Construction Site Fall Protection Lawyers in Austin
1308 Reviews
What is Fall Protection?
In 2011, several construction companies were charged with failure to provide adequate safety measures and fall protection for their employees, resulting in hundreds of thousands of fines and costly litigation. Indeed, while construction workers face numerous risks on the job site, but the risk associated with falling is among the most costly – and lethal.
Fall protection is also mandatory for industries outside of construction. OSHA outlines explicit guidelines for employers of such industries to ensure that their work place is as safe as possible. Providing adequate fall protection means installing fall protection systems, maintaining clean and water-free ground surfaces, and installing scaffolding that is sturdy and durable. Each industry has particular standards and each job has particular needs. Maintenance-related work on a building for entertainment industry purposes brings different risks than the installation-related work on a residential building. An employer who is committed to providing a safe, ethical, and legal work environment for his/her employees must research OSHA’s guidelines and invest in safety equipment, technology, and training to guarantee that safety needs are met.
Fall protection is not only required by the law; it directly impacts workers’ health and livelihood. Falling from scaffolding, billboards, roofs, and ledges is a primary cause of death and paralysis for countless workers throughout the US. Some incidents are due to faulty equipment or accident, but many are due to employer negligence and unnecessarily risky and dangerous work environments.
My work place needs fall protection. What can I do?
First, if you are working in an environment that does not provide adequate safety measures, such as harnesses, safety training, water-free ground surfaces, and comparable measures, you should document this lack of safety provisions and contact an attorney. If you have attempted to rectify the situation through management and have not succeeded, you should obtain all communication-related documents and bring them to your meeting with the attorney. If you have received any injuries due to a risky or dangerous work place, contact an attorney. Your injury may not be the first injury at your work place and may be a symptom of a larger safety issue. The law protects the rights and needs of workers whose work environment can pose grave safety risks. We are passionate about fighting for better work environments for workers in all industries and bring a broad knowledge of OSHA’s standards and requirements to every case. As personal injury attorneys, we have extensive experience negotiating, mediating, and litigating cases pertaining to fall protection. We will provide a free, confidential, and thorough review of your particular circumstances. In some cases, we will pursue compensation for our clients, which may include costs of medical care, hospital bills, funeral costs, loss of wages, and compensation, loss of residence, pain, and emotional injury. Statutes of limitations may apply. If you have been injured or fear injury due to an unsafe working environment, contact a Personal Injury attorney as soon as you are able to swiftly rectify your situation.
