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Construction workers’ accidents: Falls top of violations list

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, this year’s list of occupational safety violations is topped by falls, with almost 7,000 breaches reported. Although they can occur in any workplace environment, most fall injuries and fatalities involve construction workers’ accidents. OSHA issued one of the highest fines issued for such violations in November. An Ohio-based roofing company was assessed almost $308,000 for its failure to provide roofing workers with fall protection.

Earlier this month, a construction and plastering company in another state received fines of more than $80,000 for similar violations, as well as inadequate training programs and exposure to silica and cement. According to the federal safety agency, yet another construction company was fined just short of $90,000 for exposing workers to fall hazards. OSHA fined this employer after compliance officers documented the dangerous conditions at a construction site.

Reportedly, workers had no safe access to scaffolds, and they worked at heights of 13 feet without fall protection. What concerns authorities is the fact that this company received citations annually since 2013 for similar violations. Their most recent citations were issued as recently as Feb. this year.

Victims of construction workers’ accidents in Ohio who are fortunate enough to survive may have to deal with severe consequences. Medical costs and lost wages can ruin the budget of any household. However, help is available through the the Ohio workers’ compensation insurance system. Some fall accident victims choose to utilize the skills of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to navigate the administrative and legal steps of the claims process while they focus on recovering from their injuries.

Source: constructiondive.com, “OSHA fines PA contractor $87K for fall hazard violations“, Sean Barry, Dec. 22, 2016