Workplace safety should be of the utmost importance to employers. Increased safety not only prevents workers from being injured, but it often also increases employee morale and production while lowering costs. Because of its importance, every year Pennsylvania’s governor gives the Governor’s Award for Safety Excellence to those companies deemed to put safety first.
Amongst this year’s 10 recipients is a hazardous material company. The company’s mission includes a commitment to safety, and the Labor & Industry secretary stated their safety measures should serve as an example for other Pennsylvania businesses.
While it is important to recognize the hard work it takes to keep workplaces safe, it should not be treated like a rarity because all workplaces should be safe. Employees should not have to go to job every day confronted by the risk of suffering a workplace injury. Instead, these companies should be held accountable for any unsafe working conditions, and they and their insurers should take care of those who suffer work-related injuries.
The best way to do this is to provide workers’ compensation to those injured in a workplace accident. Such claims help cover an injured individual’s medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and lost wages, enabling him or her to recover as quickly as possible and get back to work without fear of going broke.
As nice as workers’ compensation may sound, injured workers are often denied these benefits. In these instances, an attorney can be sought out to help fight for the compensation the worker deserves. By gathering evidence, questioning witnesses and crafting a strong legal argument, an attorney may be able to put the injured worker in a position to achieve the best outcome possible. Perhaps then light can be shed on those companies that fail to make safety a priority while also providing an injured employee with much needed compensation.
Source: Triblive.com, “West homestead hazmat firm receives safety award,” Patrick Cloonan, Feb. 25, 2014