Injured at work..

[ClaytonBigsby]

I've worked in some hardcore dangerous jobs and seen several people seriously fucked up' things you only hear about, and wonder if they are true. In almost EVERY instance it was because they were not paying attention, or doing something they shouldn't have been doing. Common Sense is not so common. How many ambulances have been called after someone yelling, "hey, ya'll, watch THIS!"

The OP shouldn;t have worked unsafely, and the employer shouldn't have hired someone who would.

 

[budlover13]

So here is my situation and I'd like to know what you guys think. I work for a contracting company doing store renovations, I was told by my employer to take down track-head lights(aprox 12-13 ft above ground). So I thought sure no problem and was told to use a scaffold. Scaffolding was set up properly, but it is a poor quality scaffold and quit old, the wheels do not turn easily and fall out sometimes if there is no pressure on it. By the way this is a one level scaffold approx 6ft above the ground set up as high as possible. I was taking down the track head lighting, and having to "wheel" myself along by shifting my weight back and forth. After about 15 minutes of working and moving with no problem, I was moving onto the next light and the wheel had fallen out of the back right leg of the scaffold. As you can imagine i tipped back that way, lost my balance and fell onto a hard tile floor, from standing atleast 6ft above the ground. I apparently had injured a bruised a back muscle is what i was told by the doctor at the cheap medi-clinic. I took xrays and nothing appeared wrong other then the noticeable bruising on the surface. This happened on Tuesday, and I am still off work today. The doctor recommended i do not work until at least Friday, possibly next week depending on how I feel. Now the part I would like your opinion on is this: My boss has asked me to NOT file a workers compensation form because.
1. My injury is only a bruised muscle, i should be able to return to work next week according to the doctor i went to
2. There hasn't been an employee injury at the company for a while, and his insurance rates would shoot through the roof
3. He will pay me the same amount workers compensation does on my check
4. He's a prick

Now I'm wondering what the fuck i should do, he expects me to return to light duty work tomorrow which I'm not even sure i'll be able to. Also i doubt this is relevant but i have worked for this employer for over 1 year and am relatively young(19) to be seriously hurt from any sort of injury. My biggest worry is that if i don't claim, and re-injure a month or two down the road doing something non work related I'm fucked. Also the workers comp board (WCB) recommends i contact them immediately if my employer tries to get me to avoid making a workplace injury claim.

Well thanks if you read all that, I'd appreciate if anybody knows the legal side of this, about whether or not my employer is breaking the law by not reporting a workplace injury,

DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT! My wife is an HR manager. Document EVERYTHING! (And avoid the claim and drug test)

 

[akgrown]

then chances of a drug test are limited since its canada , i wouldnt worry too much about a drug test, i suggest since its just a bruise suck it up and let him throw money at you youre not seriously injured, i work and i cut myself at work probably once a week and i dont file with workers comp , lol

work on those knife skills and you will stop cutting your fingers. I cut my self maybe 1 time every few months.

 

[Winter Woman]

OSHA says that scaffolding is to be inspected before every shift. All connections and those that are broken must be repaired before allowing employees on it.

You still hold the upper hand because the clinic has your medical records. Which means he knows that you were injured. He then must report it-period.

 

[sunni]

work on those knife skills and you will stop cutting your fingers. I cut my self maybe 1 time every few months.

oh its not from cooking its from cutting hair LOL i go too fast and i get caught up in the moment and snip half the time i dont even notice i cut myself

 

[H R Puff N Stuff]

not using the scafolling properly is what caused the injury and harnesses are not required at 6'. if you think it will be an ongoing prob. i would file and try my luck on the claim otherwise tuff it out you could loose your job and probably not work in the construction field again a contractor is not responsible if the injury was caused by the employee via. shifting back and forth on a scaffoll as it was not designed to be moved that way now if you moved it properly and the boss instructed you to shift it to move it then it would be the contractors fault.

 

[ClaytonBigsby]

H R Puff N Stuff,


Sleestacks!? Wow.

 

[dirtsurfr]

I worked heavy construction all my life here in Calif.
Here's how it would have gone down if you worked here.
First they take you to a doctor and checked out, then while you're there they have him do a piss test on you.
Don't matter if you were at fault or not but if the test comes back dirty for MJ it's all on you they pay the doc. bill
and your out a job.
In Calif. if your a construction contractor you have to have Workmans Comp. on all your employees. If you drug test
then the State of California gives them a better rate.

You fell off the scaffolding because you worked unsafe, those wheels are to be locked BEFORE you climb them to work off of.
If you didn't know better then get a lawyer and sue for lack of training for a million bucks, thats how we roll here in the States LOL!

Hang in there... Some day you will be were I am, retired, sore and grumpy.
Time to medicate...

 

[Sk306]

Can't believe this is still going lol. I went to work friday, light duty, barely did anything it was okay my back is still somewhat sore but is getting better so maybe it is just a muscle. I still don't really know what I want to do other then get a new job asap. Called workers comp and they say there is no time limit to file a workers comp form, just have to have it documented I'd assume. So if i told the doctor, I'm sure they'd keep it on their records, Nothing more I can do then write the dates and time of when it happened right?

 

[beardo]

I went to work friday, light duty, barely did anything it was okay

I don't understand people like you, how do you sleep at night, don't you feel like a piece of shit for being a drain on society, your employer and coworkers? Your employer ought to fire you. But then you would probably just collect unemployment or disability or some other hand out that the rest of us have to give you for being a lazy do nothing produce nothing consumer- Disgusting!

 

[mysunnyboy]

you will be fine OP
don't take your health and safety for granted, ASSUME no one checked your equipment before you use it and check everything out BEFORE you use it. make your safety your responsibility in the future and if something doesn't seem right or safe to you don't do it

 

[Sk306]

I don't understand people like you, how do you sleep at night, don't you feel like a piece of shit for being a drain on society, your employer and coworkers? Your employer ought to fire you. But then you would probably just collect unemployment or disability or some other hand out that the rest of us have to give you for being a lazy do nothing produce nothing consumer- Disgusting!

.... what the fuck are you retarded or something what should i have done, put on my toolbelt, grabbed some drywall and started boarding? just take some painkillers and tough it out? like fuck right off buddy like I'm going to injure myself for the rest of my life for my piece of shit boss. fuck you once again.

 

[beardo]

.... what the fuck are you retarded or something what should i have done, put on my toolbelt, grabbed some drywall and started boarding? just take some painkillers and tough it out? like fuck right off buddy like I'm going to injure myself for the rest of my life for my piece of shit boss. fuck you once again.

it is not I that is retarded nor is it your boss who is a piece of shit. Take responcibility for yourself and your own choices and actions. Grow up and become a responsible productive member of society, stop being a parisitic drain.
Add value to this world instead of taking it. You get out what you put in. you should take pride in yourself and the work you do. I shouldn't have to work to provide for you because you're to lazy to take responcibility for yourself.

 

[Sk306]

it is not I that is retarded nor is it your boss who is a piece of shit. Take responcibility for yourself and your own choices and actions. Grow up and become a responsible productive member of society, stop being a parisitic drain.
Add value to this world instead of taking it. You get out what you put in. you should take pride in yourself and the work you do. I shouldn't have to work to provide for you because you're to lazy to take responcibility for yourself.

What the fuck are you talking about? I had a job every summer i wasnt in school, and held a part time job the whole time in highschool. I worked from day one as soon as i was done school, payed taxes every year since I was 14, and have never had a problem at work. How can i take pride and the work I do, when i only have a certain time limit to finish the job I do the job to the best of my abilities. I don't know what your talking about you working to provide for me I never went on workers comp and am working injured to provide for myself. All EMPLOYERS pay into it, not you. they pay incase an accident like this happens, like insurance. I'm done talking to you, narrow minded prick open your eyes to how modern society works its not the 60's anymore. There are rules and regulations in a work environment.

 

[beardo]

What the fuck are you talking about? I had a job every summer i wasnt in school, and held a part time job the whole time in highschool. I worked from day one as soon as i was done school, payed taxes every year since I was 14, and have never had a problem at work. How can i take pride and the work I do, when i only have a certain time limit to finish the job I do the job to the best of my abilities. I don't know what your talking about you working to provide for me I never went on workers comp and am working injured to provide for myself. All EMPLOYERS pay into it, not you. they pay incase an accident like this happens, like insurance. I'm done talking to you, narrow minded prick open your eyes to how modern society works its not the 60's anymore. There are rules and regulations in a work environment.

Do you expect a cookie or gold star sticker because you worked? You had a job, hooray for you, that's what your supposed to do, next your going to want a thank you everytime you whipe your ass. Everyone works it doesn't make you special. You went to school and recieved a "free" education that I paid for and now you blame your boss because you hurt yourself and probably damaged his scaffolding and slowed down his job in the proccess, and now your interested in workmans comp which you claim is like insurance and that every employer pays for it. I pay for it, do you think your employer or an insurance company is in business to lose money? Do you think it's free? Your boss passes the costs along to customers, so when you hurt yourself and break his scaffolding and delay the completion of the job we are stuck paying for your negligence. Your right it's not the 60's anymore, in the 60's being a man was expected, we took responsibility we worked hard and did a good job and took care of ourselves, we made our bosses money and took pride in doing so.

 

[smoke and coke]

it may be the employers responsibility to provide a safe workplace, but it is on you to make sure everything is safe and done in a safe manner.

sorry but i see it as your fault to continue to work under unsafe conditions. man up for what happened and always think safety first.

 

[Sk306]

Good thing neither of you work in government and make the law so it really doesn't matter what you think, have a good day.

 

[beardo]

Good thing neither of you work in government and make the law so it really doesn't matter what you think, have a good day.

Maybe you should seek a job in govt, then maybe your lack of productivity and unwillingness to take responcibility for yourself will be appreciated and rewarded. It might be the perfect line of "work" for you, you will fit right in and get to "work" with like minded people. Maybe you can regulate real workers out of business and out of their jobs.

 

[beardo]

Have you thought about apoligizing to your boss and coworkers? I think you owe your boss an apology for not using common sense and then hurting yourself and damaging his equipment and slowing down his job. Let him know that you appreciate the opportunity his company has created for you and let him know that in the future you will be sure not to do anything that would put his company at risk. I think that's the honorable thing for you to do.

 

[mysunnyboy]

Have you thought about apoligizing to your boss and coworkers? I think you owe your boss an apology for not using common sense and then hurting yourself and damaging his equipment and slowing down his job. Let him know that you appreciate the opportunity his company has created for you and let him know that in the future you will be sure not to do anything that would put his company at risk. I think that's the honorable thing for you to do.

hahaha you DON'T smoke pot right?