Articles Posted in Massachusetts Work Accident

A final rule to update the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for power line workers has made it through the regulatory phases and could be published in March.

According to Safety and Health Magazine, the Office of Management and Budget finished its review of the Electric Power Transmission and Distribution; Electrical Protective Equipment rule back in December and now officials with OSHA can move forward with publishing it in the Federal Register.

Our workplace accident lawyers understand that there are about 50 power line employees per 100,000 who are killed on the job each and every year. It’s clear that working on power lines can be extremely dangerous. What’s more, the pace of world change make working safely in the electric power industry even more challenging. The problem requires new thinking to improve the ranking of power line worker on the scale of most dangerous professions.
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Nail guns are used on construction sites across the county on a daily basis. Many workers hardly think twice before using time. They help to increase productivity, but they also cause tens of thousands of serious injuries each and every year, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

It’s so bad one study determined 2 out of every 5 residential carpenter apprentices experience a nail gun injury at least once in a 4-year period. Unfortunately, we may never know the severity of these injuries as they’re oftentimes not treated and not reported properly.

Our workplace injury attorneys note common causes of nail gun injuries are well known and there are six practical steps that contractors can take to prevent these injuries. These include use of full sequential trigger nail guns, provide training, establish nail gun work procedures, provide personal protective equipment (PPE), encourage reporting and discussion of injuries and close calls, and provide first aid and medical treatment. These steps are simple and take very little time, but they can mean a world of difference in helping to protect your workforce.
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Officials with the National Safety Council (NSC) are working to raise awareness about the risk of the #1 cause of workplace fatalities — distracted driving.

Did you know that cell phone distracted driving policies are the best way to do just that?

Distracted working drivers cause close to 2,000 workplace fatalities each and every year. It is imperative that employers eliminate financial or other incentives that encourage workers to text while driving. Employers who require their employees to text while driving–or who organize work so that doing so is a practical necessity even if not a formal requirement – violate the OSH Act.

Our work injury attorneys urge employers to download a sample cell phone policy kit, customize it to your organization’s needs, and let your employees know that you support distraction-free driving. Hang up posters in the office to remind employees that “One Text or Call Could Wreck It All.” As it stands now, Massachusetts’ state law already bans drivers of all ages from using text message devices behind the wheel. But these laws are not effective without enforcement. Some of the most important enforcement efforts must come from employers. Step up today and help to save lives.
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Historically, railroad workers have faced dangerous conditions when on the job. While changes in technology, advancements in safety warning, improved alarm systems, and more comprehensive regulations have reduced the number of accidents and deaths, railroad workers continue to face significant occupational hazards. For rail workers, the environment can change drastically, depending on the weather, technological malfunctions, or other variables. Workers are required to quickly adapt to these changes and react quickly. Even the most seasoned railroad workers are put at risk.

According to a recent report in the LA Times, The Federal Transit Administration has directed all rail agencies to review their safety practices. This directive is for all public and private rail users due to an increase in the number of accidents and injuries on American railroads. Our workers’ compensation lawyers are dedicated to helping victims of work-related injury protect their rights. We are also committed to raising awareness regarding trends in work-related accident and injury in Massachusetts and nationwide.
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Industrial workers face a number of dangers on the job. While OSHA and state safety departments work to ensure safe conditions, there continue to be serious and fatal industrial site accidents. Earlier this month, a Boston worker was killed in an industrial accident after he was struck by a 12,000-pound steel beam. The tragedy highlights the reality that industrial and immigrant workers face dangerous working conditions and are at risk of injury and death, especially in the event of safety violations.

Workers who are injured on the job and families who have lost a loved one in a work-related accident are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Our Boston workers’ compensation attorneys are dedicated to helping victims quickly and effectively recover the full compensation they deserve after an accident. We also stay abreast of work-related accident cases in our community and want to keep both employees and employers informed to prevent future injury and wrongful death.
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Our roadways are getting busier and busier by the day, and commercial vehicles are on the homestretch with their holiday deliveries. But with this increase in holiday traffic and increase in commercial vehicle traffic, we’re seeing a significant and serious increase in the risks for on-the-job car accidents.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there were more than 3,000 people killed and another 420,000 injured in distracted driving car accidents in 2010 in the U.S. Many workers are required to stay connected with their employers during long delivery routes, but on the phone and behind the wheel is no time to stay connected. When commercial drivers use the phone behind the wheel, their reaction time is delayed. As a matter of fact, their reaction time is equivalent to that of a driver who is legally drunk.

Our workers’ compensation lawyers understand that more workers are killed each year in motor-vehicle accidents than any other cause. And businesses can help to solve this big problem. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) has launched a campaign to help address distracted driving among working drivers. But is it effective without employer enforcement? This campaign is against distracted driving and is a multi-modal effort that includes automobiles, trains, planes, and commercial vehicles. The order also encourages federal contractors and others doing business with the government to adopt and enforce their own policies banning texting while driving on the job.
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After a U.S. Postal Service worker was killed in a heat-related accident, officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are taking action. The accident happened to a letter carrier from the Medford office at the Forest Street post.

The accident happened back in July when the worker was walking his route for about 5 hours in the 90+ degree weather. At that time, the heat index was at roughly 100 degrees. He was carrying a 35-pound mail bag. On that day, officials with the National Weather Service had issued a heat advisory for the area. The service worker died the next day from heat stroke.

Our Medford workers’ compensation attorneys understand that heat-related illnesses, injuries and deaths can be prevented with the proper knowledge of the condition. All workers and employers should be able to recognize the symptoms of heat-related stress and also how to respond to the problem. In this Medford accident, the Postal Service knew of a heat warning in the area, but did not relay the information to its carriers. If they would have passed on this information, precautions could have been made and this death could have been prevented.
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If you witness a problem at your place of employment and you feel like you’ve been treated unfairly, there’s a new and easier way for you to report it. According to officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), you can now file complaints online. This online form is going to allow workers who have been retaliated against in any way to reach out and get help from officials with OSHA.

“The ability of workers to speak out and exercise their rights without fear of retaliation provides the backbone for some of American workers’ most essential protections,” said Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.

Our Boston workers’ compensation lawyers understand that whistleblower laws are in place not only to protect our nation’s employees, but to also protect the public at large. Before, employees across the nation could only file a complaint to OSHA by writing in or calling their hotline. Now they can file a whistleblower complaint online.
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Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently cited a Massachusetts fencing company more than $82,000 in fines for 14 serious and repeat violations for putting workers’ safety and health in jeopardy. The Richmond Hill-based company was fined for dangerous work conditions observed at its Marlborough, Massachusetts location. Officials with OSHA’s Andover Area Office kicked of an inspection into the location following a July complaint.

“These conditions exposed workers to struck-by and crushing injuries, electric shock, laceration hazards, being caught in operating machinery, hearing loss and exposure to hazardous chemicals,” said Jeffrey A. Erskine with OSHA.

Our Marlborough workers’ compensation lawyers understand that this wasn’t the only problem that OSHA officials have had with the company. Earlier in the year, the company’s Wingdale, N.Y. plant was cited with some of the same violations. These violations included lack of blade guards and anti-kickback devices, table saws lacking blade guards and a violation for a table saw that lacked proper electrical grounding. With these New York violations, the company was cited more than $35,000 in fines. And many of these were repeat violations, meaning that the company was already cited for the problems at least once in the last five years.
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The holiday shopping season is upon us and is about to kick into high gear with Black Friday. Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are encouraging retail employers to take precautions to prevent workplace injuries during these kinds of sales events.

This year is a special holiday as it marks the fifth anniversary of the death of a worker killed when his store opened its door for its annual Black Friday shopping event. Back in 2008, the employee was trampled to death as customers bombarded the store in search of holiday sales. This year, OSHA officials are asking retailers to take the proper precautions and to review crowd management strategies to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.

Our workers’ compensation lawyers in Massachusetts understand that OSHA has been sending letters out to major retailers across the country to help to warn them of the risks associated with Black Friday and with large crowds. But those letters are useless if employers don’t take action. Review the following before launching your Black Friday sale and help to keep everyone, including your employees, safe.
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