Workplace Falls

According to the “Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 2000” report, “Falls resulting in fatal and nonfatal injuries are a serious safety concern in the workplace.” The report, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, stated that there were 715 fatal falls and 313,335 injuries in 1997. The median recuperation time was eight days, three more than that of all other injuries and illnesses that resulted in lost time from work.

Falls from a roof or to a lower level were the most common type of fatal falls, followed by falling from a ladder, falls from scaffolding, falls from non-moving vehicles, falling from a girder or steel structure, and falling while trimming trees.

Although falls can happen anywhere and in any industry, height is the biggest determining factor. Therefore it is not surprising that the report found non-fatal falls to be more evenly spread out among industries. Operators, fabricators, and laborers were most at risk for a non-fatal fall, followed by truck drivers, workers in the service industry, nurses and hospital/clinic staff, janitors, and cooks.

Many falls can be avoided

What the report didn’t investigate was the number of workplace “accidents” that could have been avoided. One third of all workplace accidents are due to slips, trips and falls – and the vast majority of them are preventable. Although some jobs are inherently dangerous such as riveting a steel girder to a bridge 200 feet above the water, you do not expect to fall and die when cooking eggs at a restaurant. Yet every year similar accidents occur right across the U.S.

Environment plays the largest role in these falls. Slippery floors, unsafe stairways, obstructed pathways, and improperly lit pathways can all result in severe injury and even death. Your employer is fully responsible to ensure that your work environment is safe and free from hazards. And that includes “higher risk” areas like construction sites. Safety features and regulations including harnesses, equipment, and detailed work procedures are all in place to meet this risk. Even if one job is “more dangerous” than another, employers still must do everything in their power to prevent injury and death.

But the truth is that negligence on the part of companies result in workers getting hurt or killed every year.

Contact Jim S. Adler & Associates today

If you or a loved one has been hurt on the job, workers’ compensation may not be enough to cover your medical bills and lost time from work. Contact a Jim S. Adler & Associates personal injury lawyer for a free case review to see if your injuries may be a result of someone else’s negligence.

If you have been injured due to employer negligence, you deserve compensation. Jim S. Adler & Associates will help you get it. Contact us right now by clicking the link on this page.

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