There are many accidents that happen each and every day. While some of them are simply unavoidable, many of them could easily be prevented. Organizations such as OSHA have been created in order to save employee’s lives and safety by preventing a workplace accident. When such an accident occurs, its investigation can provide valuable information on what caused the accident and how to prevent a similar one from occurring in the future. A recent investigation by the organization has ruled that the death of an Illinois employee was the result of oversights on the part of Hagel Metal Fabrication Inc.
The accident occurred in Feb. 2013. A 22-year-old man was working when he was struck by a piece of equipment. He ultimately died due to head injuries he sustained as a result of the accident.
As a result of its investigation, OSHA determined that the accident could have been prevented if the company had additional safety precautions in place. Specifically, OSHA’s report listed a lack of machine guards and worker training. It found the company had violated 12 safety and health standards and levied over $300,000 in fines against Hagel.
While the fines against the company may help ensure that another accident like this will not occur again in the future, the family of the deceased man is likely wondering how to cope — financially as well as emotionally — with his death. Most states such as Illinois require employers to provide workers’ compensation coverage in the event of a workplace accident. Such coverage provides compensation for medical expenses, or funeral expenses in this case, for example. The young man’s surviving family members likely qualify to receive this compensation on his behalf. However, many people find the process of obtaining such compensation to be long and complicated; as a result, they find assistance navigating the path to compensation is helpful to ensure they are adequately and efficiently given what is rightfully due them.
Source: dailyjournal.net, OSHA cites East Peoria plant after worker’s death, No author, Aug. 23, 2013
