Articles Posted in Workplace Hazards

A fire in which an employee was badly burned at Monro Muffler Brake Inc. in Hyannis on February 2nd prompted an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA has since charged Monro Muffler Brake Inc., a company from Rochester, N.Y., for 10 alleged violations of workplace safety and $184,000 in proposed fines.

The fire began after a spark from an acetylene torch caught fire to an open container of gasoline. OSHA’s inspection revealed that the fire hazards which workers were exposed to included the open container of gasoline, combustibles within the area where the acetylene torch was being used, an unsafe light fixture in a hazardous location and an overall employee lack of training for fire extinguishers. In addition to these fire hazards, employees were found to be smoking inside the perimeter of the automobile service area where fuels were being drained and where auto parts with fuel were being replaced. OSHA also found that there was not enough lighting in the work area, there were exposed electrical wires, they did not have an eye flushing station or protective eye gear, and their employees lacked safety information about the types of chemicals in use at the workplace.

Brenda Gordon, OSHA’s area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts, said, “This is exactly the type of incident and injury that results when an employer fails to comply with common-sense and legally required safeguards for workers…To prevent such occurrences and protect the safety and health of its workers, the employer must ensure that safety and health requirements are met and maintained at all times at all of its locations.”

The Massachusetts work injuries of Altman and Altman have decades of experience in dealing with injuries caused in the workplace as a result of OSHA violations. These cases can sometimes become quite complex, we have access to the finest experts in the commonwealth, and often times have to use them on cases like this.

Monro Muffler Brake was fined a $70,000 fee and charged with one willful violation for the fire hazard of smoking. OSHA issues a willful violation if the employer has “voluntary disregard” for the law’s requirements or for their workers´ safety and health. They were also issued three repeat violations and $80,000 in fines for the lack of fire extinguisher training, the lack of chemical and eye guards. OSHA issues a repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or similar violation within the past five years. In 2009 and 2010 the company was cited for similar safety hazards at their locations in Victor, N.Y., and Norwich, Conn., locations. For the remainder of the safety hazards found during their investigation, OSHA fined the company $34,000 and issued six serious violations. A serious violation is issued if it is likely that an employee could die or experience serious harm from a safety hazard which the employer knew about or should have known about.

If you have been injured in a Massachusetts workplace, it is generally the best advice that you contact an experienced Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer. Our attorneys have decades in handling workers compensation cases along with any third party component of the case. If you are not sure what to do about your case, give us a call for a free consultation.

Source:

US Labor Department’s OSHA cites Monro Muffler Brake after worker injured in fire at Hyannis, Mass., location; proposed fines total $184,000, OSHA Regional News Release, August 1, 2011
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Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO) is investigating an accident in which one of their employees was electrocuted and burned while working on electrical lines in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. A WMECO spokesperson reported that the Berkshire County man, who remains unidentified, is recovering at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston but would not provide further information on his condition.

The employee, who is in his mid-40s, was working late Friday morning on a pole behind an empty Patriot Suites Hotel on Dan Fox Drive in Pittsfield late on Friday morning when he was electrocuted by a live circuit. According to the Pittsfield Fire Department, the worker was knocked unconscious upon being shocked and was hanging from his safety belt before WMECO coworkers and the fire department were able to lower him to the ground with a bucket truck. An ambulance then took him to the Berkshire Medical Center before he was subsequently transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital.

As safety advice for the general public, the WMECO recommends never to touch any downed or sagging power lines. Because it is very difficult to tell the difference between a telephone line, cable television line, or electrical line, consider any line to be energized and dangerous.

If you have suffered an electrocution accident on the job or have been injured at work, contact one of our experienced Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyers for a free consultation.

Sources:

‘Fairly serious’ burns for utility worker, The Berkshire Eagle, April 17, 2011

Safety, Security and Lighting, Western Massachusetts Electric Co.
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After citing a Danvers, Massachusetts, roofing contractor for inadequate guards to protect workers from falling, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has warned all construction employers in Essex and Middlesex counties to take safety precautions against falling hazards. OSHA cited A.C. Castle Construction Co. Inc. of Danvers for potential fall hazards at their residential job site located at 5 Collins Street, in Danvers.

Jeffrey A. Erskine, OSHA’s area director for Essex and Middlesex counties, said, “These citations address basic construction safety hazards that should not have existed in the first place. They should be of vital concern to all employers whose workers labor at heights and near power lines…Employers should take the time to perform a spring tuneup, including reviewing their safety programs, equipment, employee training and applicable OSHA regulations to ensure that their workers are effectively protected against falls and other hazards.”

The company faces almost $61,000 in fines for 21 citations. They were charged with three repeat citations amounting to $15,200 in fines for falling hazards as high as 19 feet, along with the lack of head protection. Eighteen serious citations were issued with $45,600 in fines for numerous additional safety hazards including exposure to electric shock, frayed electrical lines, lack of head, eye, or foot protection, and for the lack of a competent person overseeing the site who should have been able to identify such hazards.

For all construction and roofing contractors, OSHA provides detailed online information on these mandatory and recommended fall hazard safety topics:

•Employers’ mandatory job to provide fall protection •Criteria and practices of fall protection systems
•Training requirements for employers and employees •Determining roof widths •Guardrail systems
•Fall arrest systems and positioning device systems, such as lifelines that should be connected to the body-belt or harness and attached to anchorage

If you have been injured on a construction site due to your employers lack of safety measures, contact one of our experienced Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyers for advise on your case and a free consultation.

Source:

US Labor Department’s OSHA urges employers to guard against fall hazards after citing employer at Danvers, Mass., jobsite, OSHA Regional News, March 24, 2011 Continue reading