According to a report released by the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number and rate of non-fatal illnesses and injuries sustained on the job and requiring time away from work decreased from 2006 to 2007. Overall, the number of cases declined 2 percent for all injures.…
Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog
Accident Kills Highway Construction Worker
On Friday, a construction worker died after walking into the path of a tractor-trailer. Police say the semi driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol nor was he driving over the speed limit. The impact of the semi forced the worker into the air, and he died…
Cleanup Crews Finish Work After Massachusetts Tanker Truck Explosion
One year after a tanker truck exploded on I-91 at the Chicopee Curve, killing the truck’s driver, the environmental clean-up of the truck accident is ending. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection oversaw the clean-up project, and their primary concern was preventing groundwater contamination and runoff from the thousands of…
Massachusetts Attorney General Settles with Last Two Firms in Fatal Big Dig Accident
Last week, the Massachusetts attorney general’s office announced that it has reached two more settlements in the 2006 Big Dig accident that killed a Jamaica Plain woman. The state settled with Gannet Fleming Inc. and Sika Corporation. According to officials, these settlements mark the end of the state’s legal proceedings…
Construction Accident Causes Gas Leak
According to fire officials, a construction site accident in Oklahoma City resulted in a gas leak on Tuesday. Construction crews were working to widen a road when they hit a 6-inch, medium-pressure gasline between 1 and 1:30pm. Gas spewing from the pipeline forced road closures, but police did not have…
OSHA Cites Massachusetts Company for 29 Safety Violations
A Massachusetts manufacturing plant has received citations for 29 alleged serious safety violations. OSHA conducted two safety inspections between fall last and last month. The first inspection was conducted under its Site-Specific Targeting program and identified damaged support frames for large metal dies, slipping and tripping hazards, and missing access…
Company Receives Record Fine for Workplace Accident
A recycling company in New Zealand has received a record fine for failing to prevent a workplace accident last year that cost an employee both his legs. Ben Hekenui, 37, was trapped in an automatic baler press in April of last year. Last week a judge fined the company $100,000…
OSHA Fines Subcontractor After Somerville Worker Dies
Last September, a demolition worker died at the site of a Walmart in Walpole, Massachusetts. Originally from Brazil, the 47-year-old worker was killed around 1am when the lights went out and the worker touched a live wire. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited and fined the…
Safety Modifications Could Help Older Workers Prevent Injuries
A recent white paper authored Ken Nogan, Risk Control Consultant at PMA Insurance Group, reports that the number of people ages 65 and older in the workforce has increased over 100 percent since 1977 and more than half of those workers are working full-time. These workers are at a higher…
Springfield Hosts Massachusetts Labor Unions Fair
22News reported about the Massachusetts Labor department’s information fair, which was held recently in Springfield. Experts from the department offered information for concerned workers, answering questions about getting injured at work and other issues. One man told 22News that he suffered injuries on the job but was hesitant to complain…