What Should I Know about OSHA in California?
The world is certainly an interesting place. On the one hand, with smartphones and so many apps available, we have access to limitless knowledge at our fingertips. With this knowledge comes awareness of potential threats and ways to avoid them, which can help improve lives. On the other hand, all this technology and information has not changed the fact that life can sometimes be risky and you can get injured doing any number of things. For example, you can mind your business and go to work to get your job done but end up getting severely hurt in your workplace. Construction work, office work, and everything in between can pose some sort of potential threat of injury. If you get injured at work, you might be entitled to a workers’ compensation claim. If you have not been injured but are concerned about potential dangers at your workplace, a knowledgeable San Benito County, CA workers’ compensation lawyer can explain how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) works to protect you.
What Does OSHA Do?
The government agency’s stated mission is to ensure safe working conditions through standards that it is tasked with setting and enforcing, as well as providing information, training, and assistance. Unfortunately, OSHA’s ability to enforce safety regulations is limited, and therefore many companies work contrary to OSHA standards, with their potentially harmful actions going unpunished and uncorrected, and this poses a risk to workers.
If someone feels they work in an unsafe or unhealthy environment, they can send an anonymous request for OSHA to perform a workplace inspection.
Unfortunately, people often wait to submit such a request until it is too late and someone has already been injured as a result of whatever is making the workplace unsafe. While OSHA would certainly prefer to inspect and optimize a workplace before any injury occurs, it is still useful for them to come after an incident. At least this way, they can work to ensure that steps are taken to avoid any more harm.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Morgan Hill, CA Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you were injured in an unsafe work environment, you should speak with an experienced Santa Clara County, CA workers’ compensation lawyer to see whether you might be eligible for workers’ compensation. At Cramer + Martinez, we strive to work as fast as possible to get you the benefits you need. We also offer free consultations. Call 408-848-1113 so we can get started on your case.