Hearing about someone in Texas getting injured on the job can be nerve-wracking, and may lead some to start thinking about their own jobs. Texas workers know to exercise good judgment in their workspaces, but sometimes workplace injury is out of their control. Employers are responsible for ensuring that conditions in their workspaces are reasonably safe for employees. If they fail to do this, they could face consequences.
Today, news broke that Ecorec Rio Grande Valley, a recycling company in Edinburg, has been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for failing to maintain a safe workplace. According to OSHA, a five-month investigation determined that the company is guilty of 17 violations. Among the most severe of the violations is that Ecorec apparently failed to protect workers from amputation hazards. The recycling center will be fined $75,000 if it does not respond within 15 days.
It's not entirely clear why OSHA spent five months investigation this recycling center, but it is certainly possible that it stems from a worker injury. Hopefully the recycling plant will learn from the citations it is now facing and make sure its workspace is safe for all employees.
As we can see from this case and the several other cases we've written about in the past, when employers cut corners -- for whatever reason -- people can get hurt. Fortunately for workers, there are legal options available to seek compensation from an employer who failed to maintain safe conditions. Seeking legal advice is a good place for injured workers to start.
Source: News Center 23, "Recycling center cited by OSHA for safety violations," March 21, 2013
