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Risks associated with working on or near scaffolding

On Behalf of | Aug 21, 2019 | Workplace Accidents |

Working on scaffolding involves inherent risks, and if you are among the many people across Texas who make their living in construction or a similar industry, you may frequently rely on these temporary platforms so you can perform certain work-related duties. At Gamez Law Firm, we understand that working on or close to scaffolding can be hazardous for workers, and that, when scaffolding collapses or accidents occur, serious, and even potentially life-threatening, injuries can result.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, most scaffolds are either supported scaffolds, meaning they have load-bearing members underneath them, or suspended scaffolds, which rely typically on ropes for support. Working atop or below both types of scaffolds can prove dangerous, so it is important for you to recognize how many scaffolding accidents occur.

As you can probably imagine, you face an elevated risk of falling when you work from heights, and falling from atop a scaffold can lead to serious and severe injuries. Wearing proper head protection, such as a hard hat, can reduce your risk of suffering a serious injury in a fall-related scaffolding accident to some degree, and so, too, can wearing non-slip boots while on the job.

While falls from scaffolds are a common cause of injury for today’s construction workers, there are also other ways you can injure yourself when working on or near these platforms. If, for example, a crew does not exercise care when raising a scaffold, those crewmembers may place the scaffold too close to power lines, which could lead to electrocution. Also, if you are working underneath or near, but not on top of, scaffolds, you could still suffer serious injuries caused by falling objects or a scaffold collapse. You can find more about workplace accidents on our webpage.

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