Your Rights Through OSHA
In the construction field, many companies dread OSHA’s involvement in the workplace. As with any regulatory body, the rules under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration can seem cumbersome. But what many workers don’t realize is that OSHA doesn’t just make their job safer — it provides rights and protection while on the job.
According to the official OSHA website, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) was passed over three decades ago to “prevent workers from being killed or seriously harmed at work.” The Act created OSHA.
Under this act, companies are required to provide workers with a safe workplace, free from common, known dangers. So while OSHA may seem like nothing more than a body that creates regulations to make your day-to-day work more tedious, the organization is really there for your benefit.
From the OSHA website:
Workers are entitled to working conditions that do not pose a risk of serious harm. To help assure a safe and healthful workplace, OSHA also provides workers with the right to:
- Ask OSHA to inspect their workplace
- Use their rights under the law without retaliation and discrimination
- Receive information and training about hazards, methods to prevent harm, and the OSHA standards that apply to their workplace. The training must be in a language you can understand.
- Get copies of test results done to find hazards in the workplace
- Review records of work-related injuries and illnesses
- Get copies of their medical records.
This means that it’s because of OSHA that you have additional rights on your job site, rights that are there to protect you from injury.
Following a construction accident, OSHA will usually launch an investigation. Their motive for this is to determine whether or not any safety violations led to the accident and if it could have been prevented. These investigations can lead to fines for your employer, but they can also lead to the drafting of better policies and prevention of future, similar accidents.
Here to Help Protect Your Rights
In addition to the rights set forth by OSHA, you have rights when it comes to being injured in a workplace accident. The construction accident attorneys at the firm of Ginarte can help ensure these rights are protected.
When you are hurt on the job, your employer can often be held accountable for creating an unsafe work environment. This means you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries and more.
Contact our attorneys today to discuss the details of your accident and what can be done to alleviate some of the stress you are under as a result. Call us at 888-GINARTE today.
