{"id":1334,"date":"2024-05-06T16:48:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T16:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/?p=1334"},"modified":"2024-12-31T22:07:58","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T22:07:58","slug":"unsafe-working-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/unsafe-working-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Protect Yourself from Unsafe Working Conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever been concerned about working in unsafe\/hazardous workplace conditions while on the job? Under a federal law known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/laws-regs\/oshact\/completeoshact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970<\/a>, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their workers. There are also detailed guidelines set out by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/laws-regs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)<\/a> to which employers must generally adhere.<\/p>\n<p>If the company you work for has broken the rules and left you at risk of injury, it\u2019s important that you take the right steps to protect yourself.<\/p>\n<h2>What to Do If You Are Working in a Dangerous Situation<\/h2>\n<p>If you do find yourself in unsafe working conditions at your job, there are a number of OSHA-recommended steps you may be able to take.<\/p>\n<h3>Notify Your Employer<\/h3>\n<p>Bring the concern to your employer\u2019s attention, if possible. This is the quickest, easiest, and often most effective means of improving workplace safety. However, if you don\u2019t feel comfortable discussing the situation with your superiors, or if dangerous conditions persist despite repeated complaints, you may need to take a different course of action.<\/p>\n<h3>File an OSHA Complaint<\/h3>\n<p>If unsafe conditions exist at your workplace, you have the right to file a confidential complaint with OSHA. The agency will not share your name with your employer when providing notification of the complaint.<\/p>\n<p>Upon receipt of a complaint, OSHA will send out a safety and health inspector to investigate the situation. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/workers\/file-complaint\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">submit an OSHA complaint<\/a> online or over the phone.<\/p>\n<h3>Refuse to Work<\/h3>\n<p>You may have the legal right to refuse to work if you believe unsafe or unhealthy working conditions pose an imminent, life-threatening danger. More specifically, the conditions in question must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clearly present a risk of death or serious physical harm<\/li>\n<li>Be so immediate that there is not sufficient time for OSHA to inspect<\/li>\n<li>Not have improved despite being brought to the attention of the employer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What Makes Workplaces Unsafe?<\/h2>\n<p>No workplace is perfect, but there are certain standards below which employers cannot fall when it comes to safety. As an employee, recognizing the \u201cred flags\u201d of an unsafe working environment is critically important.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the most critical safety issues in workplaces include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Slip and fall risks:<\/strong> According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/pdf\/cfoi.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)<\/a>, there were 865 workplace fatalities related to slips, trips, and falls in 2022. These accidents most often occur due to wet floors, uneven surfaces, or cluttered walkways. Employers have a duty to ensure that workways are clear of obstructions and potential slipping hazards. If a section of floor gets wet, a \u201cwet floor\u201d sign should be put in place until the area is safe to walk on.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hazardous materials:<\/strong> Exposure to chemicals, asbestos, or other dangerous substances without proper protective equipment can have disastrous outcomes. This is a particularly big issue in workplaces where these hazardous chemicals form part of production processes. Employers like these must make appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) available and provide adequate training on the proper handling of dangerous materials.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Machinery and equipment:<\/strong> According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/injuryfacts.nsc.org\/work\/work-overview\/top-work-related-injury-causes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">National Safety Council (NSC)<\/a>, \u201ccontact with objects and equipment\u201d is the accident type that causes the second highest number of days spent away from work. Again, employers in industries where this is a serious risk are responsible for providing appropriate training, safety warnings, and protective equipment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Electrical hazards:<\/strong> Exposed wiring, faulty equipment, or improper use of electrical systems all create a severe risk of electrocution, which can lead to serious injury or death.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fire hazards:<\/strong> Fire risk is a major issue in many different types of workplaces, including kitchens, laboratories, construction sites, oil and gas extraction facilities, and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Seeking Compensation Following a Workplace Accident<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cochranfirmphiladelphia.com\/philadelphia-work-injury-lawyer\/\">Workers\u2019 compensation<\/a> is a government-mandated insurance program that provides financial relief to those who are unable to work because of a work-related illness or injury. Following a successful workers\u2019 comp claim, you should be entitled to wage replacement and medical benefits, as well as funding for retraining in some cases.<\/p>\n<p>To apply for workers\u2019 comp, you must first report your illness or injury to your employer as soon as possible (delays can jeopardize your claim). From there, your employer should provide you with the necessary forms and instructions for filing a workers' compensation claim.<\/p>\n<p>In order for you to qualify for workers\u2019 comp, your illness or injury must be work-related. However, it's important to note that employer negligence is not a requirement here. Even if the accident was the result of your own error, you are still entitled to benefits as long as the issue arose during the course of your normal working activities.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to note that workers' compensation insurers may deny claims for various reasons. The most common basis for denial is uncertainty over whether an injury or illness is work-related; the insurer may try to argue that your ailment arose because of your personal activities or that it was a pre-existing condition. The insurer may also argue that the injury was not severe enough to warrant compensation or that proper procedures were not followed in reporting and documenting the incident.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, insurance companies are profit-making organizations. They\u2019ll do what they can to avoid paying out on claims. If you feel you\u2019ve been treated unfairly during the claims process, it\u2019s important that you seek guidance from an experienced work injury lawyer.<\/p>\n<h3>Workers\u2019 Compensation vs. Personal Injury Claims<\/h3>\n<p>One difficulty with workers\u2019 compensation is that it generally prevents you from filing a personal injury lawsuit. When you accept a workers\u2019 compensation settlement, you\u2019ll have to waive your right to sue your employer in relation to the accident that caused your injury, even if it came about because of negligence on the company\u2019s part.<\/p>\n<p>This is problematic because workers\u2019 compensation does not allow for non-economic damages. It won\u2019t compensate you for the physical pain or emotional distress you experience because of your accident, as a personal injury settlement might.<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, though, you can file a personal injury lawsuit along with a workers\u2019 comp claim. This usually happens when a third party (not your employer) is responsible for your injury. For example, if you're hurt in a <a href=\"https:\/\/cochranfirmphiladelphia.com\/philadelphia-car-accident-lawyer\/\">car accident<\/a> while driving for work and another driver is at fault, you can file a personal injury claim against that driver.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, if your employer was grossly negligent or intentionally caused you harm, you might have grounds to sue them even if you successfully claim workers\u2019 comp.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cochranfirmphiladelphia.com\/contact-us\/\">Consulting with an attorney<\/a> can help you understand complicated situations like these and maximize your compensation entitlements.<\/p>\n<h2>Contact Us Today<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been involved in a serious accident at work, it\u2019s imperative that you start the process of seeking compensation as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the greater the chances you\u2019ll encounter a major problem with your claim and fail to recover the compensation you need to get your life back on track.<\/p>\n<p>Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation about your case. You can reach us by calling (800) 969-4400 or by filling out our online contact form.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever been concerned about working in unsafe\/hazardous workplace conditions while on the job? Under a federal law known as the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their workers. There are also detailed guidelines set out by the Occupational Safety and Health [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1334"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1334\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochranfirm.com\/philadelphia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}