One of the most serious injuries a worker in New City or other parts of Rockland County or Orange County faces is the possibility of having a part of his body amputated. While the loss of a whole arm or leg is the most serious type of amputation, a worker can also easily lose a finger or a foot while doing his job. In any event, all amputations are serious affairs and will require some permanent changes in a person’s lifestyle.
Machinery in particular has the potential for causing an accidental amputation. Particularly common at New York construction sites and industrial facilities, workers frequently have to use machines that cut, turn or bend both rapidly and powerfully. In just a split second, these machines can amputate a worker’s limb.
Employers in New York have an obligation to make sure that their workers stay safe while around machines. In many cases, an employer can do this by making sure a machine has quality and working guards or other safety devices that will keep a worker’s limbs out of the way of moving parts.
There are indeed federal safety regulations which require employers to be certain they have proper safety equipment installed on their machines.
Furthermore, employers can also assure that employees get frequent and understandable training about how they can work safely around machinery and other dangerous equipment.
Preventing amputations is an important workplace safety issue, and employers must take it seriously. Unfortunately, however, no amount of prevention is going to stop all accidental amputations. Should a New York worker have the misfortune of experiencing an accidental amputation, she should remember that workers’ compensation benefits are available to cover her medical expenses, rehabilitation and lost wages.
