NJ Contractor Cited with Electrical Hazards
As a construction worker, your employer has responsibilities to keep you safe. When they fail to live up to these responsibilities, they can be held responsible in the wake of a construction accident or even before an accident occurs. Such is the case with New Jersey company Bender Enterprises, Inc., according to a press release from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
OSHA has fined the Union, NJ, contractor more than $40,000 for exposing its workers to electrical hazards at a Fort Lee work site. According to OSHA, their investigation began when they were alerted by the Fort Lee Police Department that a worker had been injured while servicing an electrical panel.
Their investigation resulted in several violations, including the “failure to protect workers from contact with live electrical parts, provide eye and face protection from electric arcs, flashes or flying objects, and provide insulated tools and equipment for workers exposed to energized conductors or circuit parts.”
These violations weren’t new to the company, who faced several of the same citations at their Upper Saddle River work site several years ago in 2009.
“By failing to address these hazards, Bender Enterprises continues to unnecessarily put its workers in harm’s way,” said OSHA’s area office director Lisa Levy. “Employers will be held legally responsible for jeopardizing the safety and health of workers.”
Employers are required to provide a safe work environment under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. It’s because of this act that your employer must adhere to strict safety standards—all in an effort to protect you. When they fail to live up to these rules, they can be held responsible for any resulting injuries that occur in the wake of a construction accident.
It isn’t clear what sort of injuries the worker in this particular story suffered. Electrical work is particularly dangerous and can result in severe burns and electrocutions. But all construction work presents its own unique dangers.
Whether you work on roofs or in demolition, you face risks every day. A construction accident could result in serious injuries and even put you out of work for months to come. When that happens, you need someone advocating on your behalf.
The New York and New Jersey construction accident attorneys with Ginarte know that you work in a dangerous industry. We work to ensure you are protected. When a construction accident happens, you have legal options and could be entitled to compensation. Contact our offices today to discuss your case and how we might be able to help.
