Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog
It’s a new year and time to start over with a fresh slate. Let’s start with making workplaces safer than ever by making a New Year’s resolution to practice better safety precautions to help prevent fall accidents in Massachusetts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is all over this one, with an entire web page devoted to helping to reduce the risks of these types of accidents.
According to the CDC, a fall can happen virtually anywhere at any time at any work site. Falls are one of the most common incidents to cause injury on the job. Falls can happen when climbing a ladder to change a light or happen to iron workers who are required to work nearly 100 feet above the ground. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were more than 600 workers who were killed and nearly 213,000 workers who were seriously injured in 2009 by falls to even the same level or to a lower level.
Our Boston workers compensation lawyers understand that fatal fall-related accidents are most commonly experienced in the construction industry, while the most injury fall-related accidents are experienced by those in wholesale industries, retail business and health services.
Circumstances that are associated with fall accidents:
-Slippery floors.
-Cluttered floors.
-Unstable walking surfaces.
-Unprotected edges.
-Holes in the floor and openings in walls.
-Ladders that are positioned unsafely.
-Misused fall protection.
According to federal law and industry consensus standards, there are specific measures listed in addition to performance-based recommendations that are to be used to help prevent fall-related accidents. These standards come with various ways to protect employees should a fall occur. Still, there are far too many unsafe work practices across the country’s workforce as fall accidents continue to plague workers.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is working even harder this year to find ways to prevent these types of accidents. The organization recently released its “Research and Practice for Fall Injury Control in the Workplace: Proceedings of International Conference on Fall Prevention and Protection.” This publication will be used to advance the knowledge of work-related fall accidents. Back in May, the International Conference on Fall Prevention and Protection (ICFPP) was conducted to help the public to speak with fall-prevention experts and specialists to learn about the newest methods and tools to help prevent these types of accidents.
That conference’s information has now been published and can be found in the “Research and Practice for Fall Injury Control in the Workplace” publication.
Fall accidents and the injuries they produce are a burden in many ways. They cause workers to lose time at work, a plethora of medical bills, and lengthy and complicated workers’ compensation claims. Statistics conclude that costs associated with fall accidents cost about $70 billion every year in the U.S.
Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers LLC is a group of experienced and knowledgeable workers’ compensation lawyers dedicated to fighting for the rights of those who have been injured in a work-related accident in Boston and elsewhere in Massachusetts. Call (617) 777-7777 for a free consultation.
More Blog Entries:
Work-Related Accidents in Massachusetts Land State in Top Spot for On-The-Job Injuries, Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog, December 19, 2011
OSHA Launches New Program to Help Reduce Risks of Chemical-Related Work Accidents in Massachusetts, Nation, Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog, December 14, 2011