How Does OSHA Protect Employees?

In 1970, congress voted to create the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA was created to protect workers and establish the notion that a safe workplace is a fundamental human right for all. OSHA has established common-sense standards and enforced the law against those who put workers at risk. Since the establishment of OSHA, deaths on the job in the US have dropped from an average of 38 per day to an average of 14 per day. OSHA protects most private-sector workers, as well as some public-sector workers. Today the administration focuses on providing training, outreach, education, and compliance assistance to keep workers informed and safe. 

Too often, employees are unaware of OSHA’s regulations and what constitutes an OSHA violation. Lawyers are the best people to confide in to help identify OSHA violations at your work and pursue compensatory damages. For expert construction accident lawyers in NY, the lawyers at Tannenbaum, Bellantone, & Silver, P.C. have vast knowledge and intimate grasp of all OSHA regulations and are available to aid in all worker’s injuries cases to ensure the best outcome for you and your particular complaint.

How Does OSHA Protect Employees?

OSHA lays the groundwork for safety in the workplace as they have established health and safety standards for general industries, agriculture, maritime operations, and construction. OSHA also provides training to employers on how to provide a safer environment of work for all. This training serves as the basis for all OSHA violations as employers were shown the proper ways to ensure safety for their employees, so any injuries that occurred after OSHA training was a consequence of negligence. Damages are then proportionate to the extent of the employer’s negligence. OSHA lists four elements that would constitute a violation of their regulations, thus resulting in fines and/or other punishments for employers:

1. When the employees are in danger because of the employer’s failure to keep the place safe. 
2. It is a known hazard in the given industry.
3. The threat caused by said “known hazard” can cause death or injury.
4. The hazardous situation is preventable through reasonable means.

OSHA also sets the limits of exposure to dangerous chemicals, materials, or noise and requires that employers provide free safety equipment like gloves, masks, and goggles if hazards are expected from the job.

Enforcement of Regulations

To ensure that employers follow the rules and regulations in place, the administration can perform random inspections without prior warning. Workers also have the right to file formal complaints directly with the administration and can do so anonymously as OSHA is not required to tell employers how they were informed of the employer’s negligence. Lawyers, like the expert Construction accident lawyers in NY at Tannenbaum, Bellantone, & Silver, P.C., can expedite this process accordingly. All violations and repeat violations put employers at risk of receiving massive fines and even the possibility of filing federal cases against them.  

Contact Tannenbaum, Bellantone, & Silver, P.C., Construction accident lawyers in NY!

If you or a loved one has experienced an injury at work due to unsafe conditions and is still dealing with the ramifications of that injury to this day, contact the Construction accident lawyers in NY, Tannenbaum, Bellantone, & Silver, P.C., for a consultation today!