OSHA Chairwoman Says that OSHA Safety Enforcement is Weak
In a recent report about a man who died in trench accident, the chairwoman of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said that she believed OSHA’s enforcement is weak. The Phoenix construction site accident attorneys at the Arizona personal injury law firm Breyer Law Offices P.C. see evidence of OSHA’s lax safety enforcement on a regular basis. At Breyer Law, we help construction accident victims and their families receive the compensation they deserve to help with medical expenses, rehabilitation expenses, and burial expenses.
Celeste Monforton, chairwoman of the Occupational Health & Safety Section of the American Public Health Association, recently said that OSHA penalties don’t appear to have a strong deterrent effect for companies taking safety shortcuts to save money and endangering the lives of workers. She added that OSHA’s enforcement of workplace safety violations is too weak, and the penalties that OSHA imposes on violators are “a joke” in comparison to other violations.
"It’s not that OSHA isn’t doing the job. It’s the penalties authorized by Congress that put OSHA in that situation," said Monforton, who is also an assistant research professor at George Washington University. "What does it say about our respect for our workers and workers’ lives when the average OSHA penalty for serious violations is $900, compared to an EPA Clean Water Act violation, which is $25,000 per violation, per day?" she said. "It’s not OSHA’s responsibility to make sure workers are safe; it’s the employers," she said.
These statements provide several good reasons why it is important to have the assistance of an experienced Arizona construction accident lawyer if you or someone you care for has been injured or killed in a construction accident. They will help hold those responsible for the accident accountable for their actions and help prevent others from being hurt or killed on the job.
If an employer is ignoring proper safety measures in order to save money or finish a job ahead of schedule and putting their workers’ lives at risk, the threat of litigation may cause them to rethink their decisions. To schedule a free consultation with Phoenix's skilled construction accident lawyers at Breyer Law Offices P.C., call them today at 602.978.6400.
