Most of us face some sort of risk when we go to work each day. Whether the risk is falling down the stairs as we head to our office or falling off of a scaffold while working construction, the potential for a workplace accident is always present. We all recognize, however, that some jobs are more dangerous than others. A few weeks ago, some workplace accident victims within the Houston area were honored in a ceremony.
The ceremony was held in honor of Worker’s Memorial Day and was a vigil for Texas workers who had been killed in workplace accidents. Family members, coworkers, and friends were encouraged to attend. The ceremony took place at a significant time, considering the fertilizer plant explosion just last month.
“Our heart goes out to all the men and women affected in West,” said Katherine Rodriguez of United Support & Memorial for Workplace Fatalities. “Many more (workers) died in incidents that never made any headlines.”
Participants at the memorial told stories of lost loved ones and released balloons to commemorate those who died last year.
According to the Chronicle report, Texas may be a more dangerous place to work compared with other states. In 2011, there were nearly 4,700 workplace fatalities across the country, 433 of which occurred in Texas.
Richard Shaw of the AFL-CIO spoke, saying that he believes that part of the reason Texas has a higher than average number of workplace fatalities is “lax safety regulation in the construction industry as well as a reliance on undocumented immigrant workers,” who are often denied the same benefits as citizens.
Workplace safety is a concern no matter where you’re from or what work you are doing. Especially if you work in the construction or manufacturing fields, proper safety training, good equipment, and a generally safe work environment is important every single day that you go to work. Without the presence of these elements, the risk of an accident can be exacerbated significantly.
“There’s a lot of talk about how regulations are bad for the economy,” said Sen. Sylvia Garcia. “I can’t understand why we would see any fatality as a cost of doing business. It’s someone’s husband, father, or brother. You can’t put a price on that.”
Houston Workplace Accident Lawyer
If you are seriously injured in a construction accident, Kevin Krist may be able to help. As a Houston personal injury attorney, he helps get justice for injured parties. Call 281-677-3961 today for a free consultation on your case.
