A pandemic that took the world by storm is still raging, especially in the United States. The country has been leading the count in terms of the maximum COVID-19 cases. While one state brings it under control, things go out of control in another. Essential staff is working round the clock for nearly a year now, including construction workers. Construction accident attorneys and other relevant groups are advocating that construction workers should be second-in-line to receive the vaccine. Here’s why.
Numerous studies have been done around the world to study different phenomena of the disease, for example, public health experts have been trying to identify the different strains, the impact of the virus on different sets of people (age, gender, other medical conditions, etc.).
Similarly, another such study done in the United States shows that it is the construction workers and the correctional workers who have the highest positive rate for COVID-19. The study was conducted in Los Angeles between August and October 2020 wherein 730,000 COVID-19 tests were analyzed to evaluate the positivity rate of people who work in different industries. It emerged that 10.1% of construction workers who had symptoms were positive, second only after correctional workers whose positivity rate stood at 12.1%. Additionally, 5.8%asymptomatic construction workers tested positive, the highest among all professions captured in the study.
One of the biggest reasons for such a high positivity rate could be attributed to the fact that there is no paid sick leave which compelled construction workers, symptomatic and asymptomatic alike, to go to work despite their condition. This not only puts their health at risk but also those around them. Moreover, while containment efforts require social distancing, construction work may be demanding in a way that it requires many hands for one task.
The CDC also took out special guidelines to ensure the safety of construction workers while at work during the pandemic. But their applications remain awry/unknown at the individual site level.
While individual efforts are of paramount importance regarding protecting oneself from COVID-19, employers also have certain responsibilities. For example, at a construction site, the employer should provide disinfectants and sanitizers which can be used to clean hands and surfaces. For high-load sites, shifts should be in place to manage social distancing to further reduce the risk.
If you’re a construction worker and your employer is not following the due diligence regarding COVID-19, hire a construction accident attorney to represent you. In such a scenario, you can also recruit a personal injury attorney.
A construction accident attorney or a personal injury attorney will prove helpful in highlighting the negligence which puts your life at risk due to the pandemic.
If you or someone you know is at the risk of COVID-19 due to negligence by the employer, you need the best personal injury law firm, to contact Siler & Ingber today. Call us on 1-877-529-4343 or complete our online form on this page to schedule a case evaluation with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys. Our consultation is free and we do not charge a fee unless we win your case.