You’ll Never Guess What Arizona Company Was Fined for Work Injury

A Tucson demolition company was recently fined $21,000 for what the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) said were three serious violations that led to the death of one worker and serious injuries to another. According to reports, the fatal incident occurred on Aug. 21, 2015, on the scene of a building about to be demolished. A wall unexpectantly toppled onto the two workers. The company was found to be negligent by:    

• Not properly instructing each of its workers to identify and avoid unsafe working conditions
• Not knowing specific regulations relating to work environment so that potential hazards could be eliminated

The failure to properly instruct the workers is presumed to have resulted in three employees working in a demolition area where no ongoing inspections had been carried out to detect potential danger. Further, documentation was later found to show that the owner of the company had not reviewed with the crew the plan for bringing the building down.

WORKPLACE SAFETY IN ARIZONA AT A GLANCE

According to ADOSH, employers are required to eliminate hazards that they know – or should know – about. Simply put, if you can detect a hazard, it’s your responsibility to eliminate it. As illustrated in the tragic accident above, the requirement to eliminate hazards extends well beyond the walls of the business itself.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE IN AN UNSAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT

If you feel that you have been exposed to a work condition that poses imminent danger to your life or health, we advise you to first bring the matter to the attention of your supervisor. If the situation continues, you should contact ADOSH directly by calling (855) 268-5251. If you have experienced a workplace injury, you definitely need the expertise of an attorney skilled in personal injury and workplace law. We strongly encourage you to contact us at the offices of the Oswalt Law Group by calling (602) 225-2222 for a free consultation.