Workplace safety is an extremely important topic for many people in Colorado. Even those people who are not working in heavy industry know that there are many dangers that could result in serious injury or death if they are not properly mitigated by an employer. When an employer fails to ensure the workplace is safe, the family members of an employee that is fatally injured on-the-job can often receive death and dependency benefits.
While most employers do a relatively decent job of protecting their workers, there are some employers who show absolutely no concern for their employees’ safety. One such employer was recently cited by the federal Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for its utter lack of safety features.
In a horrific accident from last November, an employee was burned by heated water and chemicals. Instead of calling for medical help or even finding a chemical shower to clean off the chemicals, the worker was forced to wait 30 minutes before he was finally taken to an occupational health clinic in a colleague’s car. Sadly, the man later died from his injuries.
When federal investigators arrived, they were shocked to see the number of people who were either untrained on how to properly protect themselves and those who were exposed to safety risks that the employer refused to fix.
With such little concern for their workers, it is surprising that more people were not injured on-the-job. Had they been, however, it is clear that they could have filed for workers’ compensation.
Source: OSHA Regional News Release, “US Department of Labor’s OSHA cites Raani Corp. with 14 violations, including failing to provide emergency care, after worker dies from chemical burns,” May 16, 2012
