What are the Safety Requirements for a Chicago Construction Site?

Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the United States. Construction workers regularly sustain severe injuries that are usually otherwise preventable. Here, we want to discuss the importance of safety at construction sites in the Chicago area. Specifically, we want to look at what OSHA says about construction site safety as well as the most basic safety concepts that should be present at your construction job site. 

Construction Sites Are Highly Regulated

Construction sites are heavily regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and regulators at both the federal and state level keep a close eye on all job sites. Construction companies are obligated to take steps to protect their workers, visitors, as well as those who live and work around the construction site. Some of the rules that construction sites in Illinois and Chicago must follow include:

• Properly training all employees concerning equipment usage
• Training employees about hazardous chemicals
• Clearly labeling all chemicals used at a job site
• Obtaining proper work permits
• Ensuring employees have proper head and eye protection
• Clearly identifying potential hazards with signs
• Providing warning of hazards and obstructions
• Maintaining appropriate fences and barricades around the site
• Ensuring all employees receive required state and federal training
• Removing or remedying all known hazards
• Probably constructing scaffolding
• Reinforcing trenches to prevent cave-ins
• De-energizing all cables or wires before working

What if You Sustain an Injury at a Construction Site in Chicago?

If you sustain an injury construction site in Chicago, there are various steps you can take to help ensure that you receive the compensation you are entitled to.

1. Seek medical care. You have to seek medical care to ensure your well-being and help establish a link between the incident and or injuries.
2. Report the injury. You are required by law to report your workplace injury to your employer within a certain amount of time. Illinois law their workplace injury within 45 days after the accident. However, we recommend that all workers report their injuries sooner than this 45-day timeline to prevent the employer or insurance carrier from saying the injury did not occur when it did.
3. Gather evidence. If you are able to do so, you should gather as much evidence as possible at the site of the injury. This includes taking photographs of the accident scene and your injuries. In addition, get the names and contact information of any eyewitnesses to the injury.
4. Follow all deadlines. Follow all deadlines regarding reporting the incident both to your employer and your workers’ compensation insurance carrier.
5. Continue all medical care. Continue all medical care until your doctor says you have reached maximum medical improvement. Discontinuing care before a doctor says you should do so could result in your claim being delayed or denied by the insurance carrier.

If you have been injured at a construction site in Chicago, you need to speak to a skilled attorney as soon as possible, particularly if you receive any pushback from the workers’ compensation insurance carrier or your employer. A Chicago construction accident attorney can handle every aspect of the claim, including determining liability, filing your appeals, and recovering the compensation you need.