While OSHA requires employers to provide workers with safety equipment, The Intercept reported that in Texas, there’s roughly one OSHA inspector for every 95,000 workers, which means numerous safety violations are likely never discovered. Undocumented workers in Texas reportedly were ripping out moldy, flood-damaged sheetrock from buildings, without any gloves or face masks. They are also exposed to dangerous working conditions, with employers failing to provide safety equipment. Wage theft is common – many workers report not being paid on time, or not being paid what they were promised. According to an investigative report featured in The Intercept, about half of construction workers in Houston are undocumented immigrants who are routinely mistreated by their employers.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, construction workers were in high demand. The Texas fertilizer plant that exploded in 2013, killing at least 14 people and injuring 200, hadn’t been subject to an OSHA inspection in 28 years.
And understaffing isn’t a new problem, either. OSHA inspectors just can’t inspect every employer and every job site in their territory. At the time, it employed only 24 compliance officers to oversee the 26-county Houston area, including several oil refineries. In 2012, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited William Brothers Construction with one serious violation and one repeat violation for failure to provide workers with fall protection.Īfter a 2015 Houston scaffolding collapse injured six construction workers, Houston’s ABC13 reported that the Houston OSHA office was seriously understaffed. And the company had been cited repeatedly for safety violations. He was the third employee of Williams Brothers Construction to die in a fall within four years’ time. In 2016, a man working on a bridge in San Antonio fell 50 feet to his death. It’s a cumbersome process – one that allows unscrupulous companies to break the law with few, if any, consequences. If the employer doesn’t follow recommendations, OSHA can ask a federal court to order the employer to correct the hazard. OSHA may, however, request that workers be protected from any imminent hazards it discovers during an inspection. Industry Lacking OversightĪlthough OSHA can issue fines, it lacks the authority to shut down a business, even when that business repeatedly puts workers at risk. While construction injuries have increased throughout the United States, Texas still stands out as being notoriously dangerous for construction workers. First-line supervisors of construction/extraction workers – 134 fatalitiesĭeaths among construction trades workers increased from 694 to 736, between 20.In construction occupations, there were two types of jobs that in 2016 had the highest number of fatalities since 2003: The report stated that 2016 was the third consecutive year in which job-related fatalities had increased, and it was the first year since 2008 that more than 5,000 job-related fatalities were recorded. In December 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary for 2016. Construction Fatalities Up NationwideĬonstruction workers are exposed to serious safety risks every day, and, sometimes, the injuries they suffer on the jobsite can be fatal. And without safety glasses, construction workers in many trades may suffer eye injuries or blindness. While employers are required to provide such workers with masks or respirators, they sometimes don’t, putting workers at risk for respiratory illness.Īt many construction sites, the noise level is high enough to cause hearing loss, without ear protection. Workers that handle insulation and sheet rock, or whose jobs involve sanding or scraping, may suffer from exposure to dust and irritants. Many construction occupations involve the use of machinery or tools that can be dangerous as well (such as circular saws, welding torches, and nail guns). Injuries among construction occupations vary dramatically – for roofers, fall-related injuries are most common, while electricians are more likely to suffer electrical shocks or burns. Call today to request your free, no-obligation consultation: 1-85.
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