Workplace Safety

May 23, 2013

National Study Looks at Preventing Amputation Injuries in the Workplace

Massachusetts workers take note; there has been a recent study conducted that sheds new light on the frequency and prevention of amputation injuries in the workplace.

Amputations are one of the most severe and debilitating types of workplace injuries. A moment’s inattention or single misstep, as well as defective or unguarded mechanical equipment can lead to irreparable damage of a limb and result in permanent disability or even the end of a career.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, there were 5,280 non-fatal amputations in the United States (a rate of 6 per every 100,000 workers); the lowest ever recorded. The greatest number of incidences occurred in 2005, with 8,450 non-fatal amputations. The majority of these types of workplace injuries occur in manufacturing plants and more than 50% occur in construction, agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, and service industries, collectively. Not surprisingly, about 96% of amputations involve loss of a finger.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recognized four types of hazardous exposures that can cause amputation including: machinery and workplace equipment, parts or materials that may collapse on and crush a worker, motor vehicles including forklifts and tractors, and hand tools. While this Minnesota study was national, the findings and information relate to all Massachusetts workplace employees.

Types of Hazardous Machines
Some of the most common machines that pose amputation hazards include:

• Mechanical power presses • Powered and non-powered conveyor belts • Printing presses • Roll-forming/bending machines • Sheering machines • Food slicers • Meat-cutting saws • Drill presses • Milling machines
• Grinding machines • Slitters Continue reading

May 10, 2013

Construction Worker Injured after Fall at Hingham Middle School

by Altman & Altman

A worker was injured Tuesday after falling from the Hingham Middle School construction site.

The 45-year-old man from New Bedford, MA, apparently fell from the third story scaffolding of the building around 1 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. According to Hingham Police Sergeant Steven Dearth, the worker was conscious when paramedics arrived, and was taken to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, MA.

Construction at the school has since stopped while officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigate the incident. The identity and injuries of the worker are still unknown.

While it is still unknown the reason to why the worker fell in the first place, there are factors that may have played a role into his fall. Scaffolding is a temporary platform that is often used on construction sites to reach areas that are not accessible by ladder. These types of accidents occur for a variety of reasons including incorrect assembly, manufacturing defects, collapse or failure, broken platform, slippery surfaces, and inadequate training or experience with the equipment. And because of the height of these structures, injuries are severe or fatal and may include fractures, broken bones, spinal cord and traumatic head injuries, and even death.

Scaffolding and general requirements on construction sites are the number one safety violation cited by OSHA officials. Construction falls are also the number one cause of death and injury in workplace settings in the United States, accounting for 251 deaths (35% of total workplace deaths) in 2011.

Safety Tips for Workers

All laborers who regularly work on scaffolding must be properly trained with suspension scaffolding and fall protection equipment. In most scaffolding fall cases, the accident was completely preventable.

When working on scaffolding, workers should take the following precautions:

-Learn the proper OSHA standards and regulations for working on scaffolds; such as weight capacity, construction, fall protection, proper scaffolding use.
-Ensure that the scaffolding being used is designed correctly and conforms to OSHA regulations.
-Shield all scaffold suspension ropes and body belt harness system droplines from abrasive or sharp edges to prevent them from being severed.
-Carefully inspect all scaffolds and their components, as well as personal fall protection equipment.
-Ensure that all workers are well equipped with proper fall protection equipment prior to stepping onto a scaffold.
-Properly anchor tiebacks of the scaffolding at different points.
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May 3, 2013

OSHA Launches a New Plan to Keep Temporary Workers Safe on the Job

by Altman & Altman

This week the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a new initiative to help protect temporary workers from workplace injuries. The memo and plan comes after a series of reports OSHA received about temporary workers suffering serious and fatal injuries during some of the first days on the job.

The most recent fatality report was in February when a 21-year old employee was crushed while on his first day at the Bacardi Bottling Corporation. The man was not a regular employee, and was hired as temporary. Bacardi Bottling received twelve safety violations, including nine serious violations which totaled fines of $192,000 after the incident.

The new memo and subsequent initiative, which OSHA has already begun implementing, acknowledged the often lack of training given to temporary workers because of their short-term status, and the need for more regular inspection of workplaces and enforcement of safety regulations on behalf of OSHA officials. The memo also acknowledged the need for regular interviewing of employees to ensure they have received the proper training in their native language, because temporary employees are often foreign and do not natively speak English.

The memo called for OSHA officials to:
1.) Do more regular inspections of workplaces to assess whether employers are complying with their responsibilities under OSHA laws.
2.) Use a new code to denote when temporary workers are exposed to safety and health violations.
3.) Assess if temporary workers have received required training in a language they understand.
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May 2, 2013

Dangerous Workplace: MA Construction Site Accidents Are Most Serious and Most Fatal Study Recent Finds

by Altman & Altman

Each year thousands of workers are injured in workplace incidents around the Commonwealth. Last year alone, over 50,000 workers were injured and more than 30 were killed on Massachusetts job sites. A study published by The Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health found that construction is the most dangerous work industry and far surpasses any other industry in the amount of workplace injuries and fatalities.

Forklift accidents are one type of incident that most often occurs on construction sites, manufacturing and storage warehouses, and accounts for a great number of workplace injuries.
Accidents with forklifts can be caused by numerous factors such as unsafe workplace conditions, inexperience, or unsafe practices while operating the machinery. Accidents caused by those types of factors are almost 100% preventable if the proper safety precautions are taken.

Some of the most common physical conditions that contribute to forklift accidents include slippery or uneven surfaces, floor and load limits, and obstructions. Slippery and uneven surfaces pose hazards such as skidding and tip over, especially when a forklift is traveling over oil, grease, water, mud, gravel, and other uneven ground conditions. It is most advised to avoid these types of surfaces whenever possible and spread material, such as sand or other absorbent material, over slick areas you cannot avoid to prevent skidding. Workers should always report unsafe conditions, and warning signs should be implemented to warn others of danger, until the area can be properly cleaned.
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April 26, 2013

Report Shows 32 Workers Died in Massachusetts Workplace Accidents in 2012

by Altman & Altman

A report published by The Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health found there were 32 work related deaths in Massachusetts in 2012. Though the number is lower than that of 2011 (58 deaths), the organizations are calling for change at both deferral and state levels to further prevent workplace injuries and deaths in the Commonwealth.

The Facts

According to the study, motor vehicle accidents and falls were among the leading causes of workplace death, with 5 deaths being related to transportation accidents, and 6 deaths caused by falls. Construction site fatalities accounted for 19% of the total number of work related deaths, and remained the most dangerous work industry. The average age of death was 50 years old, but individuals ranged from ages 17 years to 73 years old. Of the total number deaths, 7 individuals were firefighters, and 4 were fishermen.

Though the number of fatalities over the past several years is “relatively low by historical standards,” there were significantly high numbers of non-fatal work injuries and occupational disease diagnoses. According to the study, 50,000 people sustained serious injuries at work. More than 300 workers died from occupational disease and 1,800 workers were diagnosed with cancer or other diseases related to workplace exposure.

The major contributing factor in the number of workplace fatalities in Massachusetts, according to the report, is a lack of funding for OSHA regulators and lack of adherence by both employees and employers to exercise necessary safety precautions on job sites. There is, according to the organizations, little enforcement of safety policies by OSHA as well as ramifications for businesses that fail to institute proper safety measures. OSHA still remains seriously underfunded and understaffed, and lacks the ability to inspect each worksite and enforce protocols at every business.
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March 7, 2013

PA Natural Gas Producer Issued Citations after Failing OSHA Safety Inspection

by Altman & Altman

Natural gas producer J.R. Resources was issued eight citations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), for safety violations at its Ringgold well site. OSHA launched the investigation last August after a worker died from injuries he suffered at a flash fire. Officials determined J.R. Resources failed to maintain a safe work environment and failed to require and provide flame-resistant clothing that may have saved the worker.

Of the eight violations, J.R. Resources was issued seven serious violations, including failing to require and provide flame-resistant clothing to be worn when working around natural gas; failing to provide fall protection from stairs on brine tanks; failing to provide a written hazard communication program and training; and improperly labeling tanks and failing to prevent workers from riding in the bucket of a backhoe. They were also given a fire hazard citation for an electrical pump that was placed near flammable materials. OSHA issued the citations because the violations posed substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to workers, and J.R. Resources knew or should have known about the hazards.
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September 12, 2012

Recent article sheds light on eye injury and eye safety

by Altman & Altman

A new writing published on the Safety Daily Advisor’s webpage provided some excellent, and always timely, insight into the discussion of eye safety at the workplace. The crux of the piece noted that not all workplaces are required to have eyewash stations. But what’s most important is that for the places that are required, the employees should absolutely know where the eyewash stations are and how to use them effectively.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s requirements for emergency eyewashes clearly indicate that “where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.”

And a 2009 letter of interpretation from OSHA states that “if none of the materials used in this work area is an injurious corrosive [chemical] (as indicated by the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each product), then an emergency eyewash or shower would not be required pursuant to 1910.151(c).”
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September 7, 2012

Fall from ladder leads to serious work injury

by Altman & Altman

Last Friday afternoon, August 31, 2012, a worker who had been doing repairs at Mill Pond Apartments in Littleton, Massachusetts was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital by helicopter. According to the Fire Chief of Littleton, A. Steele McCordy, the worker, in his thirties, was executing repairs on the building when he fell from a ladder.

Fire and medical personal arrived at the scene at 50 Mill Road at around 1:30pm. The worker was discovered lying on the ground with serious injuries to his midsection. But, at least, he was conscious and communicating with the EMTs as they worked to stabilize him. Yet, because of the nature of the man’s wounds, he was initially transported to St. Anne’s Church. This was where a Boston medflight helicopter met the Littleton ambulance. By the time the worker arrived at Mass General Hospital, he was listed as being in serious condition.

The name and status of the worker is currently unknown. But what may be most disheartening about the work related injury was that it came at the close of Labor’s Rights Week. Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis, issued a statement on OSHA’s website saying that “Making America’s workplaces safe and fair for everyone is the hallmark of Labor Rights Week.” Clearly, there is still much work to be done in the interest of providing safe environments for employees to work in, and the enforcement of those safety statutes.
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September 7, 2012

The new nightmare on Elm Street? Wall falls on Construction worker

by Altman & Altman

On Tuesday, September 4, 2012, at around 8am, a construction worker was removing part of a building’s façade from 84 Elm Street in Westfield, Massachusetts. While in the midst of performing his duties, the deteriorating brick wall collapsed on him. He and the scissor lift he was standing on both fell backwards. The man’s crash was broken by a car parked in the street.

The owner of the vehicle, James Porier, affirmed that despite the damage to his car, he was happy that it was able to help save a life. Jeffrey Daley, Westfield’s Advancement Officer, echoed Porier’s sentiment, believing that the car probably did prevent further injury to the employee. The trajectory of the lift’s fall was angled in such a way that could have caused much more serious harm. Fortunately, the worker was able to stand and walk around afterwards. According to Police Lieutenant Lawrence Valliere, the man was taken to Noble Hospital with minor injuries.

Daley says the entire block presents hazards to the populace. The city of Westfield owns the building standing next to 84 Elm Street which had become dangerous when bricks began to fall from it during the previous week.
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September 7, 2012

Employee injury may cost him his eyesight after nightclub scuffle

by Altman & Altman

Early this past Sunday, on September 2, 2012, two men were taken into custody by Springfield police, facing a bevy of charges following the serious injury of a doorman working at a strip club called Mardi Gras. Elvis Bastaldo, 33, was charged with assault and battery with serious bodily injury (done to an eye socket), assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, disorderly conduct, and mayhem. His brother, Juan Bastaldo, 24, was charged with assault and battery, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.

Springfield Police Sergeant John Delaney reported that prior to the arrest of the pair, the two men tried to escort a woman into the strip club on Taylor Street who was only eighteen years of age. The club was near to closing and the thirty-four year old Mardi Gras employee at the door refused to let the trio enter. Elvin and Juan Bastaldo also refused to pay the cover charge. After some discord, Juan, Elvin and the woman with them were ordered to leave by the three police officers who were working an extra-duty detail.

After Mardi Gras had closed, the doorman was preparing to escort one of the establishment’s female employees to her car. As soon as he opened the door to exit, the fist of Juan Bastaldo slammed into his face. Officer Thomas Liebel then struggled with Juan in the parking lot of the club while attempting to make arrest. The doorman intervened to assist the officer. During the fracas between the three, Elvin Bastaldo attacked from behind and punched the unsuspecting doorman in the eye several times with brass knuckles. More officers were then called to assist and Elvin Bastaldo was arrested after a brief chase.
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