> In every instance, the deaths were preventable, experts say. All but one of the victims were male; the youngest was 16. In many cases, the companies failed to follow basic government rules for making trenches safe.
Having known someone in the construction industry, I don’t think this is as simple as blaming “the companies”.
One of his frequent frustrations is getting workers to actually use the safety gear and follow the company safety policies. This includes properly securing trenches with the equipment they provide and mandate.
I’ve heard stories about new guys who refused to wear safety glasses or hearing protection while working machinery. Some of them so defiant that they had to be fired within weeks.
Obviously we need to harshly fine the companies that fail to provide safety gear or pressure employees to do unsafe things. However, having had a peek behind the curtain I think this issue is more complex than a simple failure of companies to follow guidelines for providing gear and procedures to employees. You really have to be on top of work crews all the time to make sure they’re actually following procedures rather than cutting corners.
Having known someone in the construction industry, I don’t think this is as simple as blaming “the companies”.
One of his frequent frustrations is getting workers to actually use the safety gear and follow the company safety policies. This includes properly securing trenches with the equipment they provide and mandate.
I’ve heard stories about new guys who refused to wear safety glasses or hearing protection while working machinery. Some of them so defiant that they had to be fired within weeks.
Obviously we need to harshly fine the companies that fail to provide safety gear or pressure employees to do unsafe things. However, having had a peek behind the curtain I think this issue is more complex than a simple failure of companies to follow guidelines for providing gear and procedures to employees. You really have to be on top of work crews all the time to make sure they’re actually following procedures rather than cutting corners.