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safetytalk

With all respect to the families, friends and co-workers of the deceased, I disagree with many of the comments posted. The responsibility for worker safety and the site belongs to the property owner, construction manager, general contractor, subcontractor, employer and workers. State and/or Federal OSHA are not adequately staffed and are incapable of inspecting and controlling all work sites within their jurisdiction. They are also limitted as to their ability to shut down an unsafe site or work activity. The facts are that owners don't want to pay additional costs for adequate staffing by dedicated safety personnel. Construction Managers and General Contractors are reluctant to add dedicated safety staff if not reimbursed for the expense. Safety management is delegated to the project super who is also responsible for schedule and production delay. Talk about a conflict! Safety personnel are viewed by the employer as an overhead expense that delays work and eats profit. Unions are protective of unsafe workers, refuse to comply with items like 6 foot mandatory fall protection, substance abuse testing, etc. The worker is heavily involved in this equation. Sometimes out of fear of being terminated; poor training;lack of knowledge; and their own apathetic attitude, short cuts and bad habits, they place themselves and others in jeopardy. The law and regulatory agencies are no less responsible as the law has no teeth or those who administer it are reluctant to enforce it when teeth are available. The insurance companies who insure these projects do not mandate that their clients properly staff and enforce safety requirements on the job. As for safety personnel, I understand the comment but if your concern is the safety of the worker, you will not turn your back on issues, even if it costs your employment. THAT is YOUR job! Worker's will continue to die and suffer injuries that are worse than death until everyone steps up to the plate and actively accepts, enforces and discharges their responsibilities. Where they are not applied with diligence, criminal and civil charges should be vigorously pursued and I am adding negligent workers into that group.