Employees have a reasonable expectation of being safe while at work. They trust that their employers have taken necessary precautions to provide a safe work environment and have given them proper training to safely execute their job functions. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always occur, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration may have to step in to ensure that companies are complying with safety standards. This is what happened after one North Carolina-based manufacturing plant employee suffered a workplace injury.
Last fall, an employee working with a broaching machine lost a fingertip, prompting an investigation by OSHA. The representatives discovered several safety violations at the plant and issued nearly 30 fines that totaled in excess of $200,000. The company has requested a meeting with OSHA, which is one of the options available to them in such matters.
Representatives from OSHA conducted two separate investigations of the company, with one dedicated to health and the other to safety. The company was cited for several health violations, including their failure to monitor the levels of lead exposure to their employees and failure to properly label hazardous chemical containers. Though several of the violations were corrected during the inspection, the company is still required to pay their fines.
It shouldn’t take a workplace injury to an employee for a business to realize that it needs to follow proper safety protocols. Unfortunately, sometimes, that is exactly what occurs. Any employees who have been injured on the job in North Carolina may not realize that they have the right to file for workers’ compensation. An attorney with vast experience handling workers’ compensation claims can help employees who are unsure of what the process entails.
