In Minnesota and across the nation, there are many safety standards in place. These exist in order to keep workers from being harmed while on the job. However, there are many safety violations that occur at jobs all across the board, potentially putting the lives and well-being of workers at risk.
The United States Department of Labor lists the top ten safety standards that are of the highest concern for the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). Many of these categories cover the construction industry or general industry. They include:
- Respiratory protection
- Fall, ladder, and scaffold protection
- Powered industrial trucks and machinery
- Hazardous energy control and electricity
- Respiratory issues
Generally speaking, these are the areas with the most risk. High powered equipment, strong electrical currents, heavy machinery, and high working areas are all to blame for some of the most common types of workplace accidents.
Total Safety has a list of the most common safety violations, as released by OSHA itself in 2017. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the issues mentioned correspond with the highest points of safety concern, including scaffolding, ladder safety, respiratory protection, machine guards, fall protection, and electrical wiring safety. Another big issue is hazard communication. Essentially, not enough people are talking about what their workplace hazards are, leaving workers unprepared when faced with them.
Workplace safety is a work in progress that is constantly being improved. Unfortunately, however, workers are still injured in preventable accidents relating to workplace safety every year. Until improvement is made, these accidents will continue to happen, risking the lives of workers across the state.
