A recent headline involving a New York crane operator who was involved in multiple on the job accidents where the crane he was operating collapsed, causing serious and fatal injuries to co-worker below highlights the importance of proper safety inspections as required by law.
The crane operator had to testify in two prior lawsuits about the incident and in both cases, the man admitted that safety protocol was not followed and inspections to the crane were rarely performed at all let alone every day before the crane was used.
These incidents may have been avoided if proper safety protocol was not neglected. If what the operator said is true then the city and state officials as well as the owners of the crane were at fault for the injuries and deaths occurring on the job site. The crane operator said in one incident that he operated the crane for three months and never saw anyone do an inspection. He also stated that he often overrode the crane’s safety system because he saw other workers doing the same thing.
While ultimately workers can only do so much, perhaps if someone working on and around the crane had addressed the issues of safety neglect, no workers would have been injured and no one would have lost their lives at work. There is no mention if the crane operator or other workers approached management about the safety issues involved in the accidents but it does appear from the deposition statements made by the crane operator that he just went and did his job as he was told.
Unfortunately that is often the case. People come to work and do the job they are told to do. It isn’t until an accident on the job launches an investigation and neglect of construction equipment is discovered. Worker safety is a team effort. Proper training as to the safety protocol is necessary, especially on construction sites which are known to be one of the most hazardous work environments. If you have not received the proper training or are concerned about the safety hazards on the job, approach management for direction as to how to handle the situation rather than proceeding ahead.