Workers in Ohio who are injured on the job must know about the various issues that follow in the aftermath of their injury. For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration may investigate when there is a worker who is hurt at work. An OSHA investigation and any OSHA violation is also important with regard to a possible legal case. One particular case is indicative of how safety violations can cause injuries to workers and result in a company being sanctioned for its lack of attentiveness to keeping its workers safe.
A worker who had fallen more than 40 feet at a steel company led to an investigation by OSHA. Investigators found that there were two repeated violations and three serious safety violations. The worker, 39, had broken bones after he fell in August of 2015. With the citations the company was given, they will have to pay as much as $129,500 in fines. The agency discovered that the worker, who was working on a crane, was not accorded appropriate protection in the event he fell.
This incident was the second in which a worker's life was put in danger at the same plant since May of 2015. The worker in that incident was hurt when equipment fell on him. In October of 2015, the company was placed in a severe violator program. The company is contesting the violations. OSHA has said that the company needs to fix its violations immediately. The company's plants are going to be monitored by the agency until workers are safe. The company will have 15 business days to either contest the findings, comply with the order, or request that there be an informal conference.
While this might seem to be an unusual situation, it is not uncommon for employers to leave workers vulnerable to injuries and death by their lack of oversight on safety issues. When there is a worker injured on the job and it is due to an OSHA violation, it can not only help a work accident victim to receive workers' compensation, but it can also help with a legal filing for additional compensation. Speaking to an attorney can help with both issues when there was an injury at work.
Source: crainscleveland.com, "TimkenSteel cited for repeat, serious safety violations by OSHA," Rachel Abbey McCafferty, Feb. 1, 2016
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