Power Tools and Construction Accidents - Construction sites should always pay attention to that condition of power drills they distribute to employees.
Anapol Schwartz Public Safety Newsletter Issue No15
1. Newsletter Issue No. 15
Power Tools and Construction Accidents
Construction sites should always pay attention to that
condition of power drills they distribute to employees.
If you watch a movie that recreates the a
sawmill from the 19th century, you will
probably see the "two man saw" that
was popular at the time. Actually, it was
popular out of necessity. The strength of
one person was not enough to cut wood
quick or efficiently. This is why two men
were required to operate the saw. Of
course, even two men will have their
limitations and that is why power saws are
so very helpful. Through the use of electric
motors, the saw's ability to expedite the
work on a construction site is made much
easier. Sadly, under certain circumstances
if can also become quite dangerous. If an
electric power tool malfunctions it can lead
to incredibly serious injuries.
This is why it is important for the employers at a construction site make sure that there
are no defects in any power tools provided to the employees. That means the tools must
be properly inspected prior to distribution. Also, the tools must be properly stored so that
no harmful degradation occurs. This will greatly reduce any errant injuries. It is also
important to make sure the employees are properly trained in the safe operation of the
tools. If the employee is operating the tools in an unsafe manner then management has
a responsibility to step in and correct the situation.
It is important to note that none of these points are minor. When a construction site
realizes that there is a safety hazard and is not take effective measures to you eliminate
the hazard, then the management of the construction site might be held liable. This
means if you are injured in a construction site accident that could have been prevented
as you may be able to file a lawsuit against your employer. Depending upon the
circumstances and the extent of the injury, the awards in such a lawsuit could be of a
significant monetary figure.
ASK A PHILADELPHIA LAWYER... TO FIND OUT WHETHER A LAWYER AT ANAPOL SCHWARTZ CAN HELP.
OSHA and Lead Standards
Excess lead on a construction site is a violation of the law and the
management of the site needs to keep lead levels low.
There are a number of safety issues someone working on a construction site has
to contend with. Sometimes, these safety problems are fairly obvious. For example, if
there is scaffolding set up that is teetering most people would know to avoid stepping on
the scaffolding so as to avoid any potential injuries. However, there are certain stealth
hazards that are present. For example, if a construction site is filled with hazardous lead
Who Is Negligent in a
Construction Site Accident?
Construction site accidents
often displaying negligence
from a variety of sources.
There are a number of reasons why it
is important to discuss construction
site accident injuries with a qualified
attorney. One of the reasons for this is
that someone who has no background in
the law is never going to be able to make
an accurate assessment as to where
negligence and fault lies. For example, if
you were to ask the average employee
who can be sued in the aftermath of a
construction site injury the common
response will be the employer. In some
cases, this would be correct. However, it
may not exclusively be correct. The
correct answer would be you can sue
anyone who contributed to the negligence
or the injury.
For example, let's say that you were
injured when a drill malfunctioned. Later
on, it is discovered that the manufacturer
of the drill knew about the flaws in the drill
but sold it anyway. Clearly, this was
gross negligence on the part of the drill
manufacturer. Therefore, it would not be
out of the question for the employee who
was injured to file a lawsuit against the
drill manufacturer.
Of course, the drill manufacturer had
nothing to do with the operation of the
construction site. In fact, the construction
site may be completely without any
negligence behavior. If the construction
site knew that it was distributing a faulty
drill then perhaps negligence suits can be
brought against it. But, if the construction
site was without this knowledge then the
employer was free of negligence.
However, a lawsuit can still be brought
forth with the plaintiff being the drill
manufacturer.