Workers in Colorado should know about OSHA’s updated guidelines for reporting workplace accidents.
Workplace safety in Colorado and throughout the United States is managed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA develops and publishes guidelines for safety practices and procedures as well as monitors the reporting of any on-the-job accident. The goal of all OSHA laws is to improve safety for all employees at all workplaces.
The federal agency recently updated the regulations that stipulated what types of incidents must be reported and when they must be reported by. Under the new laws, all fatal workplace accidents must be reported to OSHA no more than eight hours after occurring.
Any accident on a jobsite that results in an employee being admitted to the hospital must be reported to OSHA within 24 hours. So too must accidents that cause employees to lose at least one eye or endure an amputation. Incidents can currently be reported via phone but may eventually be able to be reported online.
How many people die in workplace accidents?
An accident at a place of business can cause minor injuries, permanent disabilities or even the loss of life. Statistics provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics show that in the state of Colorado in 2013, a total of 65 employees lost their lives due to job-related accidents. Those deaths left numerous colleagues, friends and family members to grieve and grapple with understanding how such unnecessary accidents can happen.
Throughout the United States, other data shows that fatal workplace accidents are not limited only to Colorado. The 2014 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes information like the following:
- A total of 4,405 people died in accidents while on the job.
- Of those 4,405 deaths, a total of 3,929 of them occurred in private sector businesses.
- Contractors accounted for a total of 734 of the work-related deaths that year.
- The rate of work-related deaths among employees designated as full-time equivalent or full time in Colorado equaled 3.2 people out of every 100,000 employees.
Certainly there are some industries that are more dangerous and employees in those businesses are more likely to be involved in job-related accidents. These include construction, transportation, oil and gas, mining and others. That reality, however, does not negate the risks that still exist at any place of business.
What employees should know and do
Every employee deserves to work in a safe environment. Employees in Colorado also deserve the right to compensation if they are involved in an accident while performing their job duties. Working with an attorney after any such incident is always recommended.
Keywords: workplace, accident, injury