Laborer Injuries
Roles of laborers can vary widely on construction sites, in manufacturing settings, and in other related jobs. In general, however, laborers tend to have less training than people in other types of jobs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and they tend to perform work-related tasks with significant injury risks. Laborers usually learn the skills they need on the job, known as on-the-job training as the BLS explains, although some types of laborers may need to meet certain certification requirements depending upon the specific tasks they perform. According to the BLS, there are more than 1.4 million laborers who do work in the construction industry, as well as laborers and helpers who do work as electricians, pipefitters, plumbers, steamfitters, carpenters, masons, painters, plasterers, and roofers.
Laborers can suffer serious and life-threatening injuries on the job in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida. Our Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation lawyers want to provide you with more information about laborer injuries and seeking compensation through the Florida workers’ compensation system.
Laborer Job Duties and Injury Risks
Laborers perform a wide range of job duties depending upon their specific position and the type of industry in which they are working. Learning more about common laborer job duties helps to show some of the serious hazards and injury risks that laborers are exposed to on the job on a regular basis. The BLS cites the following as common job duties of laborers in construction and related areas:
- Cleaning work that may involving debris removal and hazardous material removal;
- Loading or unloading building materials;
- Building scaffolding or other temporary structures on a construction site or taking apart scaffolding or other temporary structures on a construction site;
- Trench digging;
- Earth compacting;
- Leveling and backfilling holes;
- Equipment operation;
- Laying brick, stone, tile, or marble;
- Performing carpentry work;
- Sawing or sanding;
- Painting;
- Plastering;
- Pipelaying or pipefitting;
- Roofing; or
- Performing electrical work.
In doing much of this work, laborers use heavy equipment that can pose serious injury risks, and they often perform work at heights that can put them at risk of serious fall-related injuries. Many laborers also do jobs that put them at work of exposure to hazardous substances, to electrocution risks, and to caught-in and struck-by accidents.
Common Injuries Affecting Laborers in South Florida
The following are among the common types of injuries suffered by laborers on construction sites and in other related industries:
- Traumatic brain injuries;
- Spinal cord injuries;
- Back injuries;
- Burns;
- Exposure injuries;
- Cuts and lacerations;
- Traumatic amputations; and
- Bone fractures and crush injuries.
How Our Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Can Help
As soon as you have suffered an injury, or if you have a loved one who sustained a serious work-related injury as a laborer, it is critical to seek advice from a lawyer who can help. You will need to ensure that you report the injury under the timeframe required by Florida law and that you take all necessary steps according to the Florida Statutes. A dedicated and experienced Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation attorney at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. can help with this process and can speak with you today about obtaining workers’ compensation benefits. You may be eligible to have your medical bills covered, to receive compensation for lost wages, and to receive disability benefits in certain cases.
Sources:
bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/construction-laborers-and-helpers.htm#tab-3
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/0440ContentsIndex.html
