The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency responsible for establishing and enforcing safety requirements for workplaces throughout the country. Most employers in Pennsylvania are subject to OSHA’s safety rules and regulations as well as the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety (BOIS).
If you are injured at work, in most circumstances you will be entitled to file a claim for workers’ compensation. In Pennsylvania, workers’ compensation is a “no fault” system, which means that your employer does not have to be responsible for your injuries in order for you to obtain benefits through workers’ comp. But, this does not mean that safety violations are irrelevant to your claim. At Solnick & Associates LLC, we are experienced in using OSHA and other safety violations to help our clients pursue successful claims for maximum compensation.
Trends in Workplace Safety Violations
Most-Frequently Cited OSHA Violations
Each year, thousands of employees die and hundreds of thousands suffer serious injuries on the job. In many cases, these deaths and injuries are the direct result of an employer’s failure to take adequate safety precautions and follow OSHA’s and/or BOIS’s standards. According to OSHA, the most frequent safety violations that lead to employee injuries and fatalities are:
- Inadequate fall protection on construction sites
- Inadequate hazard communication standards
- Dangerous scaffolding on construction sites
- Failure to provide respiratory protection
- Violations relating to industrial vehicles
Remember how we said that workers’ compensation is a “no fault” system? The system is designed this way so that all injured employees can receive benefits without their employers being subjected to constant lawsuits for personal injury damages. There are exceptions when employers deserve to face these lawsuits, and these exceptions include intentional and dangerous violations of state and federal safety standards.
Pennsylvania BOIS Safety Guidelines
The Pennsylvania BOIS focuses its efforts in certain occupations and industries. If you have suffered an injury because of your employer’s failure to meet the BOIS standards, our attorneys can help you fight for just compensation. BOIS focuses its safety enforcement efforts in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania in the areas of:
- Asbestos
- Boilers
- Construction
- Elevators
- Flammable and combustible liquids
- Lead occupations
- The bedding, upholstery, and stuffed toy industries
Again, your employer does not need to have violated OSHA’s or BOIS’s requirements in order for you to be entitled to recover workers’ compensation. Any violations we uncover may aid in ensuring that you receive maximum compensation for your losses. To learn more about your rights to workers’ compensation, please read our FAQs.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Jenkintown, PA
If you have been injured at work and suspect that your employer may be violating OSHA or BOIS standards, we encourage you to contact us right away for a free consultation. Our attorneys will thoroughly investigate your case and fight vigorously to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve. To get started, call our Jenkintown, PA law offices at (877) 958-7010 or send us an email now.
