Houston Industrial Accident Lawyer

An accident is an event that results in injury or illness to an employee while on the job. An incident is an event that has the potential to cause injury or illness but did not actually result in injury or illness.

OSHA does not cover self-employed individuals or employees of state and local governments.

An injury on duty is any injury that happens while an employee is working.

All accidents that result in personal injury or illness should be reported to an employer.

Workers compensation does not cover injuries that are self-inflicted, injuries that happen while the employee is committing a crime, injuries that happen while the employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or injuries that happen while the employee is not on the job.

Employers are responsible for providing a safe working environment for their employees, but they may not be responsible for every accident that happens in the workplace.

If an employee is injured while violating a safety rule or engaging in horseplay, the employer may not be liable to pay compensation.

The factory could be a dangerous place for workers if the administration is not practicing safety standards. Factory workers often work alongside heavy equipment. If there is no regular check-up for these machines, they could malfunction in the middle of a shift. As a result, workers could suffer injuries such as fractures or even amputation.

Requiring factory workers to do the heavy lifting, such as transporting loads of products from one place to another. Doing this for long periods could harm the back and could lead to permanent bone and muscle injuries. Workers could also suffer from injuries if they are not given the proper equipment when they lift heavy objects.

Some factories also deal with either the production or handling of dangerous chemicals. Exposure to harmful chemicals could pose serious risks to workers, especially if they are not given personal protective equipment. Inhaling noxious gasses could cause respiratory diseases, which could be lifelong problems.

 If factory workers work under poor conditions, the factory itself could be a place for disaster. Areas that are not properly lit or uneven flooring could cause workers to slip and fall.

Lastly, chronic stress injuries could also occur if not allowing workers to go on breaks and require them to work at incredible speed for long periods. Not only does stress affect the entire body negatively, but it also causes much pain and suffering. This is an unfortunate problem if employers only prioritize productivity and maximizing profits instead of worker health and welfare.

Having unsafe work conditions could cause workplace injuries in the factory. For example, if the factory’s design itself is not well, then it could cause accidents. Housing the factory in a dilapidated building that has uneven flooring and poor lighting could lead to employees hurting themselves in slips and falls.

At the same time, making use of second-rate heavy equipment could pose a serious risk to workers. If the maintenance of these machines is not well, operating it might be efficient. Defective machinery could harm workers, causing injuries such as damage to the limbs or even amputation.

At the same time, foregoing proper precautionary measures could lead to accidents. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that a factory is a safe place of work for all workers.

A second cause of factory accidents could be setting unrealistic expectations for workers in terms of output. If there is a constant expectation from workers to meet high quotas on their every shift, working faster pressures them and doing more just to meet certain productivity goals.

Doing this could lead individuals to prioritize work goals over their safety. Asking them to do more or to work faster even if they are experiencing physical pain. Unfortunately, doing so could lead to permanent and untreatable damage to the body later on.

A third cause of accidents would be natural disasters. If an earthquake occurs or if a hurricane sweeps over the area, tragic factory accidents could happen. Fortunately, these happen quite rarely.

Factory workers could sustain a wide array of injuries from workplace accidents. Fractured bones, broken backs, and stress-related injuries are some examples. Catastrophic injuries that lead to disability or permanent disease could also occur as a result of factory accidents.

Dealing with medical bills is a negative result of having injuries at work. A trip to the Emergency Room, laboratory tests, hospital confinement, treatments, doctor visits, and regular medication are all very costly.

At the same time, workers with injuries also have to deal with lost wages. Because they have to take time off work while recovering from their injuries.

Victims of workplace accidents have to deal with all of these financial troubles, in addition to the pain and suffering from physical injuries. All of this stress could wreak havoc on one’s mental health. As such, victims also tend to experience emotional distress as a result of their unfortunate situation.

The Triangle shirtwaist factory fire was a sparkling national controversy in America in 1911. The New York factory caught on fire, killing 146 workers.

Workers in the factory were working 12 hours under horrible conditions. The building only had one functioning elevator that could only hold 12 people at a time despite employing 600 workers. What is even more tragic is that the deaths could have been preventable. Trapping people in the factory as the owners locked the doors to prevent stealing.

This tragedy led to a mass protest of 80,000 people condemning unsafe working conditions in factories. Eventually, the government stepped in by passing reforms to avoid similar disasters in the future.

Workplace injuries occur when the work environment is not properly and regularly checked for possible safety issues. And when there are no regular checks in place, sometimes, people tend to cut corners.

 This means heavy machinery might not be working up to speed. They could be improperly maintained. And these could cause accidents. Some accidents include the machinery malfunctioning, causing harm to workers involved.

There are also instances when proper protocols are not observed, making the place of work hazardous to the employees. For example, slip and fall accidents could occur in the office if there are no proper warning signs after a floor cleanup.

Plant accidents could also occur if safety procedures are not in place.There are many types of industrial accidents. Industrial workers who deal with hazardous chemicals, for example, can be at risk for potential injuries due to the nature of their job. In the same way, elevator technicians or other workers who do repair work on elevators and escalators may have a slightly higher risk of being exposed to elevator accidents.

Many things occur in a warehouse all at once. For example, packing products while pulling other merchandise in carts for storage. At the same time, constantly loading products on trucks for scheduled deliveries while workers prepare orders for shipment.

Due to the fast-paced nature of working in a warehouse, no single safety issue could be highlighted. Any type of task could be a potential hazard if there were no enforcement of cautionary measures on proper work procedures for employee safety.

Let us take a look at one scenario. An assigned warehouse employee to a particular task throughout the shift was given instruction. And that is to load tons of merchandise into a cart and pull the entire load. And then place each product in the cart in its respective storage areas.

This involves much pulling and carrying, and these repetitive motions could injure the bones and muscles. Over time, these tasks could strain the body immensely, causing permanent injury.

Here is another situation. Workers are instructed to meet specific goals during the shift in the hustle and bustle of working at a warehouse. This leaves workers no choice but to work really fast and prioritize speed over safety.

An object falls off one of the carts that nobody notices. Unaware, an employee makes her way to the object while carrying tons of packages. She slips and falls, hurting her back.

Let us take a look at yet another situation. A warehouse worker walks down the hallway when a stack of heavy products falls on him. This incident causes severe back injuries.

All of these three incidents pose safety issues leading to warehouse injuries. The extent of the injuries may vary per incident. A slip-and-fall warehouse accident might not sound serious, but it could deal with catastrophic injuries, given the right conditions.

In the same way, sustaining injuries from repetitive tasks for long periods does not sound life-threatening. However, there are many cases of warehouse workers sustaining irreversible bone damage and lifelong pain.

Workplace injuries occur when the work environment is not correct, and regularly checking any possible safety issues are present. And when there are no regular checks, people sometimes tend to cut corners.

This means heavy machinery might not work up to speed because of improper maintenance. And these could cause accidents. Some accidents include machinery malfunctioning, causing harm to other workers.

There are also instances of not observing proper protocols, making the place of work hazardous to the employees. For example, slip and fall accidents could occur in the office if there are no proper warning signs after a floor cleanup.

Plant accidents could also occur if safety procedures are not in place. There are many types of industrial accidents. For example, industrial workers who deal with hazardous chemicals can be at risk for potential injuries due to the nature of their job. In the same way, elevator technicians or other workers who do repair work on elevators and escalators may have a slightly higher risk of exposure to elevator accidents.

Cutting corners by not observing proper safety protocols can cause accidents in warehouses. For example, if managers or safety officers do not conduct regular checks, then they may not be aware that some areas in warehouses could cause quite a lot of harm to employees.

Cracks on the floor or uneven surfaces might cause workers to slip and fall. Inadequate storage areas might cause shelves to tip over under the weight of bulky merchandise, posing harm to employees who might just be passing by.

At the same time, fostering a workplace culture that prioritizes speed and productivity over worker safety could be very harmful. Forcing workers to do more tasks faster than current standards to meet target goals could lead to warehouse accidents.

There have been many reports of warehouse workers sustaining physical injuries and much pain and suffering because of the constant increase in productivity at every shift. That means carrying more heavy loads and working faster than ever before. This causes much strain on the body and oftentimes leads to injury.