Workplace Worker Deaths Continue in Texas Construction Boom

Michael S. Callahan | | Work Injuries
workplace injury construction worker

In 2016, 102 workers in Texas have died in workplace accidents and workplace related accidents. This is too many unnecessary workplace deaths.

The construction boom continues in the state of Texas. According to Dodge Data & Analytics reported by Forbes, Houston and Dallas are some of the busiest construction areas in the nation.

In Texas, employers have a duty to provide their employees with a safe place to work.  That includes a duty to provide employees with the tools and equipment they need to do their work in a safe manner, adequate training, competent co-workers, and competent supervisors. When employers fail in any of these duties, workers can and do suffer the consequences.

Workplace Injuries in Texas and Beyond

According to OSHA, there have been 102 work-related fatalities in the state of Texas and 839 across the nation in 2016. In most cases, these fatalities could have been prevented by better training and safer work environments.

OSHA was created in 1970 because of the high number of work-related fatalities, and for the most part it has helped decrease the number of workplace injuries and fatalities. Nonetheless, unsafe working environments are still all too common. For example, two employers in the Austin area were recently cited and fined by OSHA:

“Employees of Austin Constructors were required to work near an unprotected trench with a facewall of loose rock and soil, exposing them to falling material. Austin Constructors was cited for one willful and three serious violations for failing to secure powerlines, failing to use trench protection, and failing to provide guardrails or walkways over the trench. Total fine: $113,486.

Workers employed by Muniz Concrete and Contracting were exposed to cave-in danger when four employees were jackhammering and shoveling while unprotected in two trench locations. Muniz Concrete and Contracting was cited for one serious violation for exposing workers to cave-in danger. Total fine: $7,857.”

Violations like these should never happen. These employers needlessly exposed their employees to hazardous conditions.

As Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, recently said,

“Making a living shouldn’t have to cost you your life. Workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses are preventable. Safe jobs happen because employers make the choice to fulfill their responsibilities and protect their workers.”

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If you have been injured on the job or lost a loved one as a result of a work-related accident, contact The Callahan Law Firm today for a free case evaluation.