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A recent tragedy in Ohio has raised more questions about construction safety, and what more could, or should, be done.
An Ohio man fell to his death while working on a 48 ft. by 140 ft. asphalt tank. Investigators confirmed that the man died from blunt force trauma associated with the fall. OSHA officials continue to investigate, hoping to find the cause of the accident.
How Can We Prevent Death by Construction Fall?
OSHA recently reported that almost 900 people were killed in construction accidents in 2014. Nearly half of those were due to falls. Fall-related injuries are the most popular of the “fatal four,” the four most common causes of fatalities in construction. The other three are electrocution, caught in-between, and struck by falling objects.
Education is the best way to prevent additional injuries. Get educated on the proper safety practices if you work in the construction industry, or spread the word to your friends that do. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has tons of guidelines and regulations in place that are supposed to help keep you safe. Follow them.
If you feel unsafe at work or have noticed any safety violations being made on the job site, you should file a complaint with OSHA. They will conduct an investigation to make sure everything is on the level.
If you are worried about retaliation, remember that it is illegal for an employer to take any negative action against you for making a safety complaint. If you are fired, demoted, transferred, have your hours cut, shifts changed, or anything else that could affect you negatively, you may have a case for retaliation.
You deserve to be safe at work, no matter what your job is. Don’t tolerate workplace safety violations, or retaliation for reporting them.
The Columbus workers’ comp lawyers at Larrimer & Larrimer LLC are here to help anyone who may have been injured in a construction accident. We fight to get you the money you need to move forward after a work injury.