not only diminish the injured worker’s quality of life, but also put stress and strain on their family members and loved ones. Many injured victims have been forced to file for bankruptcy due to the huge financial toll of hospitalization and surgeries.
Your Rights After a Construction Accident
After an accident, you may have a number of construction accident questions regarding your rights to compensation and the responsibility of those around you. A construction accident attorney can thoroughly investigate your situation to see what unnecessary risks may have caused or contributed to your construction accident.
With so many moving parts in a construction site, it can be hard to determine the clear cause of a serious accident. There’s a chance your injuries resulted from a combination of factors, such as a defective piece of equipment and an employer’s failure to provide proper training on how to use equipment. If you developed an illness due to toxic exposure,
If you would like to learn more about the construction accident laws in your state, please search the database of construction accident lawyers to find a skilled professional in your area.