Polk County Legal Blog

Hazards present at construction sites are very serious and can kill or cause significant injuries. It is imperative that construction workers keep an eye out for these hazards and that employers take a proactive stance to address them. Without both approaches, workers can have accidents with horrifying outcomes.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) keeps track of on-the-job injuries and accidents. Here are some points to remember based on the information OSHA has gathered for the construction industry.

Accidental poisonings are one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that nothing causes more accidental injury deaths overall, year in and year out. For anyone older than 25, nothing is a greater danger.

Surprised? Other common causes of injury-related deaths are car accidents, unintentional drownings and things of this nature. But many people feel shocked to see poisoning at the top of the list.

Most of the time when you get into a motor vehicle, either as a passenger or a driver, you arrive at your destination safely. Every time you're in a car, truck, van or SUV, however, you risk the possibility of getting into a serious collision with another vehicle.

Even if you drive as carefully as possible, the mistakes of another person could end up translating into injuries for you and your passengers or even a fatality. Distracted drivers can pose as much risk to others on the road as intoxicated drivers. Even a moment of negligence, caused by a ringing phone or a yelling passenger, could result in a crash.

Imagine lifting a heavy box at work and feeling a pop in your back. The next morning, you were in the hospital and neurologist was explaining the surgery he would be doing on your back the following day. It turns out that you had slipped a disc in your lower back when you lifted the box at work.

Due to your injury, you are facing several days in the hospital, major surgery and weeks of recovery. You are also facing the possibility that you will never fully recover from the injury. How will you pay the medical bills? What happens if you cannot return to work? How will you pay your rent if you do not have income?