If you’ve ever worked, you’ve probably heard of OSHA. OSHA is often portrayed as the ominous government entity that regulates safety and imposes a lot of “rules” in the process. What you don’t know about OSHA may surprise you:
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) by the Numbers:
OSHA is a relatively small agency, there are only 2,200 inspectors nationwide. These inspectors are responsible for the health and safety of 130 million workers. That means there is one inspector for every 59,000 workers.
What Does This Mean For US Workers?
It also means that OSHA acts more in a reactive position responding and investigating after workers have been killed or injured , rather than a proactive one meant to prevent the accidents from occurring in the first place.
It means that the responsibility of safety is given to manufacturers, the same people whose first priority is often to make as large of a profit as possible. In 2013, 4,585 workers were killed on the job, an average of 12 people killed every day across the country.
Which Industry Is the Most Dangerous?
Construction is the most dangerous industry, accounting for 20% of the workplace wrongful deaths in 2013.
Workers are hurt in various ways including:
- Falls
- Hit by an Object
- Electrocutions
- Caught-in/Between
Most Violated OSHA Standards
The United States Department of Labor compiled a list of the most frequently violated standards:
1) Fall protection was not provided most often on construction sites
2) Hazard Communication Standard Not Practiced
3) Improper Scaffolding
4) Lack of Respiratory Protection
5) Improper use of forklifts and other powered industrial trucks
6) Control of Hazardous Energy (Electric, Hydraulic Potential, Pneumatic Potential, Chemical, Radiation, Gravitational Potential, and Mechanical Energy)
7) Ladders Used in Construction
8) Improper Electrical Wiring Methods, Components and Equipment, General Industry
9) Machines and Machine Guarding
10) Electrical Systems Design
What Do I Do If I’m Hurt on the Job?
Being injured on the job can have devastating effects on your health and on your family’s well-being.
You probably have many questions that I can help you answer.
Should I file for Workers’ Compensation?
Will my employer help me? Should I sue my employer? Can I sue my employer? Will I be fired?
What is a “third party action”? Will it help me get the compensation I deserve?
Help is a Phone Call Away
I have extensive experience with cases that happened on the job. Below are some examples of the types of cases I’ve pursued during my twenty year career:
- defective products
- car accidents
- injuries caused by other workers, such as other sub-contractors
- safety violations (premises liability and modified equipment)
- injuries caused when operating construction equipment (including heavy equipment such as a Kubota tractor, a Caterpillar D-10 tractor (large scale bulldozer), fluid filled couplers and other commercial vehicles).
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a workplace accident, call The Thomson Law Firm and get answers to your questions. Do not delay, the consultation is FREE. Call (877) 471-3353 or (540) 777-4900 today.
