California Workplace Safety Lawyer
Employees throughout the country have the right to know they will go to work in a safe place. The California Department of Industrial Relations outlines rules intended to protect employees from unsafe work conditions. Still, hundreds of thousands of employees in California become injured or suffer from work-related illnesses every year. If you feel as though your employer is not taking the proper measures to ensure you are safe while you work, you likely feel frustrated and angry. A California workplace safety lawyer can explain the legal remedies available that can help compensate you for any injury or illness you suffer from.
California Occupational Safety and Health Act
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) protects employees from unsafe work environments, but California has its own version of the Act, as well. While the federal OSHA offers many protections for employees, the Cal/OSHA provides many more. The most important of these include the right to be free from:
- Overexposure or unsafe handling of toxic chemicals,
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Practices involving child labor
- Overexposure to heat or noise
The above are just a few of the protections Cal/OSHA provides to employees. These rights are sometimes enforced when Cal/OSHA performs random inspections, but employees do not have to wait for an inspection to occur. If you feel as though your employer has not provided a safe place for you to work, you can also file a complaint. When filing a complaint, you also have the right to be free from wrongful termination or other forms of retaliation.
How are Employers Required to Provide a Safe Workplace?
Employers in California must comply with a number of rules and regulations to ensure all employees are kept safe while on the job. Some of the most significant requirements employers must follow include:
- Ensure they comply with all safety regulations
- Perform inspections regularly to identify and correct any dangerous conditions
- Train employees properly on how to use equipment and tools
- Train workers on the proper protocol to follow if an accident occurs
- Report all injuries and fatalities to Cal/OSHA
- Offer employees a clear process for reporting injuries in the workplace or work-related illnesses
When employers do not comply with these regulations and an employee becomes sick or injured as a result, workers should understand the options available to them.
Workers’ Compensation and Third Party Claims
All employees in California are protected by workers’ compensation, which provides benefits for an injured worker’s medical expenses and a portion of their lost income. When someone else unrelated to the employer caused an accident in which an employee became hurt, workers can also file a third party liability claim to recover monetary damages.
Our Workplace Safety Lawyer in California Can Explain Your Options
Employees often do not know the options available to them after a workplace accident. At Litigation, P.C., our California workplace safety lawyer can explain those options to you and help you through the process of recovering benefits or damages. Call us today at 424-284-2401 or fill out our online form to schedule a consultation.