What Causes Scaffolding Accidents?
Scaffolding accidents are a tragically common source of severe and fatal injuries in the construction industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that being able to scale scaffolding, ladders, or ropes is an in-demand job skill—almost 19% of jobs required it in 2017. With scaffolding being such a crucial part of construction, why are injuries and deaths still so common? By understanding the causes of scaffolding accidents, employees and employers alike can take steps to minimize accidents on their worksites. If you’ve been injured while working and your employer is refusing you the compensation you’re owed, let us help. Call Pisegna & Zimmerman at 818-888-8888 to schedule a consultation with our Southern California worker’s compensation lawyers. We meet with clients over Zoom and manage documents via DocuSign, allowing you to handle your claim from the comfort of your home.
Many critical errors lead to scaffolding accidents in the United States. Electrocution is one of the most common causes of death in scaffolding-related accidents, and falls are shortly behind them. While an individual falling can suffer severe injuries, falling objects can also cause their share of damage. OSHA maintains extensive documentation on how scaffolding must be used to minimize injury, what type of safety gear workers should utilize, and how scaffolding must be constructed.
Issues With the Installation and Design of Scaffolding
Across the board, construction deficiencies are the most common cause of scaffolding deaths in the United States. Improperly installed scaffolding is a ticking time bomb, waiting for the unlucky worker who will bear the brunt of its failure. This is why pre-shift inspections are such a crucial part of work zone safety. One employee’s attention to detail can save other workers from the consequences of another’s carelessness.
There are numerous ways that scaffolding can be poorly designed or installed. Design flaws that aren’t caught prior to manufacturing can leave employees working with scaffolding that has a low load-bearing capacity, inherent instability, or inadequate bracing. Even if scaffolding is appropriately designed, improper installation may still be a danger. Ignoring a manufacturer’s guidelines or skipping crucial steps during assembly can lead to instability.
After scaffolding accidents, it’s crucial to recognize the need for legal support, especially from a workers’ compensation attorney. These experts can help injured workers navigate the complexities of securing compensation for injuries arising from issues like improper installation, design flaws, or construction deficiencies.
Inadequate Training and Education
Working on scaffolding is inherently dangerous, and it must be treated as such. When employers provide limited training or do not ensure that employees are following proper safety procedures, they set them up for failure. Some accidents are the direct result of inconsistent training. Employers with standardized training programs that both end and seasoned employees are required to complete often fare the best in this area.
Another source of issues is a misunderstanding of safety procedures. Employees who don’t understand or care about safety protocols and equipment can be a danger to themselves or others. For example, some construction accidents occur because employees fail to clip themselves into their fall protection until they are on the platform. This leaves them at risk of falling the entire way up.
OSHA must be at the center of scaffolding safety education and training. Employers have a vested interest in this beyond just the safety of their workers, although that should be enough. If they are caught failing to enforce safety regulations on their work site, they can face hefty fines or even get shut down. If you’ve encountered challenges in obtaining rightful compensation after a scaffolding accident, seeking the expertise of a workers’ compensation lawyer is crucial for safeguarding your rights.
Inspection and Maintenance Concerns
Scaffolding goes through a lot of wear and tear, so regular inspections and maintenance must be part of employees’ daily work. Ideally, an employer will have a set inspection schedule that includes pre-shift inspections and more thorough inspections on an ongoing basis. These inspections should look for both installation errors and issues caused by wear and tear. Any irregularities should be cause for immediate communication with the site foreman.
Unsafe Weather Conditions
Adverse weather has a profound negative impact on scaffold stability. This includes rain, wind, ice, and snow. When workers are pushed to work through unsafe weather conditions to meet project deadlines, they are at greater risk of slipping and falling, being pushed off the structure by high winds, or otherwise becoming injured.
Learn More About Your Rights With Pisegna & Zimmerman
You have rights as a worker in California. If you are struggling to get the compensation you are owed after a workplace injury, trust the workers’ compensation attorneys at Pisegna & Zimmerman to advocate for you. Call us at 818-888-8888 or get in touch online now. No matter how injured you are, we’re here to help—our team is ready to meet over Zoom and handle your documents over DocuSign for an entirely remote experience for you.
William Zimmerman is an experienced Los Angeles work injury attorney at Pisegna & Zimmerman. He offers invaluable advice and assistance when dealing with the often complicated workers’ compensation system. As part of Pisgena & Zimmerman, he and his team are a full-service law firm that is dedicated to obtaining the maximum amount of compensation from all available sources.