Pittsburgh Personal Injury Law Blog

Construction workers in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas face an endless list of safety hazards, whether they work on single-story residential projects or skyscrapers. One of the most significant risks is working at heights, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has strict standards of fall protection with which employers must comply. They must maintain safe work environments and provide employees with fall protection training, education and equipment.

If you are a member of a construction crew, you might not realize that you have the right to refuse to work at elevated levels without the necessary personal protective equipment. Your employer must also provide adequate training in the proper use of the protective systems.

With the holiday season underway, the amount of traffic on local roads might make it a nightmare to navigate to your desired destinations. To avoid dealing with traffic congestion, you may prefer to do most of your traveling via the sidewalk, despite the recent drop in temperature.

In some cases, it might even be quicker to move from place to place by walking, but you may worry that it isn't nearly as safe. While an accident can take place at any moment and under a variety of scenarios, by sticking to safe walking procedures, you may be able to reduce the odds that a disaster will occur.

Every property owner in Pennsylvania owes visitors and patrons a duty of care. Creating or neglecting to remove or repair known hazardous conditions might lead to premises liability lawsuits. You might be wise to take additional care during the winter months because of the increased chances of stepping onto a slippery patch in a parking area or a shopping mall.

Entrances to malls or buildings are particularly treacherous because high volumes of consumers who walk through snow and ice bring wetness from outside. If the property owner fails to address those hazards, you could spend your holidays suffering the consequences of a FOOSH injury.

Temperatures in Pittsburgh may be below freezing for the next few months, and if your job has you working outside, you will be at risk of suffering cold stress. Are you ready for it? Did you know that exposed skin can freeze, causing frostbite in temperatures of 28 degrees Fahrenheit? You might not think that is unusually cold, but if you remain outside, blood clots can form. Additionally, deep frostbite could cause gangrene, which might lead to amputations.Hypothermia develops if your body loses temperature faster than it can produce heat, and that loss of temperature can start even before the weather turns particularly nasty. If you feel lightheaded and confused, look out for the other symptoms like profuse sweating, nausea and fatigue. That is when you should get inside as soon as possible because hypothermia is a potentially fatal condition.