The Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) named four types of accidents that are the most fatal for workers in this industry. These are falls, being caught or between objects, electrocutions and being struck by objects. While the other three accident types can largely be controlled by the construction company, electrocution events might be caused by issues out of their control.
One potential cause of electrocutions is defective equipment. When this is the case, there is a chance that nothing could have been done on the construction site to prevent the issue from occurring. Defective equipment can cause a person to suffer from a shock, burn, or arc flash. Fires can arise from damaged equipment on a job site. While these incidents might not be fatal like electrocutions often are, they can still cause catastrophic damage to the worker using the tools.
It is imperative that any electrical equipment used on the job site be evaluated for safety. This includes checking for frayed wires. There is a chance that these accidents could be the result of manufacturing or design problems. In those cases, the worker might opt to turn to a third-party lawsuit for compensation for the damages that they suffered in the on-the-job accident.
When a worker suffers an injury that isn’t subjected to a third-party claim, they can file a workers’ compensation claim. This provides the worker with the medical care coverage and some wage replacement benefits if they are necessary. Understanding when to file each type of claim is imperative since there are limitations to both.
