Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
You might think you’re safe from a fall accident, but the truth is that it can happen to anyone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are a persistent hazard found in all occupational settings.
These accidents can happen when simply walking, climbing up a ladder or as a result of a series of events affecting construction workers high above the ground. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009 information, there were more than 600 workers who were killed and another 212,800 seriously injured in fall accidents to the same (or a lower) level.
Our construction accident lawyers understand that the highest frequency of fall-related deaths was experienced by those within the construction industry. On the other hand, the highest numbers of fall-related injuries and instances occurred to those working in the wholesale and retail industries and health services. Construction, material moving and transportation, building cleaning and maintenance, healthcare support and extraction occupations are particularly at risk of fall injuries.
Luckily, there’s a new app for both iPhone and Andriod that features multimodal indicators and a graphic-oriented guide for ladder selection, inspection, positioning, accessorizing, and safe use.
There are oftentimes very familiar circumstances among these kinds of accidents, including unprotected edges, slippery or cluttered walking spaces, misused fall protection, unsafely positioned ladders, wall openings and floor holes. Under federal standards, there are specific regulations that workers and employers have to follow to help to prevent these kinds of accidents. Unfortunately, not all of these regulations are followed and these unsafe practices result in injury and death year after year.
And you’d be surprised by how much these kinds of accidents can affect workers. They come with a heap of workers’ compensation and medical costs. As a matter of fact, they’re estimated to total about $7- billion each and every year in the U.S.
Did you know? Falls from elevation account for one third of all deaths in construction.
To help to prevent a fall accident on your construction site:
-Make sure that all trash is disposed of immediately and properly.
-Consider using cordless tools whenever possible.
-Make sure you wrap up and coil cords whenever they’re not being used.
-Whenever something is spilled, be sure to clean and block off the area as soon as possible.
-Minimize the amount of materials on site by carefully planning deliveries.
-Make sure that there are warning signs always places around slippery areas.
-Keep all walkways clear of obstacles at all times.
-Make sure that all workers are provided with the proper fall protection that they need to complete the job safely.
-Remember to lift objects with your legs and to hold your abdomen in when bending over.
-Employers must train workers in hazard recognition and in the care and safe use of ladders, scaffolds, fall protection systems, and other equipment they’ll be using on the job.
-Keep an accurate OSHA incident log and focus on preventing common incidents.
Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, have spent four decades fighting for the rights of injured employees. Call for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. 1-800-283-2900.
More Blog Entries:
SWFL Construction Accidents a Spring and Summer Concern, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, April 18, 2013
New Release Illustrates Dangerous Jobs and Common Work-Related Accidents in Fort Myers and Elsewhere, Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, September 5, 2013
