Common Causes Of Construction Work Injuries
Construction workers are often at risk for serious injuries in the workplace due to the nature of the job. To be clear, construction workers are frequently tasked with duties that require them to use heavy equipment or to work at great heights. There are also more common injury risks on construction sites, including slip and fall hazards, for example. When a construction worker is injured on the job, they can almost always be eligible to obtain workers’ compensation coverage. To be clear, under Florida law, any construction employer with even one employee is required to have workers’ compensation coverage. Accordingly, every construction worker’s employer is required to have workers’ compensation coverage. Further, given that workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, injured construction workers can typically obtain benefits whether an employer’s negligence, a co-worker’s or another party’s negligence, or even their own negligence resulted in the injury.
What causes most construction work injuries, and what should injured construction workers do to seek benefits? Our Sunrise workers’ compensation lawyers have more information.
Most Common Causes of Construction Accidents
There are many different causes of construction accidents and injuries on construction worksites in South Florida, but some are more common than others. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), there are four major categories of accident types: falls, electrocutions, caught-in or caught-between accidents, and struck-by accidents. In each of these categories, there are common causes of accidents, including but not limited to the following:
- Unprotected roof edges that result in falls;
- Unprotected floor openings;
- Leading edges that lead to falls;
- Improper scaffolding construction that results in falls;
- Unsafe ladders that lead to falls;
- Contact with power lines leading to electrocution;
- Contact with other energized sources, including machinery and electric tools;
- Improper use of extension cords on construction sites that leads to electrocutions and electrical injuries;
- Improper guarding of cranes and other heavy equipment during work;
- Improper construction or lack of barricades leading to cough-in or caught-between accidents;
- Failure to adhere to trenching safety, resulting in trench collapses and being caught in a trenching collapse;
- Improper material storage or handling that leads to being struck by falling or flying or slipping objects; and
- Improper use or lack of use of personal protective equipment, resulting in any of the four major types of construction site injuries.
Seeking Compensation After a Workplace Accident on a Construction Site in South Florida
Any construction worker who is injured on the job in Florida should immediately report the injury to their employer. Florida law requires the injured worker to make a report within 30 days from the accident date. Then, the worker should seek medical care from an approved provider and begin working with an attorney to receive additional workers’ compensation benefits.
Contact a Sunrise Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Were you injured while working on a construction site in South Florida? You should get in touch with an experienced Sunrise workers’ compensation attorney at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. to find out more about obtaining health care coverage, wage replacement benefits, and other potential benefits. Our firm can help you to seek the compensation you need.
Sources:
myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/employer/coverage-requirements
osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-12/fy08_sh-17792-08_struck_by_english_r6.pdf
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_modeDisplay_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/0440.html
