Construction accidents are one of the most common work related personal injuries. Construction injuries may be the result of machinery failure involving fork lifts, cranes, front end loaders and any other piece of construction machinery found on the job site. They may also involve faulty safety equipment, falling debris, lack of proper training for construction workers, improperly assembled scaffolding, structural collapse, electrical fires, electrocution and a slew of other job site violations.
Under the U.S. Department of Labor, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) must protect those who work in the construction industry. OSHA guarantees a certain level of safety for any construction worker who works on high risk job sites and is exposed to hazardous conditions. In addition, the State of Oregon protects construction workers under the Oregon’s Employer Liability Law. This law requires all construction companies engaged in dangerous work to take every necessary precaution in order to prevent worker injury on the job site.
Construction is a dangerous profession and there are many hazards in the construction workplace. While these state and federal regulations are necessary, they offer only a small amount of comfort to construction workers and their families. In many cases, construction workers are victims of irresponsible employers and are exposed to unnecessary risk while at work. It is also common for third party members, such as contractors and subcontractors, to be present on the job site, creating hazardous and chaotic conditions for the workers.
No matter what construction company you work for, it is the responsibility of the construction company to educate their workers on proper safety precautions and to make sure the job site meets all safety regulations. The Department of Labor and Industries examined construction injuries over a four year period. They found the following seven injuries to be the most common (they also accounted for 92 percent of all compensable claims):
• Work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, back and upper extremities
• Workers struck by heavy machinery or falling objects
• Workers pinned up against a wall by machinery or motor vehicles
• Workers caught inside or underneath a piece of machinery
• Slips or falls on ground level of the construction site
• Falls from an elevated height of the construction site
• General motor vehicle injuries
If you or someone you know has been injured on a construction site, contact a personal injury lawyer to help you with your case. An experienced personal injury attorney will know how to deal with multiple insurance policies, identify all parties involved in the construction process and help you figure out who is responsible for the construction injury.
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