Clearly, some employers are not doing enough to prevent work injuries and fatalities.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced its preliminary list of the top 10 work safety violations for 2022.
There's been a little movement within the ranks, but this year's most-common violations are the same as those cited last year. Although employers are required to provide workers with safe work environments, clearly, not all of them do. That's why it's important for all workers to know their rights and how to stay safe on the job.
If you are injured at work or become ill due to work, remember that help is available. You have the right to seek workers' compensation benefits. In California, workers' comp pays for things like injury-related medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation therapies. But you often must fight to get the full benefits you deserve.
At McLaughlin and Sanchez, our legal team has years of experience fighting for the rights of workers injured in San Diego and throughout Southern California. If you want compensation for a work-related injury or illness, get answers to your legal questions. Contact us for a free case review.
The following is OSHA's preliminary list of the top 10 most common safety violations for the fiscal year 2022. Watch out for these common hazards where you work.
Top 10 work-safety violations, 2022
- Fall protection. In general, employers must provide working conditions that are free of known falling hazards, keep floors in work areas as clean and dry as possible, and train workers about fall prevention in a language they can understand.
- Hazard communication. Employers must have labels and safety data sheets on all chemicals for their exposed workers and train them to handle the chemicals properly.
- Respiratory protection. OSHA sets respiratory protection standards for general industry, maritime, and construction. In general, employers are required to provide workers with respiratory protection equipment like masks, filters, and glasses that protect against things like chemical hazards, radiological hazards, mechanical irritants, and fine particles.
- Ladders, construction. Standards are set for various industries and ladder types. For example, for those who work in construction, there are safety requirements for extension ladders, job-made wooden ladders, stepladders, and mobile ladders.
- Scaffolding. Falls from scaffolding and workers being hit by objects falling off scaffolding cause preventable injuries and deaths. Employers are required to identify, remove, or reduce hazards like instability, overloading, and electrocution, whether it's a suspended scaffold, an aerial lift, or a supported scaffold.
- Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout). When not handled or stored properly, energy can cause serious damage to workers. Hazardous energy includes electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, and other sources. Usually, in this type of accident, the energy is paused, stored up, and then unexpectedly released, causing terrible damage.
- Powered industrial trucks (PITs). Examples include forklifts, order pickers, turret trucks, and side loaders. Employers must maintain PITs to mandated standards and ensure that the person operating the truck is well-qualified to do it.
- Fall protection training. Employees must be trained and maintained to prevent falls at work. In addition, workers should know how to identify fall hazards and how to use safety equipment properly.
- Eye and face protection. OSHA requires employers to provide eye and face protection whenever necessary to protect against chemical, environmental, radiological, or mechanical irritants and hazards.
- Machinery and machine guard. Heavy and powerful moving machinery is used by or near many workers daily. To prevent injuries, employers are required to place guards or use other techniques to protect workers.
We protect injured California workers' rights
At McLaughlin & Sanchez, our workers' compensation attorneys and work injury lawyers are honored to fight for the rights of injured workers in San Diego and Southern California. We understand what it takes to create a strong work injury case and how to fight for the compensation you deserve. If you were injured on the job in the SoCal region, contact us for a free case consultation right away to review your potential options.