Contact with an electrical current can cause electrocution, burns, fires, fall accidents, and other traumas can be deadly.
A Jersey City, New Jersey trucking company was recently fined a total of $63,000 by the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after an investigation revealed 14 serious violations relative to electrocution hazards. Investigators stated that the company’s warehouse located at 418 Duncan Avenue was an “electrical nightmare for its employees.” The owner of the trucking company said that the investigation was launched by a disgruntled employee and that OSHA exaggerated its findings.
OSHA investigators found that hazards at the facility, in violation of various codes, exposed workers to serious electrocution risks, as well as generally being fire hazards. The violations included a number of overloaded power outlets near wet locations, tangled extension cords, damaged floors, defective forklifts and machines without safety guards. OSHA also reportedly found that many of the employees required to have specific training were, in fact, not properly trained to operate a forklift or a fire extinguisher.
OSHA’s regulations consider violations “serious” if hazards which employers know or should know of present a substantial probability of death or significant injury. The risk of electrocution in the workplace is a very significant hazard and potentially a very serious violation.
Employers and property owners are responsible for mitigating or limiting dangers at and about their properties and place of business. They must provide adequate safety equipment and training in a timely manner, and ensure that electrical equipment is appropriately inspected and maintained.
If you believe that you or someone you love has been injured as a result of employer or property owner negligence and/or workplace safety violations, do not hesitate to contact an attorney with experience in investigating and pursuing claims of that nature. Significant compensation may be secured relative to your injuries, the costs associated with treatment, lost wages and earning capacity, and other damages.
Please contact the New Jersey work accident attorneys at Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari for a no-cost case evaluation.