According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), falls are the LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH in the construction industry. In 2013 alone, there were 828 fatalities in construction, 291 of which involved fatal falls, OSHA reports.
The construction industry involves conditions where workers must work from heights. Such conditions include the use of ladders, roofs, and scaffolds. Knowing that working from heights is inherently dangerous, employers must plan projects around safety measures – this way the workers are not placed in unreasonable danger.
When employers are planning a job involving heights, they must:
- Consider all possible fall hazards
- Decide how the job will be done safely
- Make plans for using safety equipment
- Select safety equipment that is suitable for each task
- Require that all workers use the safety equipment
- Train all workers how to properly use safety equipment
- Enforce the use of safety equipment
‘SIX FEET’ AND HIGHER RULE
When a worker is 6 feet or more above the ground or a lower level, he is at risk of sustaining a catastrophic injury or death if he falls. All employers should be aware of this fact and take measures to protect any and all workers who work at or above 6 feet above a lower level.
Employers must protect their workers by providing the appropriate equipment for a given task and fall protection. Such equipment would be the right types of safety gear, ladders, scaffolds and personal fall arrest systems (PFAS).
EMPLOYERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PREVENTING FALLS
Falls are preventable, thus it’s critical that employers educate their workers on proper set-up and use of the safety equipment. But unfortunately, there are many employers who simply don’t take or enforce the necessary safety precautions.
In reality, workers need adequate training on how to use specific equipment for different jobs, and it is the employer’s responsibility to train workers to recognize hazards, and how to safely use ladders, scaffolds, and fall protection systems. Otherwise, serious injury or death may occur.
Were you injured in a fall from heights? Whether you fell from a ladder, scaffold, roof, or other elevated location, our New York workers’ compensation attorneys at Katz, Leidman, Freund & Herman can help you seek much-needed compensation.
With over 50 years of combined experience and millions of dollars recovered on behalf of our clients, we are qualified to help recover compensation. Just visit our case results page to see how we’ve helped injured workers just like you!
Call (888) 250-5427 today to schedule a free case evaluation!