Construction Site Safety and Government Oversight
The death last month of a worker on an Israeli construction site has called attention to a wave of fatal building accidents in Israel where some say safety enforcement is lacking. This was Israel’s seventeenth construction-related death in 2018—a 30 percent increase over last year during the same timeframe.
In the most recent accident, after a 30-year-old worker fell from a height of about 26 feet, it was revealed that the construction company had a record of previous infractions, and several organizations criticized the government’s measures to reduce accidents, saying there is a focus on fines rather than increased oversight.
In Pennsylvania, however, government oversight and enforcement is far more proactive. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently launched a campaign throughout the commonwealth to raise awareness of construction industry hazards. OSHA will educate employers on how to recognize, evaluate and control four leading safety risks: electrical, struck-by, fall, and caught-in/between hazards.
OSHA continues to enforce safety on U.S. construction sites as well. Just last month, OSHA fined a Philadelphia construction company more than $222,000 for exposing employees to unnecessary hazards. These included exposure to electrical shock, trip, fall, struck-by, and impalement hazards. There also were obstructed egress routes, unsafe use of ladders and compressed gas cylinders, and a lack of fall protection.
Did you suffer an injury on a Philadelphia jobsite? You may wish to discuss your legal options with an experienced construction accident attorney. At Duffy + Partners, we have attorneys who carry OSHA 10 certifications in occupational and workplace safety, and have successfully handled many matters involving construction accidents. Contact us to find out more.