Despite decades of widespread education about the dangers of falls in the workplace, falling remains one of the top reasons for workplace accidents. While the construction industry remains the primary industry in which fatal falls occur, the risk is present in nearly all other industries as well.
Even workplace tasks that involve the simplest actions like walking or using ladders can result in falls, many of them serious enough to cause significant injury. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that over 200,000 workers received serious injuries due to falls in 2009. That same year, the Bureau reported more than 600 fall-related deaths.
The health care industry also experiences frequent falling accidents, although most of these are non-fatal. Wholesale and retail workers are also at a high risk for becoming injured by falling. Below are some of the main factors that can lead to workplace fall accidents:
— Slippery walking surfaces– Improper ladder positioning– Cluttered floor space– Holes in the walking surface– Unprotected edges– Wall openings– Misuse of safety gear– Unsafe work practices– Lack of safety training
Even with proper safety training delivered regularly to employees, falls in the workplace can still occur. Workers’ compensation is a government program developed to provide injured workers with treatment for their injuries as well as a source of income. If you have been injured at work by falling or some other unsafe task and your workers’ compensation claim was denied, it is urgent that you contact an attorney as soon as possible. The law offers injured Pennsylvania employees viable options to collect the benefits they deserve following workplace accident resulting in injury.
Source: CDC.gov, “Fall Injuries Prevention in the Workplace,” accessed May. 28, 2015