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How Common Are Heavy Machinery Accidents?

Posted on July 24, 2019

Without the help of heavy machinery, the construction and manufacturing industries would be unable to accomplish many of their day to day operations as quickly, efficiently, and economically as they currently do. While these machines are integral to production, they can pose a serious risk to the workers who use them and work around them.

Heavy machinery includes:

  • Cranes
  • Forklifts
  • Bulldozers
  • Backhoes
  • Dump Trucks
  • Excavators
  • Trucks
  • Boilers
  • Saws
  • Oil Rig Machinery
  • Drills
  • Presses
  • Logging Equipment
  • Hydraulic Machinery

Heavy machinery can cause workplace accidents in a variety of different ways. Most commonly, it is involved in struck-by or caught-in accidents. These accidents occur when a worker is either struck by machinery, falling objects, or materials or caught in or between the mechanisms of the machinery.

Injuries From Heavy Machinery Accidents

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), heavy machinery is involved in 75% of fatal struck-by or caught-in workplace accidents. Injuries are often very severe and can include amputations, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), crushing injuries, broken bones, and spinal cord injuries, among others. With the potential to do so much harm, certain safety measures must be taken to decrease the likelihood of accidents.

Preventing Heavy Machinery Accidents

One of the leading causes of heavy machinery accidents is inadequate training. Employers have a responsibility to properly train all employees who operate machinery. It is also important for employees who workaround, but not necessarily on, heavy machinery to be trained on safety protocols. If an employer hires an employee to operate machinery, it is the employer’s responsibility to make sure the employee is capable of performing his or her job safely. Employers can be held responsible for negligently hiring workers who cause workplace accidents or for the unsafe actions of workers who received insufficient training.

Houston Heavy Machinery Accident Attorneys

The experienced heavy machinery accident attorneys at Craft Law Firm know how devastating Houston workplace incidents can be. If you or someone you love was injured or killed in a heavy machinery accident, you have the right to seek compensation for the resulting damages. Craft Law Firm has helped dozens of victims recover compensation and we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay us nothing unless we win your case. Call us today for a free consultation.