A Massachusetts man stationed in Iraq died recently after someone in his unit backed over him with a forklift. Army officials told the family of Sergeant Kyle Harrington that the forklift accident was under investigation and that his death was “training duty-related” and “non-hostile.” The 24-year old Swansea native was…
A new alliance between OSHA and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO plans to give students in Massachusetts alternative high schools training in reducing and preventing on-the-job hazards. This alliance will provide students with OSHA’s 10-hour construction and general industry outreach courses and develop lessons to teach teens about workplace safety and health.…
At a natural gas equipment yard, a construction worker for Elcorn Construction was using a forklift when the heavy machine ran over his leg. Fire crews responded to the forklift accident and flew the construction worker to St. Mary’s Hospital. According to the fire chief, the worker’s injuries were not…
On Friday, a Boston construction worker was killed at a construction site in the Financial District. The worker, a 31-year-old male, was struck by a brick about 2 feet in size and died at the scene of the construction accident. According to a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department, firefighters…
Last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it has cited a Louisiana crane company for alleged safety violations. Of the eight violations, six are considered serious. The total proposed fines carry $71,500 in penalties. An investigation into safety at the facility began July 18, when four workers…
With recent temperatures in Boston and across New England in the single digits this past weekend, the weather poses a special challenge to those who work on construction sites. In addition to the discomfort of working in frigid temperatures, cranes cannot be operated when temperatures go colder than four below.…
A Worcester, Massachusetts gun manufacturing plant and testing facility has been cited and fined by the Occupational Safety and Health Admininstration (OSHA) for unsafe working conditions. The plant was inspected by OSHA after employees voiced concerns about inadequate safety measures such as protecting employees from overexposure to lead and from…
On Friday, the National Council on Occupational Safety and Health, which includes 21 local and state committees/coalition and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, released its agenda for protecting workers on the job in 2009. Their seven-item platform includes making health and safety a high priority for President…
IndustryWeek recently compared workers’ compensation costs and benefits across the United States and listed Massachusetts in its top 20 states for workers’ compensation. Massachusetts was the only New England state to appear in the top 20, while several western and Midwestern states made the cut. IndustryWeek’s rankings included the workers’…
Following a wave of fatal crane accidents across the country, a New York contractor has been indicted in a Midtown crane collapse that occurred last year, killing seven people. The district attorney said that William Rapetti was in custody this morning and was indicted on homicide and other charges. The…