Construction Accidents - Who Is Responsible? The rate of construction accidents is very high in the US. There can be several causes of such accidents, which may include lack of proper training, poor attitude of the agency towards the safety of its workers, negligence from the workers’ side, unsafe site conditions, high-risk work methods, and use of inadequate equipment. The injuries and death of the workers are usually caused because of the use of heavy equipment, excavation, ladders, and scaffolds. However, there can be several other causes as well, such as electrocution, poisoning, explosions, and burns.
It is mandatory for all construction agencies to follow OSHA regulations. OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA is a federal agency that enforces federal laws to govern health and safety issues at a workplace. It is the duty of the prime contractor to ensure optimum safety and health conditions at the work place. The lawsuits for construction accidents are usually filed against the prime contractor.
However, there are different factors that are taken into account in this regard. For example, if the prime contractor has farmed out work to a subcontractor, the subcontractor will be held responsible for compliance with the OSHA regulations and for the workers’ safety on the site. However, even in this case, the prime contractor cannot get away easily. They are also held partly responsible for any kind of construction accidents on the site – no matter who hired the employees or the workers in the first place.
