The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined a landscaping company in Pennsylvania for eight safety violations that occurred last summer. Two of the company’s employees were injured because of the violations.
The two accidents involved two employees on mowers. One was a rollover accident in which an employee was seriously injured. The other was on a wet slope with a mower when he lost control. That employee had two toes amputated.
According to OSHA, the primary issue was that the employees did not use the mower’s seat belts or ROPS system. OSHA also said that the proper guards weren’t used and the company didn’t have a written assessment on workplace hazards.
With spring and summer quickly approaching, it’s important to realize how quickly an accident can happen involving a mower. Companies who use this piece of equipment every day and those who only use it occasionally can’t sacrifice safety. A culture of safety has to start at the top and go down to the employees. Taking the proper steps now can prevent accidents later on.
Workplace accidents can result in workers’ compensation claims. In addition, citations for safety violations can result in significant fines for the company. Workers are often unable to work, which means another employee has to pick up that employee’s job. When short-staffed, even more accidents can occur as workers attempt to get the same amount of work done with fewer people.
If you are injured on-the-job, you can file a workers’ compensation claim for medical expenses, lost wages, disability and more. An attorney who is experienced in workers’ compensation law can help.
Source: greenindustrypros.com, “OSHA Fining Pennsylvania Landscaping Company,” Feb. 18, 2016