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New OSHA Document Describes Ways to Prevent Falls among Residential Construction Workers

In December, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released a new Compliance Guidance for Residential Construction.  The document is meant to offer new guidance on preventing fall accidents among residential construction workers.  According to the Occupational Safety and Administration, employers can help prevent fall-related injuries and deaths among construction workers by following these guidelines.

Fall accidents are the number one cause of death for workers in the construction sector.  The construction site is already a deadly workplace, accounting for one in three workplace fatalities in America.  Preventing fall accidents and minimizing the rates of injuries and fatalities in these accidents therefore has become a priority for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

In December 2010, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released new guidelines on preventing these accidents.  The documented guidelines apply primarily to those who are working in new construction.  The document describes the safety measures that employers can make use of during different stages of construction.  For instance, employers can minimize the number of injuries and deaths that occur on their site, by making available anchors for personal fall arrest systems, and follow restraints.  They can also make available safety net systems, ladders, and guard rails for activities like installation of roof sheeting, weatherproofing and installation of walls and sub floors.

Every time, a California construction worker is injured in a fall accident, Los Angeles construction accident lawyers are reminded again about how preventable these accidents are.  It’s not that the means and the technologies to prevent fall accidents in the construction sector are not available.  These have been easily available for a while now, and have been strongly promoted as a means to prevent falls.  However, often, employers fail to either provide these systems for their workers, or fail to mandate their use.  As a result, construction workers are to be found performing work on elevated positions without any personal restraint systems, or any other devices protecting them from a fall.

It’s the year 2011, and it’s absurd that construction workers in California and around the country continue to be at risk from serious injuries or deaths from a fall.  A construction worker, who suffers a fall accident, can expect severely debilitating and serious injuries.  The kind of injuries construction workers may suffer include fractures, broken ribs, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and brain injuries.  Many of these injuries like brain injuries and spinal cord injuries not just require immediate treatment and extensive hospitalization, but also long-term rehabilitation therapy.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of construction accidents in Los Angeles. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire to discuss a personal injury matter,  you can reach us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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