OSHA Finds Workplace Hazards

State and Federal laws are designed to ensure the safety of workers, regardless of the type of work required.  When employers fail to adhere to specified guidelines, companies may face huge penalties.  No penalty, however, compares to the harm that comes to unprotected employees.  If you have suffered a workplace accident due to negligence on the job site, you may be entitled to damages to address your medical bills and more.

Construction Problem

When two construction workers headed to the job site in Orlando one fateful morning, they could not have imagined that they would not be coming home.  But while they were busy pouring concrete on the seventh level of a building under construction, the structure on which they were working collapsed, sending them to their untimely deaths.

An investigation conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revealed some startling facts:  contractors neglected to inspect a number of work areas, failing to ensure the safety of workers.  Overlooked areas included:

• Shoring;
• Scaffolding;
• Work decks;
• Formwork.

Citations were issued against the contractors due to their failure to design, create, erect, and brace the formwork, resulting in its inability to support both lateral and vertical loads. They also recommended that policies be developed to ensure that any shoring equipment be installed as per the specs in the most recent, rather than older drawings. Six-digit fines accompany the rebuke.

Roofing Violations 

In a separate case in Jacksonville, a roofing contractor was fined after employees from two different sites experienced falls. The company involved has a history of repeat violations involving serious, willful misconduct.  In these particular cases, workers were expected to perform roofing activities without the benefit of fall protections. The company involved faces fines totaling over $1 million.

Tree Service Accident 

An employee experienced a tragic injury involving a chain saw while working for an Alachua tree service company.  OSHA reports cited the lack of face shields, hard hats, and protective coverings, as well as inadequate training and first aid supplies.  The accident was considered willful and resulted in fines of nearly $150,000.

Multiple Violations 

Workers were exposed to potential hearing damage in a Pompano Beach company, where they were exposed to loud machinery without the benefit of ear plugs.  It was one of many citations, including:

• Failure to provide proper safety gear for individuals who wear prescription glasses;
• Failure to provide protective gear for welders;
• Neglecting to provide fire extinguishers as needed;
• Neglecting to properly anchor machinery;
• Improper storage and handling of hazardous materials;
• Failure to implement proper control programs.

Justice for Employees 

Companies like these secure huge profits every year, while failing to invest in employee safety.  When employees suffer due to employers willful refusal to provide a safe workplace, the Kissimmee personal injury attorneys at the Salazar & Kelly Law Group know precisely how to proceed.  Allow us to help with your case.  Schedule a confidential consultation in our office today.

Resources:

osha.gov/news/newsreleases/region4/09012011

ehstoday.com/construction/article/21920037/osha-cites-florida-companies-after-two-worker-deaths