Framers play a critically important role in the construction of new residential and commercial structures. After a foundation for a new project has been laid, the work of other construction professionals generally cannot begin in earnest until framers have completed their responsibilities.
When assembling most of the foundational structural elements of a new building, framers often work at great heights. Additionally, due to Chicago’s distinctive climate and city planning features, framers often work under particularly challenging circumstances. As a result, when framers are erecting walls, laying floors, and constructing roofs, it is not unusual for them to suffer occupational harm.
Framers and the Fatal Four
Framers are well-positioned to sustain either non-fatal or fatal occupational harm as a result of “The Fatal Four” due to the nature of their job duties and circumstances. The Fatal Four is a term used to describe the four primary reasons why construction professionals lose their lives on the job, as identified by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
These four risk factors account for more than half of all fatalities within the construction industry. By understanding both why framers are at unique risk of harm due to these influences and how to mitigate that risk of harm, workers and employers can help to prevent many of the scenarios that could lead framers to become seriously injured.
- Getting caught in/between: Tumbling into a trench or excavation and being crushed by heavy machinery are both constant risks that framers grapple with. Only proactive approaches can mitigate these particular risks.
- Falls: While all construction workers risk fall injuries while on the job, framers are especially vulnerable due to the lack of existing structure present (often at great heights) while they’re doing their jobs. Maximizing fall prevention strategies is essential in re: these workers.
- Electrocution: Although electrical wiring is not generally run in a structure until after a framer’s duties are complete, framers use equipment fueled by electricity regularly. Especially when framers are working at great height and/or in poor weather, precautions against electrocution need to be taken very seriously.
- Being struck: Framers who are working on floors are often operating simultaneously with framers who are navigating wall and roof construction far above them. Anyone who is not working at the top level of a structure risks being struck by objects falling from above. Additionally, all framers may be struck by equipment at any time. Unscrupulous site practices can escalate this particular risk.
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Connect with a Reputable Chicago Construction Injury Lawyer Today for Personalized Assistance
Whether you are a unionized construction worker or not, you have rights under the law if you have been harmed as a result of your occupational circumstances. The knowledgeable team of construction injury attorneys at Anesi Ozmon, LTD. has been working to protect the rights and interests of injured construction workers in Illinois since 1955 and we can help you too.Our dedicated legal team understands just how consequential an occupational injury can be. We have worked with construction professionals whose harm ranged from relatively minor to permanently disabling, as well as the surviving loved ones of those whose injuries proved fatal. No matter what the extent of your harm may be, our team will do its utmost to secure you the maximum amount of compensation to which you are rightfully entitled. To learn more, call our office at 312-997-5784 or connect with our team online to schedule a free legal consultation. We look forward to hearing from you.