Do You Have a Medical Malpractice Case?

Posted on: 11 March 2015

In any kind of worker's compensation case, personal injury lawyers may look at these general areas of responsibility for the companies that hire and manage labor. If you're an employer, keep these points in mind to avoid as many unwanted cases as possible.

Personal Protective Equipment

All sorts of workers in all kinds of industries need appropriate gear to handle any heavy, hazardous or other risky tasks that they may be asked to perform. Personal protective equipment can include helmets, hard hats, gloves, goggles, and protective suiting. Steel-toed work boots are also covered in the category of personal protective equipment. Workers operating in high areas may also need harnesses or other securing equipment to prevent harmful falls.

Language Proficiency

Employers need to understand whether workers are able to understand English language materials, either verbally or in writing, that will provide them with safety orientation. If it's found that the company did not figure out whether a worker had language proficiency and he or she was injured because of a lack of safety awareness after training, this can present a problem for the business.

Age-Appropriate Work Conditions

Businesses will also generally be liable if it's found that minors had inappropriate access to machinery or equipment. Minors are also restricted in the hours they can work, and other aspects of working in certain industries.

Safe Premises

In general, employers are responsible to provide safe premises. That means safe levels of airborne contaminants, safe keeping of caustic chemicals, and also, work areas that are free from unsafe obstacles or uneven paths.

This last component is safety is critical in many industries such as roofing and construction, where any obstacles can lead to accidents for workers in busy physical roles.

Fire Safety

Fire safety is another major responsibility of an employer. While people are in their homes, they determine their own fire safety rules, but when they are at work, a high standard of fire safety must be followed by the companies that employ them. That includes proper fire safety training, as well as appropriate use of doors and windows.

Employees cannot be contained in an area that is not served by proper fire exits. Companies also need common-sense fire safety tools, such as fire extinguishers, fire alarms and other gear that can mean the difference between major loss of property and loss of life, and controlled, manageable fire emergencies.

Personal injury or workers compensation lawyers will look at all of the above, in evaluating worker's compensation claims, in cases where workers were injured in preventable accidents.