Construction can be an incredibly dangerous field, especially for those who are less experienced. Even for those who do have the experience, many facets of the construction industry can still be erratic or dangerous. If an accident should occur at a job site and it leads to legal concern, a construction safety expert witness will most likely be consulted.
What is an Expert Witness?
Simply put, an expert witness is considered a strong resource in a particular field and can speak to experiential facts when it comes to the Court of Law. Qualifications for this title are based on many factors – including, but certainly not limited to, years in the respective industry, work experience, certifications, licensing and peer recognition.
When a construction job site incident occurs and leads to a legal matter, a construction expert witness can assist in making sense to the cause of the accident and help participating parties come to a legal solution to the problem. They help identify the cause of the incident, what steps could have been taken to prevent the incident and any other factors that can contribute to the facts and faults of the case.
When they identify the liabilities that led to a particular incident, they can attest to that in court as a witness. This can rule out the potential ambiguity and make legal matters in the construction field much easier to handle. In addition to being useful when testifying about an incident in court, they can also effectively reduce the risk of incidents by identifying safety hazards. Every good expert witness will have a keen eye for even slight errors that may occur at the site of construction or when operating machinery.
Why is OSHA Training Important?
OSHA ensures a safe and healthful working environment for all workers by enforcing standards and offers training, education and assistance; very important and cannot be stressed enough in the construction industry. An OSHA expert witness is particularly trained with these rules in mind. They are taught to be keen when identifying OSHA violations, and thus are effective at preventing recurring problems and identifying what may have led to an accident.
Being trained to understand the ins and outs of OSHA and the ability to recognize safety hazards is imperative to reducing the risk and liability of accidents and fatalities. Having a comprehensive understanding of these regulations is also critical to properly overseeing the handling of machinery and equipment.
Why Have A Crane Safety Expert?
If you or your company are utilizing a crane during a construction project, it is vital to have a crane safety expert on site. Cranes tend to contribute to many fatalities and accidents in the construction industry. There are many reasons for this. Many crane accidents have occurred as a product of the load line or load itself striking workers who are within the swing radius. Accidents can also happen when a crane is incorrectly assembled or taken apart.
Cranes are highly dangerous machines to operate. Having someone who specifies in on-site crane regulations adds an extra layer of safety that can prevent severe accidents and fatalities.
Conclusion
Having a safety expert witness is one of the best decisions a business or company can make when embarking on a construction project. It can successfully work toward damage control after an incident, while simultaneously working to prevent recurring incidents. Many different types of construction safety expert witnesses have a variety of specialties and have been trained in various ways. Finding the one that is right for a specific construction process is critical for both legal and physical safety.
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