OSHA offers no-cost safety program to small businesses
Electrical industry employers in Florida may be interested in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new initiative to increase safety. The initiative comes after several investigations into deaths and injuries in the electrical industry. The department is encouraging employers to decrease workplace hazards in order to reduce safety issues.
Serious injuries, deaths and illnesses are common in the electrical industry. Workers often are tasked with dangerous work including working on overhead power lines, circuit assemblies and cable harnesses. From 2015 to 2018, OSHA investigations were opened in three different states due to 15 reported injuries and fatalities in the electrical field. Electrical and wiring contractors received the majority of injuries in the investigation.
Representatives from OSHA said that electrical work can be safe if the right safety procedures are followed, appropriate systems to reduce injuries are implemented and proper training is given to all employees. In order to assist small- and medium-sized businesses with safety concerns, OSHA is offering confidential and no-cost occupational safety and health services to ensure the businesses are in compliance with safety standards. The program helps businesses identify workplace hazards, gives advice for complying with OSHA standards and helps establish health and safety programs. Representatives from OSHA hope that the program helps reduce the number of electrical injuries and fatalities.
Construction and electrical workers face a variety of hazards while on the job. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure a safe working environment by properly training the employees, implementing safety programs and regularly inspecting equipment. When an employee is injured on the job, lost wages and costly medical bills may result. A lawyer who specialized in workers’ compensation may be able to help an employee who was injured receive help. In this case, an employee who was injured due to lack of training may be able to get help with medical bills and lost wages by filing a workers’ compensation claim.
