Top OSHA Violations from your Denver Workers Compensation Attorney
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) exists within the Department of Labor. Their top goal is to ensure employee health and safety. They have standards that each field must adopt to ensure employees do not get injured. Accidents do happen which result in the need for a local Denver workers compensation attorney. However, by following OSHA’s standards, you can ensure your worksite does not get fined for violating procedures. You can also rest easy working in a safe environment. Here are some of the top OSHA violations you should avoid in your own workplace.
Fall Protection: When employees work above six feet in the air, fall protection is required. In 2015, Safety + Health’s “OSHA’s Top 10 Most Cited Violations” article said there were over 7,400 fall protection violations. This includes residential construction violations, unprotected sides and edges, roof work and lack of protection available when working around holes. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure employees safety. There must be rails around edges, protection over holes and safety harnesses available if suspended or working in a somewhat suspended environment. OSHA will have to put out a citation if a work environment does not protect against these issues, the working environment is unsafe, protective gear is not provided and employees do not know their basic hazardous information.
Hazard Communication: Employees are entitled the right to know about the dangers of hazardous materials they may be exposed to. For everyone’s safety, it is best to keep everyone informed. Safety + Health said there were just over 5,600 of these violations in 2015. Workplaces were cited for not having a hazard communication program in place, not providing enough information on the hazards, lack of safety data sheets, employee training and maintenance of safety information. All workplaces that work with hazardous chemicals, employees must be aware. In addition, manufacturers of the chemicals must also properly label them with proper signage to assist with the requirements.
Scaffolding: In work environments that use scaffolding, it must be properly setup by a qualified individual. There are set requirements for the setup of quality scaffolding to protect workers. The over 4,600 violations in 2015 were written up due to employee fall issues, lack of access, improper platforms and guard rails and poor foundation. According to OSHA, all footing and anchors on scaffolding must be sound and can surely sustain their maximum weight limit. This means that items such as boxes, bricks, concrete blocks, etc. cannot be use to support the scaffolding. It must work in its original state.
When suffering from an on-the-job injury, the premier law office of Mark A. Simon can help. Mark is your go-to Denver workers compensation attorney that can help you with your claim and get you the settlement that you are entitled to. Learn more about temporary and permanent disability information and give Mark a call for help! With over 22 years of trusted experience, including a previous background as a registered nurse, Mark knows what you are going through and can help every step of the way. Call him today.