For companies that are serious about preventing Atlanta work injuries, a culture of safety begins at the top and is pervasive throughout the entire organization. Unfortunately, far too many employers are not taking the right steps to make sure staff stay safe. Workers have noticed that companies are not doing their part, and this can have a big impact on employee/employer relations.
If an employer fails to live up to any basic safety duties, those who are harmed by the failure can and should consider taking legal action. An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer can provide help to those who have been injured while performing any work tasks. Employers should try to do everything they can to make sure this doesn’t happen- which means changing the focus on what is most important in a worksite.
Preventing Atlanta Work Injuries Isn’t Always a Top Priority For Employers
The problem on many worksites is, employers value productivity and make maximizing production the goal€“ even at the expense of safety. While productivity is something to strive for in order to build a successful business, it cannot take precedence over creating a safe work environment where people won’t be hurt or killed while performing job duties.
Despite the fact that safety should be a top priority, a recent study reported on by Safety News Alert indicates 33 percent of workers think their employers put productivity first as the top priority over safety. This troubling statistic comes from a survey of 2,000 workers across the United States, which was conducted by National Safety Council (NSC).NSC grouped worker responses based on the sector the employees worked in. Those in two of the highest risk sectors€“ construction; and fishing, forestry, hunting and agriculture€“ had even higher levels of distrust for employers who it comes to making safety a priority. Among workers in the high risk sectors, 60 percent of construction workers indicated safety was not as important to their employers as production and 52 percent those in the fishing, forestry, hunting and agriculture sector believed that production would come first above safety in their employer’s minds.
Employees also believe their employers do only what they have to when it comes to protecting workers. For example , 60 percent of construction workers thought manufacturers did the bare minimum when it comes to complying with mandated safety requirements, while 61 percent of forestry and related workers have expressed the fact some employees have expressed resistance to focusing on workplace safety. If a culture of safety is not created from the top down, workers can feel pressure to perform at the expense of their own health.
NSC’s survey also found that 49 percent of employees who were working as contract or temp workers were concerned about reporting any problems with safety because of possible backlash or adverse impacts on work opportunities. When employees fail to report, this can make the entire worksite higher risk and can significantly increase the chances of workplace accidents or deaths.
Have You Been Injured On The Job?
If you’ve been injured at work you need to speak with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our office directly at (800) 234-9556 to schedule your free consultation.