How Negligence Can Lead to a Scaffolding or Roof Fall

Construction exposes workers to many hazards, including serious injury from falls. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries in construction work.

As a result, OSHA places an obligation on employers to take concrete steps to prevent roofing accidents and scaffolding accidents. The Plan-Provide-Train campaign is an overview of what employers are required to do, and not do, in order to meet OSHA’s scaffolding safety and fall prevention criteria.

Why Do Construction Falls Happen?

Scaffolding and roof fall injuries account for one-third of all workplace injuries. As someone who works in construction or loves someone who does, it’s unsettling to think that these preventable events still happen on modern construction sites.

Here are some of the reasons why these accidents happen:

• Employers place pressure on workers to get the job done quickly, even if conditions are hazardous.
• Employers inadequately plan the project. Part of safety planning is identifying all of the risks, listing specific tasks and buying necessary safety equipment.
• Employers do not provide safety gear or do not maintain it. For example, they may not provide personal fall arrest systems for roof work or do not provide the right scaffolding to optimize safety on the particular project.
• Employers do not maintain the safety gear or monitor compliance with safety standards on-site.
• Employers do not train workers on proper use of safety equipment to prevent scaffolding injuries and falls.

Individual workers, supervisors and management all have a role to play in workplace safety. Although a workers compensation claim is an important source of financial support after a workplace accident, in the case of an egregious act by an employer you can sue outside the workers compensation system.

Learn Your Legal Options

As soon as you are able after your workplace accident, write down details of what happened. Recover any evidence of failure to follow safety protocols, such as cell phone pictures you may have taken at the time. Simply recalling who was working that day, what conversations took place and where equipment was placed can help your lawyer investigate at a later time.

In Ohio, you have different options for legal action after a workplace accident. The job of a work accident lawyer is to inform you of your rights and help you choose the best course of action.

At FDS Law, we always work on behalf of injured employees and never for employers. Contact us for a free consultation.