Earlier this week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ released their annual census on fatal occupational injuries for 2016. According to the report, there were 5,190 workplace fatalities in 2016, a 7% increase from 2015 and the highest since 2008. The fatal injury rate also increased from 3.4 per 100,000 full-time equivalent…
The winter season has arrived in Pennsylvania and the nasty weather that it brings. Winter weather presents many hazards for workers including slippery roads/surfaces, strong winds and low temperatures. The dangers are significantly more prevalent for those employees who work outdoors in the winter season. However, you don’t need to…
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration will investigate the death of an Amazon employee that occurred Tuesday September 19th at an Amazon warehouse in Cumberland County. Cumberland County Coroner Charles Hall says 28-year-old Devan Shoemaker was killed when he was run over by a truck at the facility. Shoemaker was…
The summer heat is in full force and every year dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill while working in extreme heat and/or humid conditions. The construction industry is the occupation that is the most affected by the summer heat accounting for more than 40% of heat-related worker…
In a recent decision the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that the use of American Medical Association guidelines to determine whether an injured employee is partially or totally disabled violates the Pennsylvania Constitution. The decision ends a practice that had been in place since the Workers’ Compensation Act became law…
Employees of Advanced Oilfield Services L.L.C., Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc., and Wizzard Drain Cleaning L.L.C. have claimed that the companies failed to pay for overtime wages for workers. Employers failing to pay proper wages for hours worked is common. In 2015, nearly 9,000 claims were brought against employers for wage…
On June 27, 2017, OSHA decided to temporarily exempt construction companies and shipyards from a recently adopted rule covering exposure to the substance beryllium. Beryllium is a naturally occurring, lightweight metal that is commonly used to make a wide range of products, from airplane parts to computer components and dental…
The National Safety Council conducted an employee perception survey that found 58% of Americans working in construction (the industry that sees the most workplace fatalities each year) feel that safety takes a backseat to productivity and completing job tasks. Further, 51% say management does only the minimum required by law to keep…
On April 30, OSHA issued two new citations against Hultgren Construction. The company was renovating the former Copper Lounge building in Sioux Falls, SD when it collapsed on December 2. The collapse of the historic building killed a construction worker and trapped an apartment resident under the wreckage for hours.…
The fines stem from a trench accident that killed two workers on October 21, 2016 in Boston, MA. Atlantic Drain Service Co. employees Robert Higgins and Kelvin Mattocks were killed while working in a 12-foot-deep trench that collapsed and broke a fire hydrant supply line. The trench then filled with…