Work Injury Lawsuits: OSHA and IOSHA Violations

Workers' Compensation

Two men at work near a construction siteWe at Golitko & Daly know that safety standards are key to having a strong workforce. This is why we take all violations of safety standards seriously, and help workplace injury victims throughout the Indianapolis and Kokomo area with their claims. Having construction accident attorneys on your side is crucial for receiving just compensation, whether it’s in the form of damages following an injury or workers’ compensation that you have been denied.

OSHA and IOSHA are both responsible for creating safety standards and helping ensure that these standards are followed. We’d like to take a moment right now to look at these groups and what people in the workforce can do if they feel that their workplace is unsafe.

About OSHA and IOSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a government agency that ensures that workplaces of all kinds are safe and comply with current safety standards.

IOSHA stands for the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is the state’s own wing of OSHA. IOSHA consists of two different divisions, the Industrial Compliance Division and the Construction Safety Division. While the Construction Safety Division is focused solely on construction safety, the Industrial Compliance Division addresses industrial, commercial, and agricultural occupations in the both the public and private sector.

Commonly Violated OSHA Safety Standards

According to the United States Department of Labor, the following are the most violated OSHA safety standards which may impact those involved in construction:

  • Fall protection
  • Scaffolding
  • Respiratory protection
  • Electrical wiring
  • Electrical systems
  • Powered industrial trucks
  • Ladders

If you notice a potential hazard at your workplace that your employer is negligent to do anything about, be sure to check if there is a violation of an OSHA (osha.gov) or IOSHA (in.gov/dol/iosha.htm) safety standard. If there is a violation, it’s important to get in touch with OSHA or IOSHA.

Filing an OSHA or IOSHA Complaint/Inspection Request

If you notice any sort of violation of OSHA or IOSHA standards, contact these groups directly to file a complaint or request an inspection. More information about filing a formal or informal complaint can be found at the official OSHA website and the official IOSHA website.

The official OSHA website notes that if your issue is urgent or immediately life threatening, you should call OSHA at 1-800-321-OSHA. Those in the state of Indiana should call 317-232-2693 to get in touch with IOSHA.

Protection for Those Who Make OSHA/IOSHA Inspection Requests

In order to protect whistle blowers, OSHA and IOSHA take steps to protect the identity of the person filing an OSHA request. This helps ensure that the employee is not subject to retaliation from their employer simply for requesting an inspection or making valid complaints about worker safety.

How Our Legal Team Can Help You

When an employer violates an OSHA or IOSHA safety standard, they put employees and even innocent bystanders at risk. If you were injured on the job due to a safety violation, we will help you take the employer to task for negligence. We will also fight for those who were denied workers’ compensation benefits following an injury that was the result of an OSHA or IOSHA violation. We are here for you.

Learn More About Work Injury Legal Matters

If you or someone that you love has been injured at an industrial workplace, it is worthwhile to discuss these matters with a member of our legal team. We encourage you to contact our workplace injury attorneys today if your accident was the result of negligence or if you have been wrongly denied workers’ compensation benefits that you are owed.