OSHA Violations Are Serious
The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) aims “to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.” (OSHA website.) OSHA regulations reflect industrial experts’ consensus on best practices for protecting workers in industries and fields of endeavor, including construction, maritime operations and agriculture.
When serious injuries occur in workplace contexts, one of the most important aspects of an investigation is to determine whether any OSHA regulations were violated. Topics of concern covered in OSHA regulations pertaining to construction and industrial workplaces include the following areas:
- Walking and working surfaces
- Exit routes
- Emergency action plans
- Fire prevention plans
- Powered platforms and vehicle-mounted work platforms
- Ventilation
- Occupational noise exposure
- Hazardous materials
- Personal protective equipment
- Sanitation
- Machine guarding
- Hand and portable powered tools and equipment
- Welding
- Electrical systems
- Toxic and hazardous substances
- Process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals
- Hazardous waste operations
- Signs, signals and barricades
- Scaffolds
- Fall protection
- Excavations
- Concrete and masonry construction
- Steel erection
- Demolition
- Power transmission and distribution
- Ladders
- Cranes and derricks
- Power line safety
OSHA specifically informs employers that they are responsible for enforcing safety standards as outlined in the regulations. In the words of Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, “Employers should not sacrifice their workers’ lives for a profit, and no one should be injured or killed for a paycheck.” (Source: U.S. Department of Labor news release.) Ms. Solis made this statement after OSHA “issued 54 workplace safety and health citations with penalties totaling $1.2 million to gun powder substitute manufacturer Black Mag LLC, following an investigation into the causes of a deadly explosion in May at the company’s worksite in Colebrook, [New Hampshire].”
Violators of OSHA regulations such as Black Mag are expected to correct unsafe workplace conditions. They are often required to pay fines. Through personal injury claims and lawsuits, injured workers may recover damages from liable parties. OSHA regulations help identify and confirm negligence in construction accidents and industrial accidents.
Contact Anesi, Ozmon, Rodin, Novak & Kohen Ltd. Today
If an employer’s negligence has harmed you, give our firm a call today at 312-997-5784 to schedule your free consultation.