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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgates safety standards and regulations for several different industry types, construction included. These regulations are meant to keep workers safe and safety becomes extra important when you consider the severity of injuries that can be sustained due to unsafe construction site conditions. Unfortunately, OSHA violations are all too common on construction sites. In fact, the New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health discovered that almost 70% of the 2,000 OSHA construction sites they examined in 2014 had safety citations.
An OSHA violation can be a clear sign of negligence on the part of a construction company, site owner, general contractor, or someone else. If you or a loved one has been injured on a construction site due to the negligence of someone else, you may be able to receive compensation above and beyond a workers’ compensation claim. Contact New York Personal Injury attorney Michael LoGiudice today.
What are the Most Common OSHA violations on Construction Sites?
Some of the most common OSHA violations involve scaffolds and ladders. Per OSHA regulations:
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Scaffolds must be structurally sound and never placed on unstable objects.
A Scaffold should be able to support its own weight in addition to four times the maximum intended load without moving.
Guardrails should always be a part of scaffolding.
Scaffolding should be no less than 10 feet from power lines.
While there are a variety of ladder types, each ladder should be used for its intended purpose.
Ladders should be regularly inspected for any defects.
Never use a metal ladder near power lines.
Never load a ladder beyond its maximum intended weight limit.
Working at great heights presents its own risks under the best of circumstances. Failure to comply with scaffolding and ladder safety regulations puts the lives of construction workers at risk. If a worker survives a height-related accident, they are still likely to sustain devastating injuries such as paralysis and traumatic brain injury.
In addition to the above, other common OSHA violations include:
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Unsafe stairway conditions such as debris obstructions and poor lighting
Unmaintained or unavailable safety gear
Worn ropes and cables
Exposed holes in the ground
Failure to use safety nets or other types of fall arrest systems
Failure to comply with these OSHA regulations puts construction site workers at great risk of bodily injury. With work involving great heights, as well as heavy equipment and materials, it is no wonder that OSHA has these safety regulations in place. Yes, construction can be dangerous work, but so many injuries that occur on construction sites could have been prevented if proper safety measures had been put in place and OSHA regulations had been observed and complied with.
Pursuing Full and Fair Compensation for Injured Construction Site Workers
Construction site workers are entitled to a reasonably safe work environment. OSHA regulations were put in place to guide site management on how to work to ensure this. Negligence will often come in the form of an OSHA violation and when a construction worker is injured as a result, they are legally entitled to compensation for their injuries and losses. Attorney Michael LoGiudice fights for the rights of the injured.