Avoiding the Consequences of Workplace Safety Hazards
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that it has cited a West Palm Beach Dollar Tree Store for reportedly exposing employees to safety hazards. Specifically, the parent company of the store is facing well over $100,000 in penalties after utilizing business practices that include stacking and storing merchandise unsafely.
Employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. And unfortunately, when a company fails to do so injuries often result – and this is why poor safety practices in the workplace are treated so seriously.
How Often Are Workers Injured and Killed While Working?
According to the National Safety Council, a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds in this country. This equates to a staggering number of workplace injuries – over 500 every hour, upwards of 12,000 per day, and 4,600,000 every year.
And while there are fewer workplace-related fatalities, those statistics are still grim. In 2017, almost 5,200 American workers died on the job which equates to 14 fatalities every single day. Sadly, all of these deaths were preventable.
What Workplace Safety Tips Should Every Worker Know?
While every employer has a duty to keep workers safe, workers can also undertake actions to help keep themselves safe. After all, the safest workplace environments are those where employees strive to identify potential workplace hazards while also making well-informed safety decisions during daily routine tasks. Workers can help maintain safety in a workplace environment by:
- Paying attention to surroundings
- Attending provided trainings
- Avoiding drugs and alcohol before and during work
- Always utilizing provided safety equipment
- Not taking shortcuts when using tools and machinery
- Using mechanical aids such as wheelbarrows, cranks or forklifts to move heavy items
- Keeping the path to emergency exits and equipment overrides clear
- Reporting observed safety hazards to management
What Should Every Worker Understand About Workplace Safety Hazards and Workers’ Compensation?
Importantly, every worker should understand that employers have an obligation to undertake measures that ensure a safe and hazard-free workplace. Unsafe practices like those that Dollar Tree is accused of often lead to a worker being injured. The good news is that anyone who becomes injured at work during the course of employment because of an employer’s failure to ensure a safe work area is entitled to pursue workers’ compensation benefits for injuries sustained because of those hazards.
Allow Us to Help.
If you have been hurt on the job, you should consult with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible. We understand that the implications of your injuries likely goes far beyond the pain itself and has likely resulted in unexpected financial changes in the form of medical bills, lost wages and expensive prescriptions. Workers’ compensation affords many injured workers the ability to keep food on the table for their families while they focus on getting better and getting back to work. As the Miami workers’ compensation attorneys at Payer & Associates, you can depend on us to help you obtain the workers’ compensation benefits that you deserve. Begin by contacting us today.
Resource:
osha.gov/news/newsreleases/region4/06192019
