There are a number of reasons that Pennsylvania residents may lose their balance and fall. Often individuals trip over items in front of them or slip on wet or icy surfaces. When a person suffers a fall on the property of another individual, the victim may have rights to compensation through premises liability theories of law. When an employee suffers a fall-related injury while at work, they may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
As previously discussed on this Butler personal injury blog, workers’ compensation is a system of benefits that provides injured workers with financial assistance when they suffer on-the-job harm. Falls are a common cause of injuries in different work environments, and this post will address some of the ways that falls may be prevented so that Pennsylvania workers can stay safe while performing their occupational duties.
In the context of office work, falls are a major contributor to work-related injuries. In fact, some reports suggest that office workers are more likely to suffer falls than workers in construction and other work industries. When it comes to preventing falls in offices, employers should make sure that workers are trained on how to use equipment like ladders and to avoid using chairs as lifting devices, and should also remove dangerous hazards like loose cords and carpets from workspaces.
At construction worksites, the risks of serious falls can be compounded by the heights that workers may sometimes scale when working on multi-level buildings. Workers in this industry should have safety equipment that secures them to the sites they are working on and proper ladders and scaffolding to keep them out of harm’s way.
In retail spaces, workers can suffer falls in a number of ways. From slipping on the wetness their customers track in to tripping over improperly-stored merchandise or equipment, retail employees can take dangerous falls while on the job. Training is an important component of keeping store workers safe from the dangerous of slips and trips.
Falls are a risk in all employment environments. Employers should take proactive steps to protect their workers from harm. When they do not, their workers may have rights to pursue workers’ compensation for their fall-related injuries.
