Preventing Birmingham Fall Accidents – Technology In The Palm Of Your Hand

Jul 25, 2013 - Construction Accidents by Cross & Smith

Falls continue to be a serious problem on the job — on all jobs. These kinds of accidents are most common on construction sites, but they can happen in all workplace settings.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were more than 600 workers killed and another 213,000 seriously injured because of fall accidents in 2009.

Our Birmingham construction accident attorneys understand that the highest frequency for fall-related deaths was experienced by those in the construction industry. On the other hand though, fields including transportation and material moving, healthcare support, building cleaning and maintenance, and construction and extraction occupations are at a particularly high risk for fall injuries.

This is why officials with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have created a new app, available for the iPhone and also Android. This new app is offering a multimodal indicator and a graphic-oriented guide for ladder selection, inspection, positioning, accessorizing, and safe use.

While ladders may be some of the most common factors in fall accidents on the job, they’re surely not the only. Other common factors in fall accidents include unprotected edges, misused fall protection, wall openings, clutter, slippery floors and even floor holes and unstable walking/working surfaces.

Currently, there are federal regulations in place to help to make sure that employers and employees are following the safest work practices. Unfortunately, these safe work practices are not always executed, as poor safety culture across many industries define steady fall injury rates year after year.

Of all fractures from falls, hip fractures are the most serious and lead to the greatest health problems and number of deaths.

These kinds of accidents conjure up a whole lot of financial responsibility, too: medical costs and workers’ compensation for fall accidents have been estimated to total roughly $70 billion yearly in the U.S. There is no doubt that those outrageously expensive costs alone are a significant incentive for companies and employers to invest in stronger fall prevention programs and strategies in their workplaces.

Fall Accident Statistics:

-Slipping accidents accounted for about a third of all reported major injuries.

-Roughly 20 percent of these accidents result in 3 or more days off the job.

-A slip or trip accident happened every 3 minutes.

-Serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury, back injuries, joint injuries, fractured bones and muscle and ligament injuries oftentimes result from fall accidents.

Even with all these frightening numbers, employers routinely fail to live up to their obligations when it comes to fall-protection measures. In 2011-2012, falls were number one on OSHA’s list of the violations that led most often to citations.

In these instances, more than likely, a subcontractor or general contractor may have committed some negligence which led to the accident. In a slip and fall accident in an office, a cleaning contractor may be liable. The point here is that each case is unique and the only way to protect your rights in these kinds of cases is to get a consultation with an attorney with work accident experience.

More Blog Entries:

$1.7M Awarded to Worker in Alabama Construction Accident, Alabama Injury Attorneys Blog, April 12, 2013

Birmingham Construction Injuries and Scaffolding Dangers, Alabama Injury Attorneys Blog, January 28, 2013