Falls from Heights at Work: What You Should Know

Nearly anyone can slip and fall (or trip and fall) in the workplace and sustain injuries that require medical care and time away from work. In many circumstances, an injured worker can be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits following a slip, trip, or fall injury on the job. While falls from heights, also described as falls to lower levels, are less common types of fall-related work injuries, these accidents can be particularly devastating. It is important for any worker who sustains injuries in a fall to a lower level to learn more about seeking workers’ compensation benefits. One of the experienced Macon workers’ compensation lawyers at our firm is here to help. In the meantime, we can provide you with more information about falls from heights on the job.

Types of Jobs Where Falls from Heights Occur 

Falls from heights can occur in many different jobs, and they can even happen in an office building where a hand railing is broken or an elevator is defective. Yet falls from heights occur with more frequency in certain types of jobs, such as:

• Construction work, especially involving scaffolding work;
• Roofing;
• Utility work;
• Warehousing;
• Landscaping; and
• Painting.

In short, in any job where a worker is performing job tasks on a ladder or otherwise at a height above the ground, a fall to a lower level can be more likely to occur.

Learning More About Falls from Heights 

What should you know about falls from heights? The National Safety Council (NSC) cites the following statistics:

• Falls from heights are the most dangerous type of accident in construction and result in about 38 percent of all construction fatalities;
• Falls from heights are the second-leading cause of workplace deaths;
• Falls from heights occur most often in construction and utilities jobs; and
• More than 42 percent of falls from heights result in a month or more of lost workdays.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a worker doing a job at a height of six feet or higher above the ground requires fall protection appropriate to the job.

Workers’ Compensation and Death Benefits 

Workers who survive falls from heights often have debilitating injuries that result in permanent partial or total disabilities. After a fall from heights, injured workers can be eligible to receive compensation to cover their medical care and payments for a portion of their lost wages. When falls to lower levels result in partial or total disabilities that are permanent, the injured worker can also be eligible for an additional disability payment based on their impairment rating.

Given that falls from heights are so dangerous, it is important to understand that these injuries frequently result in worker deaths. When a worker sustains fatal injuries in a fall, it may be possible for certain surviving family members to obtain death benefits through the workers’ compensation system.

Contact a Macon Workers’ Compensation Attorney 

Were you seriously injured in a fall to a lower level while working? Or did you lose a loved one in a devastating fall-related accident that occurred on the job? You may be eligible to obtain workers’ compensation coverage. An experienced Macon workers’ compensation lawyer at the Law Offices of Buzzell, Welsh & Hill can speak with you today.

Sources:

nsc.org/pages/falls-from-height

osha.gov/stop-falls#:~:text=Workers%20who%20are%20six%20feet,%2C%20scaffolds%2C%20and%20safety%20gear

law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-34/chapter-9/article-7/34-9-265