The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is continuing its fight against employee exposure to work-related physical and health hazards. OSHA recently announced its renewed partnership with the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) to do just that and to help to reduce the risks of work accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere.
The continued alliance between the two will proceed in addressing workers who cannot speak English or those who are just slightly fluent. The Alliance will also be addressing on-the-job motor vehicle safety, as well as working to raise awareness of work site safety and health for public sector employees.
Our Boston injury lawyers understand that the organizations renewed their Alliance for another two years, in which time they will continue working alongside ASSE’s Safety Professionals. Through this Alliance, the Latino Workforce group will be translating the Alliance-developed products for those who have difficulty understanding the current English versions. The two-year Alliance will also be promoting this year’s North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. This year’s event will be taking place from May 6th through the 12th. “Safety, What Every Business Needs” is this year’s campaign theme.
“Our continued Alliance with ASSE will help ensure that workers are aware of on-the-job hazards and help reduce occupational illnesses and injuries,” said David Michaels, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
The ASSE was founded back in 1911 and currently represents nearly 35,000 environmental, health and safety practitioners around the world. All of these individuals are committed to helping to protect property, people and the environment.
Members of ASSE are involved in the design, safety engineering, standards development, education and management in almost every single industry, labor, governmental agency and institutions of higher education.
The two will be working with trade and professional organizations, unions, faith- and community-based organizations, consulates, businesses and educational institutions as well as faith- and community-based organizations to help to improve worker health and safety and to help to eliminate work-related illnesses, injuries and fatalities.
In 2010, there were more than 4,500 people who were killed on the job in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is just about the same number of work-related fatalities that our country experienced in 2009, illustrating little change in workplace safety.
Economic factors in these kinds of incidents are common. As our economy continues to grow and more people head back to work, historical statistics warn us that we’re going to see an increase in the number of work-related accidents. For this reason, it’s more important than ever to keep an eye on workplace safety and to focus on hazard-eliminating practices.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a work-related accident and would like to file a disability claim, contact the Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers. We are dedicated to fighting for the rights of injured workers in Boston, Quincy, Braintree, Foxborough and elsewhere throughout the state. Call (617) 777-7777 to set up a free and confidential appointment.
More Blog Entries:
Teens at Risk for Work-Related Injuries in Boston and Elsewhere, Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog, March 15, 2012
New Alliance to Help Minimize Chemical-Related Work Injuries in Boston and Elsewhere, Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog, March 9, 2012