Are Workers Entitled to a Safe Jobsite?

Personal Injury Lawyer

Due in no small part to television dramas, it’s safe to say that most Americans understand that they are entitled to certain rights in the event that they’re arrested or in the event that they seek medical care. Additionally, most Americans are aware of their most basic rights enumerated by the Constitution, including the right to speak freely without fear of government overreach and the right to practice their religion freely. However, it’s also safe to say that most Americans (documented and undocumented alike) are largely unaware of their rights as workers. Worker safety is rarely the subject of television drama and, at least for the last 50 years, is rarely the subject of mass protest and outreach efforts. As a result, too few workers understand that they don’t simply have to “put up with” unsafe working conditions.

Generally speaking, workers are entitled to a reasonably safe workspace. If you’re working in unsafe conditions, know that our firm can help you address those concerns anonymously, so that you and your coworkers can get access to the inspections and oversight you need to remain safe. Although employers can’t lawfully retaliate against a worker for exercising their rights, the anonymous nature of inspection requests and other specific safety-related actions can help you to avoid fear of employer retaliation. Finally, if you’ve already been hurt or made ill as a result of your unsafe working conditions, our firm can help you secure any workers’ compensation and/or personal injury compensation to which you may be entitled.

Worker Safety Regulations – The Basics

Fifty years ago, President Richard Nixon signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act into law. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created as this law was implemented. The OSH Act created the employer safety obligations upon which modern American work safety standards are built and also codified numerous rights of American workers. Generally speaking, employers are required to provide workspace that is free from serious hazards and that benefits from all current safety and health standards. When safety issues arise, employers are required to address those issues promptly and reasonably. Employers are also required to provide safety training to all workers in a language they can understand. In addition to a host of other rights, workers are generally entitled to working conditions that don’t risk serious bodily harm.

Legal Assistance Is Available

If you have been hurt while on the job and/or you’re working in unsafe conditions that place you and your coworkers at an unreasonable risk of sustaining a work-related injury, please schedule a confidential, risk-free consultation with our firm now. Once we learn more about your situation, we can help you to evaluate your options and exercise any rights that you feel comfortable exercising at this time. Nobody who works for a living should have to feel unsafe while providing for themselves and their families. If you have questions about a work injury case, contact a workers compensation lawyer Palm Beach Gardens for more information with our friends at the Law Offices of Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt, today!