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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. The report also states that sprains and strains were the most common type of workplace injuries and illnesses. The number of sprain and strain cases decreased 5 percent in 2007 as compared to 2006.

However, the median number of days away from work as the result of an injury has not changed since 2004. That number remains steady at 7 days, although it varies according to industry. Those in the goods-producing industry reported a median of 9 days. Transportation and warehousing had a median of 14 days, and the mining sector had the highest median days away from work at 27. Over a quarter of all days-away-from work cases resulted in 31 or more days away from work.

Workers age 65 or older tend to experience longer work absences as the result of an injury. Since men tend to work in jobs and industries with a higher risk of injury, they reported a 22 percent higher rate of injury than women. Men had an incidence of 134 per 10,000 workers as compared to 105 per 10,000 workers in women.

Non-fatal work injuries/illnesses drop in U.S. industry, ReliablePlant.com Continue reading

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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 before rescuers arrived at the scene of the construction site accident.

The 36-year-old worker was part of a concrete crew working near mile market 135 on Interstate 75 in Florida. No charges will be filed in the highway construction accident, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will inspect the worksite.

Construction workers are often exposed to dangerous conditions on the job, including heavy equipment or hazardous substances. The Bureau of Labor reports over five thousand workers died from construction accidents in 2006.

Florida Highway Construction Worked Killed in Accident, ClaimsJournal.com, April 6, 2009 Continue reading

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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 gallons of gasoline that spilled from the exploding tank. Crews spent nearly a year working down the side of a highway bridge and removing contaminated soil from the site.

In addition to cleaning up debris and contaminated soil following the fatal truck accident, crews are also working to improve interstate 91 and prevent future accidents. The construction project includes replacing the guard rails at the Chicopee curve and repaving the road.

Environmental cleanup from tanker crash, WWLP.com, March 30, 2009
I-91 tanker crash, a year later, WWLP.com, March 27, 2009 Continue reading

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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 against companies involved in the Big Dig construction project.

Attorney General Martha Coakley said the resolutions held the companies accountable and ensured that similar accidents will be prevented in the future, while providing the state with funds to maintain transportation infrastructure.

Gannett Fleming designed the section of the tunnel ceiling that collapsed and agreed to pay a total of $1.575 million to the city of Boston and to the state, forgoing $150,000 in payments to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Sika Corporation made the blue used in the ceiling and agreed to $200,000 to the state.

During the course of this legal campaign, the state received $610.6 million in recoveries for the Big Dig ceiling collapse and for other problems such as adulterated cement and design flaws.

AG settles with final two firms in fatal collapse of Big Dig tunnel, Boston Globe, March 27, 2009 Continue reading

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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 to evacuate.

Fire officials stated that homes and business in the nearby area were not impacted by the shutdown.

In addition to gas leaks, construction workers face other hazards such as electrical shock accidents, fires, welding accidents, truck accidents, falls, crane accidents, and other dangers. According to the Bureau of Labor, over 5,000 construction workers were killed in construction accidents, while others suffered major injuries such as severed limbs or internal injuries.

Construction Accident Results In Gas Leak, Koco.com, March 24, 2009 Continue reading

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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 stairs, among other workplace hazards.

The section inspection was conducted in response to a manufacturing plant accident on December 23. Two workers sustained injuries when a 700-pound forging shot up in the air and hit them while they tried to free it from a malfunctioning die on a power press.

OSHA cited the company because it did not develop procedures to prevent the build-up and release of hazardous energy generated by the press. The company faces over $100,000 in proposed fines.

OSHA Proposes Fines for Serious Violations, Safety.BLR.com, March 20, 2009 Continue reading

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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 on two charges of breaching health and safety regulations. The maximum fine for reach charge is $250,000. In addition, the company is required to $76,900 to reparation to the injured employee.

According to the Department of Labour counsel, the company’s health and safety policies were “ad hoc.” He claimed the company had inherited a health and safety manual from the company’s previous owner and lacked a process for identifying hazards. The company is about to be voluntarily liquidated but vowed it will make reparation payments to the workplace accident victim.

“I’m not sure how long it will take but it will certainly be made,” said a company director.

Record fine after workplace accident, Taranaki Daily News, March 12, 2009 Continue reading

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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 worker’s employer for seven serious violations. According to OSHA, the company failed to implement an accident prevention program that included regular inspections by a competent person. It also failed to educate its worker about potentially unsafe conditions.

The electrical company has also been cited for six serious violations of the OSH Act. According to the citations, the company allowed workers to work near electric power circuits but did not ensure the power circuits were properly deenergized and grounded. Fines for both companies total more than $15,000.

The executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health said of the incident, “any company that employs workers in demolition work in the middle of the night with a comprehensive safety plan is asking for an accident.”

Walmart subcontractor fined $15,000 following Somerville worker’s death, WickedLocal.com, March 10, 2009 Continue reading

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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 risk for falls and can take two to three times longer to heal from an injury as compared to a younger counterpart. Falls account for over a third all injuries in workers over age 65, according to the white paper.

The author suggests doing an ergonomic evaluation of workstations and workspaces to identify causes of fatigue and strain. He also recommends that safety measures include slip and fall prevention and that companies consider risk control measures to meet the needs of this demographic. The complete white paper is available from PMAGroup.com.

Safety Modifications Important for Aging Workforce, ClaimsJournal.com, March 10, 2009 Continue reading

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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 for fear that his boss might fire him. A representative from the occupational health division assured the man that he is covered under the law by OSHA.

Many injured workers fail to report injuries for these same reasons; however, they should understand that in many cases they are entitled to workers’ compensation to cover medical costs, disability payments, and 60% of their average income.

Information fair for Mass. Labor unions, WWLP.com, March 4, 2009 Continue reading

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