Accidents in the workplace: a risk for the contracting company
Workplace accidents are more common than we think. Currently, there are regulations in the United States that require employees to have insurance to protect them in case they get injured on the job. Likewise, they also request that the worker becomes co-responsible for his safety while performing a task that generates some risk.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), 4 out of 10 employees in the United States have suffered at least one accident at work, whether a superficial injury or a serious event that could have caused death. Therefore, every employee must have insurance that provides compensation for these possible events.
Some jobs that involve greater risk are construction, electricity, chemicals, or factories of various industries. All of those are governed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act (OSHA), which obliges the heads of these industries to provide the necessary equipment and information for the physical protection of employees.
How does this law protect the employee?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act highlights three key points for employee protection. The first is based on educating workers about the potential hazards they may face while performing their job.
The second point is related to physical and emotional protection in the event of an accident at work and advice on any aspect required by the employee, as in the case of compensation. And the third aspect aims to preserve anonymity in case of complaints about fear of losing their job.
Why are workplace accidents a risk for companies?
Every company operating in the US must comply with OSHA law. And not only to offer the employee the possibility of insurance against any injury or risk but also because companies are supervised to comply with the labor protection measures established by law.
There are around 2,000 inspectors supervising compliance with this law in the US whenever there is a work-related injury or accident report. Their job is to corroborate the veracity of the facts and verify that companies comply with the provisions regarding worker protection.
According to OSHA figures, the major accidents at work are caused by falls, electrocutions, blows by heavy objects, or death by compression. The situation is evaluated in each of these cases, and the corresponding coverage for medical expenses or the type of compensation required is determined.
If you are in an employment relationship and you consider that you are running the risk of having an accident or you have already had one, and you do not know how to act, the main thing is to seek advice. At Staff Advantix, we can help you. Contact us, and we will help you to guarantee your rights.
