Use workers’ compensation example to improve safety

On Behalf of | Sep 2, 2016 | Workers' Compensation

Pennsylvania workers may be subject to dangerous working conditions. However, they may be able to lower instances of serious workplace injuries by implementing improved safety practices and programs. Unfortunately, many of these changes do not occur until a serious accident happens.

In order to develop effective workplace safety programs, managers may look at work injuries that have occurred to develop better plans. For example, an employer may keep a piece of equipment that has been known to cause minor injuries and fail to train new employees on the proper way to use the machine. This failure may be due to productivity concerns and not wanting to remove experienced members of the production team to train the new hire. Instead, the employer may shortcut such training and expect the employee to just learn as he or she goes. Many times, the safety manuals that accompany such machines are lost over time, so the new employee may not be able to even read about the proper processes.

Within a few days, the new employee may be injured on the job, and this injury may eventually lead to an expensive workers’ compensation claim. In order to deter similar claims of this nature, the employer may finally replace the machine so that it does not cause such problems. He or she may also implement a training program that can minimize the likelihood of such accidents from occurring. However, had these measures been taken from the beginning, the expensive claim could have been avoided.

Individuals who are injured at work may choose to contact a workers’ compensation lawyer for help with the claims process. He or she may be able to explain the claims process to the worker along with the benefits to which he or she may be entitled.

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