Regardless of the industries in which Missouri workers are employed, safety hazards will be present. Employers in all industries must ensure their workers are protected by removing known hazards and following safety regulations at all times. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a company owner to disregard safety regulations with little or no consideration that it may lead to a work accident with devastating consequences.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently put a company in another state in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program after a worker’s death. The company is in the business of clearing ponds and lakes of silt and sludge by divers it employs. During such dives, multiple safety procedures must be followed, and divers must be provided with equipment such as communication devices, standby divers, and depth gauges.
In an investigation, OSHA found the company in violation of these regulations. Moreover, the company was found to have failed to provide the diver with a reserve tank of air and also failed to maintain visual contact. A 23-year-old diver lost his life and left a devastated family behind as a result of the omissions by this employer. OSHA revealed that the same company also committed safety violations that led to the avoidable death of another diver in 2009.
Losing a loved one in a work accident is naturally an extremely traumatic experience. It is not only an emotional loss, but also typically leads to financial difficulties. A surviving family may find comfort in knowing that the Missouri workers’ compensation insurance fund provides death benefits to those who lose a loved one in an on-the-job accident. Compensation for end-of-life expenses and financial aid for the victim’s covered dependents may be pursued by filing a benefits claim with the fund.
Source: ohsonline.com, “U.S. Aqua Vac Cited in Diver’s Death, Penalized $223,454“, May 13, 2015