The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established in 1970 under the U.S. Department of Labor. It continues its work conducting research on workplace safety and setting crucial safety standards for a variety of industries, including construction.
Every construction accident case that occurs is affected by the safety standards set by OSHA. A failure to uphold those standards generally results in disciplinary actions handed down by OSHA (usually a fine), as well as potential liability in any ensuing personal injury cases. The average fine OSHA hands down for violations is $1,100, but there is quite a bit of variance depending on the violation and its severity.
Here’s a list of the most commonly violated OSHA standards, in order of frequency:
- 451 – Scaffolding
- 501 – Fall Protection
- 1200 – Hazard Communication
- 134 – Respiratory Protection
- 147 – Lockout/Tagout
- 305 – Electrical, Wiring Methods
- 178 – Powered Industrial Trucks
- 1053 – Ladders
- 303 – Electrical, General Requirements
- 212 – Machine Guarding
OSHA also has an enforcement division that sends inspectors out to job sites and workplaces without any notice. These inspections are most often conducted onsite, but can also be conducted via telephone or fax. The priorities of inspectors in such cases are to look for any signs of imminent danger or potential catastrophe, to collect worker complaints and referrals, to conduct targeted inspections (usually triggered by high rates of injury or illness or past severe violations) and to conduct follow-up inspections based on previous incidents and reports.
For more information about how construction accident cases and other workplace accident cases are affected by OSHA safety standards, consult a knowledgeable Sarasota personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.