How do serious construction accidents happen on the job? Many of the dangers involve uneven, insecure or poorly designed surfaces, or insufficient support for structural areas that exist on a site. During the construction and building process, workers get the finished product in place; however, while that is going on, providing adequate temporary structures are critical ways to prevent problems. Employers need to really evaluate a site to avoid liability and keep everyone safe on the job.
Loose Floors
Whenever construction projects involve working on a number of levels, flooring spaces need to be in place and stable. Although workers may have the ability to walk rafters or otherwise deal with compromised surfaces, what’s important is that they need to have all of the information about a site structure in hand. One of the most common examples is where someone quickly throws plywood or other materials over a set of rafters or beams. This may serve as a temporary floor surface, but it can fail due to a number of factors, including lack of secure positioning, rot or decay, insufficient thickness or pressure from external sources. This can cause workers to fall through and experience traumatic injuries.
Loose Rails
By the same token, security handrails and other safeguards need to be properly installed. Crews or responsible parties might rush to install things like handrails, which can leave the company open to serious legal liability. When these critical structures break off or fall off of their fastenings, the result can be very serious.
Raised Surfaces
Along with the above two concerns, there’s also the problem of any surface that’s raised to allow access to a higher level of a building or property. Any towering or raised surfaces need to be fixed in place so that they don’t topple or fall over. Scaffolding is a fundamental example of this problem. The state of New York has extremely strict laws on scaffolding for a reason — and although there’s been a lot of controversy about just how to deal with scaffolding and ladder falls, there’s very little argument against the real dangers of having insufficiently set up or stabilized scaffolding systems. As these systems provide access to higher areas, they also provide the potential hazard of falling from a significant height. The same idea is true for ladders or anything else that workers use to access vertical areas.
Looking Out for Injury Victims
After one of these types of work accidents, injury lawyers will look at what contributed to the accident and injury in question. Were adequate safeguards available? Did people have the correct training? Did the company have a plan to prevent work injuries? These legal professionals will look at whether any third parties are involved in an injury case due to negligence or inattention to workplace safety.
Get Help from New York City Construction Accident Lawyers
If you have been injured at work in New York City or the surrounding area, get help from the dedicated and attentive injury attorneys at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. Our attorneys have experience bringing cases forward in New York courts and will work hard to keep clients informed and empowered throughout the process. Let us help you to bring a personal injury claim after a work accident to help cover the costs of care and recovery.