According to a 2015 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) report, there were more than 10,300 incidents involving severe work-related injuries, which included 7,636 hospitalizations and 2,644 amputations. These figures are only representative of federal OSHA states and do not encompass occupational injuries from states that administer their own safety programs.
Unsurprisingly given its inherent dangers, the construction industry accounted for the lion’s share of workplace injuries requiring immediate hospitalization. Construction workers made up 19 percent of all hospitalization reports, followed by workers employed in the transportation and warehousing sector. “Most of the hazards that led to these severe injuries are well-understood and easily prevented,” states the OSHA report. “They also account for a majority of work-related fatal injuries. And we know that, in most cases, employers can abate them in straightforward, cost-effective ways, such as by providing fall protection equipment, installing guarding over dangerous machinery, or clearly marking pathways.”
New OSHA reporting requirements
The report comes a year after OSHA implemented a new set of reporting rules for workplace injuries, which were created to encourage employers to promptly self-report any incidents where workers were harmed on the job. OSHA claims that employers who have been compliant with these new regulations have seen lower numbers of workplace injuries over the past year as employers were asked to conduct their own accident investigations and formulate strategies to prevent future injuries.
However, the reporting requirements have also directed OSHA to unscrupulous employers who, even after documenting catastrophic employee injuries, continue unsafe practices that put workers at risk. OSHA states that some employers have negligently tried to conceal workplace hazards from the agency, in order to avoid the costs of addressing them.
Manufacturing & construction most dangerous industries
In 2015, there were a total of 2,644 amputation reports made to OSHA’s workplace injury database. Fifty seven percent of these occurred in the manufacturing industry and 10 percent were construction accidents.
Workplace accidents that result in debilitating injury such as amputation are a risk that construction workers take every day. In the wake of a serious on-the-job accident, even the most stoic of employees may not be able to return to work. New York provides workers’ compensation benefits in such cases, which provides monetary reparations for lost income, disability, and reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses.
Unfortunately, even severe injuries that are eligible for worker’s compensation benefits may be disputed by employers. In such circumstances, victims need to partner with legal professionals who can investigate whether the filing of a personal injury lawsuit is warranted.
If negligence is established in a construction injury, liable parties may include:
- Manufacturers of construction equipment
- Subcontractors
- Companies responsible for maintaining or repairing equipment
- Engineers
As an injured worker in New York, you have the right to be represented by a personal injury lawyer when filing a worker’s compensation claim or pursuing a civil lawsuit. For aggressive legal representation in the aftermath of a workplace injury, New Yorkers have come to trust The Sanders Firm.
Schedule a confidential, no-cost consultation with experienced construction accident attorneys today. Call 1-800-FAIR-PLAY. Resources
- OSHA, Year One of OSHA’s Severe Injury Reporting Program: An Impact Evaluation https://www.osha.gov/injuryreport/2015.pdf
- OSHA, Number of Severe Injury Reports Received by OSHA by Industry, 2015 https://www.osha.gov/injuryreport/2015_by_industry.pdf
