Equipment Safety and Employee Injuries

Workplace safety is a priority facing many organizations. The Occupational Safety and Health Act authorize each state to establish their own employee safety rules and health programs with OSHA approval.

Laws Requiring Employers to Provide a Safe Environment

The OSHA Reform Act requires employers to provide work environments free of hazards likely to cause death or serious injury and to comply with government safety and health standards.  These limit the amount of hazardous chemicals workers can be exposed to, require the use of safety practices and equipment, and require employers to monitor hazards and maintain records of workplace injuries and illnesses.  Employers can be cited and fined if they do not comply with OSHA standards.

Employer Safety Violations and Common Injury Risks

The most common injuries include:

• Overexertion when lifting an object that is too heavy
• Falling on a flat surface, such as a wet or slippery surface
• Falling from a height which may include from a roof, off a ladder, or down a staircase
• Being hit with an object falling from a shelf or dropped by someone else
• Repetitive motion, which can cause carpal tunnel injuries or tendonitis
• Automobile accident when cars and trucks are used for business purposes
• Contact with dangerous temperatures, such as frostbite or heat exhaustion
• Crush injuries as a result of being caught in huge machinery
• Running into objects, such as chairs, desks, tables and glass doors

Willful violations occur when an employer intentionally commits a violation or is aware that a hazardous condition exists and makes no reasonable effort to eliminate it.

How Lawyers Can Help

You should speak with a personal injury attorney about injured employee rights and the legality of firing an injured employee if that occurred in your situation.  If you are injured on the job, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses.