According to “Dying for Work,” a report prepared by the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, 48 workers in this state were killed on the job in 2013. The report was released yesterday right before Workers Memorial Day today. The day is designated for remembering workers that were injured, disabled, or killed in a work accident.
The report names fall accidents as one of the most common causes of Massachusetts worker accident deaths-9 workers died in work falls last year. Another nine worker also died in accidents involving equipment and machinery. Five workers were killed in motor vehicle/truck crash.
The report notes that construction, firefighting, and commercial fishing are industries with the most dangerous jobs. Also, occupation-related illnesses cause d480 worker fatalities in Massachusetts last year alone. Workplace violence was the case of five worker fatalities, including the death a teacher.
In Massachusetts, please contact our Boston workers’ compensation lawyers if you or a loved one got hurt or sick in a work-related incident or because of other conditions related to your job. You want to make sure you get everything you are owed and are paid in a timely manner.
Also, chances are that you cannot sue your employer over your Massachusetts work injury. However, there may be parties involved besides the company you work for who could be held liable for Boston personal injury. You want to speak with an attorney at a Massachusetts workers’ compensation law firm that also handles injury cases against third parties.
Among the Masschusetts workrs that died last year were: firefighters, roofers, mechanics, construction workers, truck drivers, police officers, a letter carrier, a store clerk, a landscaper, laborers, a teacher, a housekeeper, a painter, a lab worker, an arborist, and others. The workers that died ranged in age, from as young as 18 to 81. 49 was the average age at death.
Unfortunately, some work environments have built in hazards and other unsafe conditions. For example, says the report, excessive exposure to natural heat can be deadly. Mail carriers and construction workers are among the most susceptible. Heat rash, dehydration, and heat stroke (the latter may cause disability or death) may result.
Fortunately, adequate shade, water, and scheduled breaks, as well as proper training to detect the symptoms of heat illness early on can foster prevention and save lives.
It doesn’t help, however, that some employers continue to allow for unsafe working conditions despite knowing better. They continue to violate safety regulations, placing their workers’ life in in danger. For example, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration fined Twin Pines Construction Inc. more than once last year for not making sure adequate fall prevention safeguards were implemented.
Read the Report (PDF)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Workers’ Compensation, Mass.gov
More Blog Posts:
NY Teen Hospitalized in Boston after Severing Arm At Work, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, April 28, 2014
Utility Workers Fatally Injured in Bourne, MA Crane Accident, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, April 14, 2014
Worker Who Suffered Electrical Explosion Injuries Awarded $3.8 Million, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, March 18, 2014
Marshfield, MA Voters O.K. Seat Belts on School Buses, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, May 7, 2014