January 09, 2013 (Press-News.org) With the New Year already upon us, many workers are just getting back from family vacations and holiday celebrations. As workers attempt to get back to the full swing of things, it is a perfect time to review workplace safety standards, especially in inherently dangerous and accident prone industries such as construction.
With that in mind, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released their preliminary Top 10 most cited workplace safety violations of 2012. Texas workers should pay particular attention to this list as it may delineate some workplace hazards that are not only dangerous, but potentially life-threatening.
Top OSHA violations of 2012
Various types of hazards can be found in OSHA's list of workplace citations this year - with many violations related to the protection of employees who work at great heights on a daily basis. Rounding out the top five OSHA violations for 2012 are:
- Fall Protection: Violations relating to the appropriate construction, installation and monitoring of safety systems aimed at preventing falls at the workplace (7,250 total violations).
- Hazard Communication: Violations involving the dangers of chemicals produced and imported in a workplace - and the communications regarding these hazards to the workers (4,696 total violations).
- Scaffolding: Violations involving the basic safety requirements surrounding the design and construction of workplace scaffolding (3,814 total violations).
- Respiratory Protection: Violations regarding the maintenance of respirators and the employer development of respirator protection programs (2,371 total violations).
- Ladder: Violations regarding the general use of ladders and their requirements (2,310 total violations).
Tragically, an employer violation of any one of these OSHA standards can ultimately result in the injury, or possible death, of an unsuspecting worker.
Texas workplace accident remedies
As many of the top OSHA violations indicate, the construction industry is rife with potentially dangerous conditions that can easily give rise to construction accidents. If involved in a Texas construction accident, most workers know that they have the available option of seeking workers' compensation, but many are not aware that they may also have a possible third party claim.
For instance, if a construction worker is injured as a result of actions taken by someone other than their employer - such as a subcontractor of delivery driver - the injured worker may be able to hold this third party liable for their injuries.
However, the question of construction accident liability can be complex and fact specific. Consequently, if you or a loved one has been injured in a workplace accident, it may be helpful to discuss your options with a knowledgeable construction accident attorney. An attorney can review the facts of your accidents and provide helpful advice and guidance.
Article provided by Leonard B. Gabbay, P.C.
Visit us at www.lbglaw.com
Top Workplace Safety Violations of 2012
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released their preliminary Top 10 most cited workplace safety violations of 2012. Texas workers should pay particular attention to this list as it may delineate some workplace hazards that are not only dangerous, but potentially life-threatening.
2013-01-09
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[Press-News.org] Top Workplace Safety Violations of 2012The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released their preliminary Top 10 most cited workplace safety violations of 2012. Texas workers should pay particular attention to this list as it may delineate some workplace hazards that are not only dangerous, but potentially life-threatening.