Even if you feel like your job is safe, there can be dangers lurking around just about every corner. We don’t say that to generate fear, but rather to highlight the importance of workplace safety. While you might do everything you can to protect yourself at work, the sad truth is that your employer may fall short of their obligation to shield you from danger. In fact, many employers cut corners on safety in hopes of speeding up work, cutting costs and increasing profits. This, of course, leaves vulnerable workers like you at risk of significant harm.
But how, exactly, do employers neglect or outright refuse to keep their workers safe? Let’s look at some of the most common issues employers create when they try to skimp on workplace safety measures.
How your employer may be jeopardizing your safety
If they’re doing what they’re supposed to, there are many facets of safety that should be implemented in your place of work. Yet, employer fail to implement these safety measures all the time. Here are some of the biggest and most severe ways that employers cut corners on safety:
- Failing to provide proper safety equipment: A lot of jobs require certain equipment for workers to remain safe. This might include eye and ear protection, harnesses, hardhats and gloves. If your employer fails to provide this equipment and still requires you to work, then they’re knowingly putting your safety on the line.
- Failing to provide adequate training: Many aspects of your job can pose a threat to your well-being. Take lifting a heavy box as an example. If you lift improperly, then you could pull a back muscle or experience a slipped disc. There are many other job duties out there that are just as risky or outright dangerous. One of the best ways for employers to keep workers safe is to provide training on how to perform the job in question while mitigating risk of injury. If this training isn’t provided, then you’ve been set up for failure and will experience a heightened risk of being hurt on the job.
- Neglecting to keep workplaces clean: A lot of workplace injuries are suffered in trip and fall and slip and fall accidents. And many of these accidents result from employers failing to keep clean workplaces. Therefore, if your employer struggles to keep workspaces and floors clear from spilled liquids and tripping hazards, then you should speak up to keep yourself and your co-workers safe.
- Forcing workers to do something unsafe: Although employers oftentimes have a lot of discretion in identifying the job duties to be performed, sometimes their requests put workers in harm’s way. In other instances, employers simply fail to keep workers safe from identified workplace dangers. Take a nurse, for example, who has to try to treat a patient who exhibits violent behavior. There are many steps that can be taken to try to reduce the risk of injury, but if the hospital in question fails or neglects to implement those measures, then the risk of injury increases exponentially.
If you have, then now is the time to figure out your next steps for recovering the compensation needed to offset your losses, especially considering that the damages you’ve suffered can be significant. Fortunately, the workers’ compensation system may provide some relief. However, to successfully navigate this process, you have to understand the law and how it applies to your unique circumstances. If you’d like to learn more about how to do that, then please continue reading our blog and our website, and continue to seek out answers to any questions that you may have.