Every day, workers in Hollywood and across South Florida head to work in order to support their lifestyles, pay their bills, and put aside money for retirement. Employees expect their workplaces to be safe and secure. No one expects to leave for work and never return, but on-the-job accidents and injuries in Hollywood and across South Florida do cause fatalities and serious, permanent injury.
Some industries are known especially for having a high risk of injury. Construction work, factory jobs, truck driving, and other sectors have high risk of injury. However, you don’t have to work with heavy machinery to be at risk. Office workers and others in seemingly “safer” professions suffer serious injury each year due to falls, repetitive strain, and other incidents.
There are several ways you can prevent on-the-job accidents in your workplace:
- Get proper training. Good training and experience can help you identify and avoid the dangers of your workplace. If your employer does not offer training, check to see whether you can be compensated for training on the job or pay for training yourself. It is a smart investment which can help you avoid serious injuries later on.
- Wear the right protective gear. If your job requires eye goggles, work boots, a hard hat, or any other safety equipment, wear the gear correctly and every time you work. Check your gear frequently for damage and update it as need.
- Report unsafe conditions when you see them. You have the right to a safe workplace. If you notice dangers, report them at once and follow up until they are fixed. If your employer does not want to fix dangers, report the unsafe conditions to authorities. If you are concerned about your job security in reporting unsafe conditions, contact an employment attorney before making any reports. There are whistleblower laws in place which may be able to protect you and an experienced attorney can help protect you while working with you to get you a safer workplace.
- Know your rights as a worker. Your employer cannot ask you to do something illegal and you have the right to a reasonably safe workplace. If you are injured, you have the right to see workers’ compensation benefits in Hollywood or your community, even if you are a part-time worker. If you have been injured on the job, contact a workers’ compensation attorney if you are having trouble getting the benefits which may be rightfully yours.
If you would like to speak to a personal injury or workers’ compensation attorney after a work injury, contact Flaxman Law Group. Our legal team has more than sixty years of experience in securing compensation on behalf of injured Florida residents and our offices in Homestead, Hollywood, and Miami serve the entire South Florida area. Your first consultation is free and comes with no obligation, so you have nothing to lose by discussing your potential case with us.