The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released the top 10 most cited violations for 2015. OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor. Congress created OSHA in 1970 to help insure the the health and safety of workers on the job.
Leading the list again for the most violations is fall protection. Fall protection violations are designed to find violations for employees walking or working on surfaces (horizontal or vertical) with an unprotected edge that is more than six feet from the ground. The majority of these violations were found in the residential construction industry. Separate from the residential construction were also violations in low sloping roofs and steep pitched roofs.
The second most cited OSHA violations were found in hazard communication. These violations include a variety of ways that employers are failing to inform their employees of the chemical hazards with which they are working.
Scaffolding and ladder violations also made the top 10. Scaffoldings should be fully planked with flooring going all the way to the protective railing. All scaffolding footing should be on a secure surface.
Also in the top ten was machine guarding violations. These violations include failure to protect employees from rotating parts, nip points, exposed blades, flying chips and sparks. Many times the employer or a coworker will disable the machine guards.
Violations of OSHA regulations are some of the leading causes of on the job injuries.
Workers are frequently injured falling from ladders and incorrectly assembled scaffolding. Many times these residential home builders do not file workers’ compensation claims because they are afraid they are going to lose their job or they do not know if their subcontractor carries workers’ compensation coverage. Consulting with an attorney experienced in workers’ compensation cases is essential to getting your injury addressed sooner rather than having it come back to haunt you after the work has run out for the season.
Exposed blades and rotating parts are also major concerns for workers. Sometimes employers or coworkers disengage safety equipment designed to protect the worker. The result is an unnecessarily dangerous work environment. Many times the injured worker may think they are not entitled to workers compensation benefits because the employer states the accident was their fault for not wearing a certain piece of safety equipment or because a coworker has disabled a safety device. This is simply not the case.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an on the job accident, it’s important to seek the advice of an experienced South Carolina workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible to evaluate your options. Each case is unique. If you have questions about an on the job accident or any other questions about your legal rights, please contact Venus Poe today at 864-963-0310 or click here to fill out an online case evaluation form. We have offices in Greenville, South Carolina and Fountain Inn, South Carolina to better serve you anywhere in South Carolina. There is no obligation or charge for our initial consultation to see if we can help you.
The information you obtain in this article is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.You should not read this article to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction in which you may have a case.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards, https://www.osha.gov/Top_Ten_Standards.html