Construction workers in California do important and often dangerous work. It is imperative that they are protected when they’re on the job. Most companies see to that by making sure their workers are properly trained, have safety equipment and a safe work site. Unfortunately, not every company is always so scrupulous. One recent construction accident out of state resulted in the death of a worker and officials are pointing to the company involved for responsibility.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which often looks into accidents that happen while on the job, has decided to fine two different contractors for the roles they played in an accident on a construction site. One of the companies is facing two separate fines that total over $188,000 in connection with two different accidents at the same construction site. OSHA reports that one worker died and another was seriously injured after a concrete beam hit an aerial lift. Another worker was injured earlier in the month when he was hit by a metal pipe.
Another contractor has been fined after OSHA determined that employees were in danger of being hurt by rolling pipes. The fine for that company is just over $12,000. Both companies have several options for handling these citations, including challenging them or complying with them.
California workers injured on the job like this may be able to collect workers’ compensation. This is money meant to help employees or their families handle the often unexpected costs that arise after a construction accident. It can be a difficult area of the law for people to fully understand, so working with an attorney may be a helpful solution to ensure that workers and their families are treated fairly.