subject: Keeping Construction Sites Safe With Osha Guidelines [print this page] The United States has strict laws on how safety is to be administrated among businesses. The businesses of America follow OSHA standards that are revised periodically, in order to keep employees safe from dangers in construction sites.
Reviewing a company's stance in safety regulation must be done if there is every an injury. OSHA does do investigations periodically, so it's also good to conduct such tasks as often as possible. Without the regulations being followed, workers are at higher risk of injury. This is where the law can come into play, and actually punish the business, even if no injury has taken place. OSHA cracks down on violations with an iron fist.
Brutal injuries come from machines that are not properly guarded. Workshops that carpenters would work in must have approved equipment, or no work at all should be done. This means that each electric saw should have a cover to prevent missing fingers, equipment should be grounded, and each machine should only be used by authorized workers that had training.
Electric workers have a tough job, since they have to pay attention to detail. The biggest detail to never miss is whether they are working with a live circuit or not. There should be an easy indicator as to whether or not the project they are working on is "hot" or "cold." An example would be with a home wiring system, where the home's electricity should be turned off by the company before any work is done on the infrastructure. Shocks can stop a heart, even at small amplitude measures, so it's important to follow standard procedure at all times.
Falls are a dangerous happenstance. Fall protection should be on inclines, such as a roof where a shingle artist is doing work. It should also be around holes, crevasses, and slippery areas. Otherwise there are potential hazards in slipping and breaking a bone, injuring organs, or even a fatality if the fall is high enough. All employees should also be properly trained on the act of maintaining balance in hazardous areas where a fall is to be expected.
OSHA does not take kindly to the violations that some businesses feel they are able to get away with. The agency will do everything in their power to help employees seek damages from the employer in the event of an accident. Even spotting a violation, without injury, is a serious matter. One should always report violations straight to OSHA, and skip any management so as to keep the work area safe by force, and not on a whim.
Closing Comments
If you feel you have been violated by the negligence of an employee, you should start talking to lawyers immediately to investigate what options are open to you. It could be that you are entitled to a settlement to accommodate your health bills, future bills, and emotional harm that came from the ordeal.
