Falls are the leading cause of construction worker injuries and deaths. Whether you work on residential rooftops or around trenching projects, there is always the risk of falling. It’s the responsibility of employers to ensure that their employees are given the proper training and equipment to avoid such an accident. When they fail to do this, they can be held responsible.
According to a press release from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), one Burlington, NJ construction company is facing significant fines after the agency determined it wasn’t doing everything required to keep its workers safe.
RPK Construction Inc. faces fines totaling more than $20,000 for three safety violations at a Medford job site. The largest penalty was prescribed for a willful violation of failing to provide fall protection to workers exposed to fall hazards. The workers were more than 10 feet above the ground working on framing and other carpentry-related tasks. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with “intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.”
The company also faces two serious citations totaling more than $5,000. These were due to damaged electrical equipment being used without grounding pins. A serious violation is defined as one where there is “substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known,” of the risk.
“Falls are among the most common causes of work-related injuries and deaths,” said area OSHA director Paula Dixon-Roderick. “This company’s failure to provide fall protection for workers reflects a negligent attitude toward worker safety and health.”
The violations on this job site were discovered in a February inspection initiated under OSHA’s emphasis on fall protection.
For workers, an OSHA inspection can be unnerving. But it’s ultimately the company’s responsibility to ensure that OSHA standards are being followed. OSHA’s goal is to protect you, the worker, from serious accidents.
When a serious fall accident happens and you are injured as a result, you can hold the company responsible for its failure to keep you safe. The construction accident attorneys of Ginarte can help.
New Jersey and New York Construction Accident Lawyers
Contact the construction accident lawyers of Ginarte today if you’ve suffered a serious work-related injury. We can offer a free consultation and may be able to help you receive compensation for your injuries. Call (888)-GINARTE today.