Technically speaking, workers should be afraid of many of the risks that wind up leading to serious on-the-job injuries. If they still take those risks, does it mean there is something they fear more?
That could be the case. The reality is that many workers fear that they will get fired if they don’t do what they’re told, even if that means breaking safety regulations and putting themselves at risk. That may be illegal, but they still worry about it. They have families to support, after all. This career is important to them.
That, at least, is what was implied by a construction worker who spent decades in the industry and lamented just how dangerous it was in previous years. Though he survived and it’s clear that things have gotten safer, his comments help shed some light on this dangerous mindset.
“Anybody in their late 50s or 60s or 70s can tell you how it was,” he said in an interview. “Some of the stuff we did when we were young – which the owners had you doing – was insane. If you went through those recessions that we had, you were just lucky to have a job. When you look back, things could have been a lot, lot safer.”
Of course, there are more safety regulations now, and that does help, but that essential mindset is the same for many modern workers. They just feel lucky to have a job. They can’t jeopardize that, and employers may take advantage of it.
If this leads to an accident and you suffer injuries, it’s important to know your rights and all of the legal steps you can take.
