Constructions companies must attempt to prevent work injuries
Construction sites in Arizona and other jurisdictions pose significant safety hazards to workers. For this very reason, many construction companies focus on doing more to prevent work injuries. When a workplace accident can result in serious injury or even death, it stands to reason that an employer should make sure safety precautions are followed at all times.
In another state, federal safety officials issued citations and penalties when they found that employers had neglected to ensure the safety of their workers. Not just one, but two companies were each handed a serious violation after a 2016 incident left a construction worker injured. An employee of the first company, DSI Mechanical, fell through a second-story hole at the construction site of the second company’s — Western Sugar – plant during an expansion project.
Officials from Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited both companies, saying neither properly secured a covering over the hole, thus directly contributing to the worker’s injury. The penalty of $8,149 for DSI Mechanical has been contested. As the construction project’s general contractor, Western Sugar agreed to a penalty of $6,000 after negotiating down to this amount after the initial fine amount. Western Sugar is also addressing the conditions that led to the accident in the first place.
Regardless, the construction worker who was injured still faces medical bills and potentially missed work and thus missed pay due to his fall. Workers’ compensation was instituted for situations just like this, to help protect workers who were injured on the job. Sometimes, though, injured employees do not receive the full workers’ compensation benefits to which they are entitled. In such instances, the representation of an attorney can prove invaluable. Any Arizona employees who have suffered work injuries have the legal right to seek the counsel of a lawyer with experience in workers’ compensation cases.
Source: NBC Nebraska, “OSHA issues penalties in 2016 Scottsbluff construction accident“, Scott Miller Posted, Feb. 22, 2017
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