You’ve been working in construction for almost 15 years, and you know the hazards and workarounds your Texas employer uses to save money—at your and your co-workers safety expense. Since you’re aware of the “inner-workings” and neglected safety protocols, instead of raising a fuss and potentially endangering your job, you’ve just taken extra personal precautions.

However, your son has decided that he wants to work beside you, and begin a career in construction. As soon as he made that decision, you knew that you had to do something. Therefore, you filed an anonymous complaint to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Office in order to get a full safety inspection before your son started.

Today is the day that the investigation is supposed to start, and you’re anxious to know what they will discover.

Fatally Ignored OSHA Construction Safeguards

Working in construction is an extremely dangerous profession. The United States Department of Labor believes that the construction industry has the highest fatal injury rate than any other industry in the U.S. As a result of this alarming determination, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been instructed by the government to take their regulations of construction safety extremely seriously.

Throughout their nationwide investigations of construction sites, OSHA has repeatedly discovered several direct violations of their safety statutes. The most common of these ignored safeguards are:

Fall protection

Failing to use harnesses and straps.

Protection from falling objects and debris

Failure to use braces, overhead barriers, and hard hats.

Adequate scaffolding to prevent collapse

Missing reinforced joints, stable bases, and adequate bracings.

Ladders

Many ladders are not in good working condition.

Head and body protective gear

Failing to provide hard hats, leather overalls, and gloves.

Hazard communication

Failure to provide walkie-talkies, adequate training, and hazard plans.

General safety and health provisions

Missing first aid kits and working fire extinguishers.

Electrical safety

Not providing training, gloves, and rubber-coated tools.

Equipment safety

Failure to provide training, maintenance, and additional manpower to help control situations.

Chemical safety

Not supplying training, adequate disposal, or proper gear.

Feeling the Consequences of Your Texas Employer’s Defiance

Your employer should always—without exception—follow every rule and safeguard OSHA requires for construction safety. If your employer fails to comply with one of these standards, the risk of injury is significant. In a best case scenario, an accident could cause you to lose a few days of work and perhaps a few stitches. The worst case scenario? You could wind up paralyzed, brain damaged, lose a limb—or even die.

This is why it is extremely important to make sure your employer and fellow co-workers are aware of the safety standards, as well as following them to the “T.”

Safety should always come first in any job—this is especially true in the dangerous field of construction work. Help your friends, family, and co-workers get the information they need to stay safe. 

Have You Been Injured In A Texas Construction Accident?

If you've been injured in a construction accident you need to speak with an experienced construction accident injury attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Texas office directly at 817.485.8888 to schedule your free consultation.

 

David Hart
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Helping victims throughout Fort Worth, Arlington, North Richland, Grapevine, Bedford, Hurst and points between