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May 3rd, 2017 
Awake Goy No employer purposefully neglects their responsibilities to protect their employees from injuries at work, but unfortunately, there has been an increase in the number of reported work fatalities from 2013 to 2015.
As the saying goes, accidents happen, but the stark reality is that many of these deaths and other injuries could have been avoided if better safety and health practices were followed.
So what is it that prevents companies from putting the correct safety measures into place?
Is it lack of awareness? Under the OSH Act, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace and must comply with all applicable OSHA standards. The US Department of Labor invests significant budget into improving the standards across workplaces, but if businesses are not being accountable, then it is difficult to get control over this.
Of course, if a serious accident happens then there will usually be some form of investigation and the possibility of the injured worker seeking compensation from their employer. This would obviously highlight where there has been some form of negligence, but it is too little too late at this stage. Certainly, for the injured person, it is far too late.
When you look at the industries that are most impacted, 937 fatal work injuries occurred in the private construction industry in 2015. This was the highest number since 2008, so it is very concerning for people working in this sector.
If you do work in the construction industry, or any other industry and you have a concern around Safety and Health, you should consult OSHA and possibly raise a complaint.
As an employee, you have rights regarding your safety including:
- Working with machinery that is safe.
- Being trained in a language you understand.
- Be provided with protection gear such as gloves, goggles, fall harnesses, etc. as applicable.
- Be protected from toxic chemicals.
You should never be afraid to challenge safety, and it is far too an important issue to be neglected. If you have been affected by safety negligence in your workplace, then you should talk to a construction accident attorney from msllegal.com. Remember, not all injuries show their full effects immediately. If you have had an accident and injured your back for example, even if the pain goes away, you could be suffering for years to come through this injury.
There are so many unnecessary injuries taking place every day across the United States, and despite the best efforts of the government, there are still companies out there who are not following the rules. Often, companies will turn a blind eye to potential safety concerns because there is a cost involved. So they avoid having unsafe equipment fixed or replaced, or don’t provide adequate protective gear because they don’t want to pay out for it.
What they fail to see is the bigger picture and the potential cost of a lawsuit or the reputational damage that an incident could cause (not to mention having a conscience and caring about your employees!). Let’s hope that when the next stats are released, the fatality rates have reduced.
Source Article from http://www.hangthebankers.com/startling-statistics-on-injuries-in-the-workplace/
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