Accidents on the Job and the Top 10 OSHA violations by contractors
Did you know that 4,678 workers were killed on the job in 2014? That’s equivalent to 90 each week or 13 wrongful deaths every day! “Out of 4,251 worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2014, 874 or 20.5% were in construction―that is, one in five worker deaths last year were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls, followed by electrocution, being struck by an object, and being caught in/between. These “Fatal Four” were responsible for more than half (58.1%) of the construction worker deaths in 2014*, BLS (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) reports. Eliminating the Fatal Four would save 508 workers’ lives in America every year.” – www.osha.gov
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is a small Federal organization that partners with each state to ensure the health and safety of 130 million workers across the United States. They employ 2,200 inspectors to inspect more than eight million worksites nationwide. This translates to about one compliance officer for every 59,000 workers. That’s a big job for a small amount of people!
Here are the Top 10 most frequently cited OSHA violations in 2015.
- Fall Protection
- Hazard Communication
- Scaffolding
- Respiratory Protection
- Lockout/Tagout
- Powered Industrial Trucks
- Ladders
- Electrical, Wiring Methods
- Machine Guarding
- Electrical, General Requirements
It’s important to note that the majority of these wrongful deaths occurred because contractors and employers refused to conform to OSHA standards or they had repeat violations. While OSHA does its best to inspect each worksite, it relies heavily on contractors to keep their sites safe for workers. Accidents often occur when contractors look at the “bottom line” instead of the well-being of their employees. Wrongful death lawsuits, increased penalties, and criminal punishment will get a contractor’s attention. Still, ultimately, these numbers won’t change until both OSHA and contractors put the workers’ well-being first.
Building a case against a contractor can be intimidating on your own. If you have been injured or know someone who has been injured or killed due to an OSHA violation on a job site, contact one of our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys at Eason and Tambornini, A Law Corporation. We can walk you through the process and help you get your deserved compensation.
