Articles Posted in Work Accident

A photography contest, conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), urges residents to capture a creative snapshot of workplace safety and health, according to a U.S. Department of Labor press release. The contest, titled “Picture It!”, aims to strike up awareness of the importance of a safe working environment to help prevent a work accident in Boston and elsewhere in the United States.

Our Boston workers’ compensation lawyers would like too remind employees, and employers, that a safe working environment should be kept and maintained at all times. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that employees are safe and protected from danger and injury while on the job. Our lawyers continue to work tirelessly to recognize and fight for the rights of employees who may have been injured on the job.

OSHA is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, which they will continue to celebrate throughout the entire year. Picture It! is kicking off the celebration and is open to those 18 and older. The contest will be accepting submissions through August 12.

Residents are encouraged to invite their friends and family to participate in the fun and creative event. You can download the contest flyer from the OSHA website to help share the details.

Photographers are asked to share their visions of workplace safety and health, and they may do so in any way they choose. Photos must be taken in the United States. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners. Photographers are asked to use their artistic skills to successfully portray occupational safety and health in such a way that would help to raise interest in the general public.

Submissions will be judged by accomplished photography professionals. They will be judged on the quality of the photograph, their compatibility with OSHA publications, clarity of the conveyed message, creativity and originality. Photos must include workers, employers or workplace imagery.

Photographs submitted by the judged winners and finalists will be posted on the OSHA photo contest web site. First-place will receive a framed letter of congratulations from Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. The three winning photos will be displayed in OSHA’s national office in Washington. The organization hopes that the participation and display of these winning photos will serve as a daily reminder for leading policymakers and prominent professionals of the purpose and drive behind OSHA’s mission.

OSHA contractors and special government employees are encouraged to participate as well. On-site consultation employees and federal OSHA, “state plan” state OSHA employees are not eligible. They will be asked to participate in a separate and internal contest that will be running during the same time as the public contest.

A complete list of contest rules and regulations and instructions on how to submit your photo can be found on OSHA’s website.
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Mainly aimed at new construction, a document issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) aims to help employers prevent fall-related injuries and deaths on residential construction sites, according to a United States Department of Labor press release.

The precautionary document compliments the Compliance Guidance for Residential Construction directive from December 2010 by providing employers with methods they can use to help them comply with these new safety standard requirements.

Fatalities from falls are the number one cause of workplace deaths in construction, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The Administrations provides these safety measures as a way to effectively prevent these work related fatalities in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the United States.

Our Boston workers’ compensation lawyers urge employers to read and follow this Fall Protection in Residential Construction document as it is intended to assist employers to comply with OSHA’s safety measures. As the spring season is upon us, the number of construction projects across the city will increase.

While the new directive is aimed primarily at those working on new construction, all construction workers are encouraged to become familiar with the safety procedures. The document illustrates various safety methods that employers can use during different stages of their construction plan. The methods used to prevent fall-related injuries and deaths include guardrails, ladders, anchors for personal fall arrest systems and fall restraints, safety net systems and scaffolds.

Prior to the new directive, the previous standard allowed certain employers to use alternative methods of fall protection. With the issuance of the new directive in December 2010, all residential construction employers were now instructed to now comply with 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1926.501(b) (13). If residential builders conclude that traditional fall protection is not feasible within certain residential environments and is not the most effective strategy in providing safe environments to workers, than this code will also allow them to use alternative means of protection after providing a detailed document to OSHA explaining why the new methods may be ineffective on their site. OSHA has provided training and compliance assistance for employers. The agency also offers a webinar for those interested in learning more about the compliance.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was set to ensure that employers understand that they are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role in this process is to assure these conditions for America’s workers by setting and enforcing these safety standards, education workers and employers and providing proper training and assistance.
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Residents experience low levels of radiation on a daily basis. The levels of radiation released through the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, recently threatening the coasts of the U.S. in trace amounts, do not present a threat. We’re not completely in the clear however, small traces of acid rain are expected in the Boston area.

You are more likely to be exposed to excessive levels of radiation inBoston work accidents— particularly those residents who work in the medical or energy fields.

Boston workers’ compensation attorneys understand that aside from the everyday exposure to residual radiation in the atmosphere and to medical applications, detrimental radiation exposure causes potential danger in local plants and nearby homes. We note the recent report from the watchdog group, Union of Concerned Scientists that listed 14 plants that had near misses last year.

Plants from outside of our state can also pose threats to our residents. Boston state health officials announced that the Japanese power plant explosion has caused a stream of radioactive rain on the Bay State. No need to be alarmed, the levels were declared too low to pose a threat to residents, according to the Boston Herald.

It is to be noted that the half-life of these radioactive materials is approximately 8 days. The matter is expected to dissolve and become virtually undetectable. Officials are continuously testing the state’s water supply as a safety precaution.

“The drinking water supply in Massachusetts is unaffected by this short-term, slight elevation in radiation,” said Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach. “However, we will carefully monitor the drinking water as we exercise an abundance of caution.”

Not all radiation or chemical exposure is life threatening. Everyday, acceptable amounts of exposure can result from medical procedures such as CT scans and x-rays. It is the massive amount of exposure, as the Japanese plant workers are being exposed to or the Danvers Explosion of 2006, that poses life-threatening consequences. While these explosions are unpredictable and sometimes unavoidable, OSHA has established rules and regulations in attempt to avoid any similar disaster from occurring in Massachusetts.

Here are some tips to help you through a nuclear power plant emergency should you every run into one:

-Stay inside your home until instructed otherwise.

-Don’t return home if you happen to be out during the incident. Wait until authorities have cleared the area.

-Listen for information from the power company and officials to stay informed. Ignorance can be a harmful burden in this scenario.

-Be sure to bring pets and livestock indoors.

-Do not use your phone.

-If you think you have been contaminated, take a thorough shower, put infected clothes in a plastic bag and seal it.

-Be sure to seek medical assistance if you experience any unusual symptoms that could possibly be related to radiation or chemical exposure.

The best way to limit radiation exposure is to stay informed, shield yourself from the radiation by staying indoors and be patient.

It is the responsibility of employers to provide a safe workplace for factory workers that may come in contact with these dangerous materials. It is also their responsibility to provide any necessary compensation should accident occur.
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The Triangle Factory fire — that happened 100 years ago March 25 — was remembered late last month at Boston College. The event took place at BC’s Robsham Theater Arts Center in the Bonn Studio. The factory fire remained the worst industrial fire in New York City for 90 years, according to Boston College.

Our Boston workers’ compensation attorneys would also like to honor the 146 workers killed in this fire — which is commonly seen as the beginning of workplace safety efforts in the United States. This tragedy was an eye-opening experience that exposed the public to the dangerous conditions in these high-rise factories.

Triangle Waist Company was, at the time, one of the largest blouse makers in New York City. The company specialized in making a very popular women’s blouse, the shirtwaist. IN part through the exploitation of workers, Blanck and Harris became very wealthy, according to historical references.

After the devastating factory fire, the Triangle Factory tragedy suffered decades of repercussions. The incident was one of the first to shape safety and labor laws, first in New York and then nationwide. It also played a key role in organizing garment workers in the labor movement.

This year also marked the 100th anniversary of Massachusetts workers’ compensation law as we’ve previous discussed on our Boston Personal Injury Blog.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is also celebrating a birthday this year. The administration celebrated 40 years of providing safety regulations for workers. It is reported that in 1970, approximately 14,000 workers died on the job, but after the establishment of OSHA, those numbers fell to approximately 4,340 work place fatalities in 2009.
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Federal inspectors are now looking over the current safety procedures at the Bostik Chemical Plant in Middleton after a recent explosion and a four-alarm fire injured four workers. The cause of the explosion still remains unknown. Those four injured workers were sent to the hospital. Workers’ compensation in Massachusetts is designed to cover their medical bills and lost wages while they recover.

Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorneys would like to stress the process is not stress free — and many workers find it to their benefit to consult an experienced attorney to help ensure their rights are protected throughout the process. It is an employer’s duty to provide a safe work environment. In a previous entry on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog we noted that 2011 marked the centennial mark for the Massachusetts workers’ compensation law.

According to NBC 7, a decontamination tent was set up at the hospital for the injured workers because of the concern about hazardous chemicals. Several teams, including hazardous-materials and environmental protection teams, were called to the scene of the explosion to monitor air and water quality to avoid runoff into neighboring residential areas, where many rely on wells.

Authorities are now moving into the next phase of the investigation where third-party experts will be brought in to conduct chemical testing at the plant, reports Boston.com.

“OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) remains committed to protecting workers from toxic chemicals and deadly safety hazards at work; ensuring that vulnerable workers in high-risk jobs have access to critical information and education about job hazards; and providing employers with vigorous compliance assistance to promote best practices that can save lives,” said In a message from Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels about the future of OSHA.

OSHA, established in 1971, has been dedicated to making the workplace safer. In 1970, nearly 14,000 were killed on the job — in 2009, approximately 4,000.
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