Cherry Hill, New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyer - Workplace Injuries

Hispanic Worker Deaths Skyrocket 76%

Mike Ferrara — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:02:34 GMT

Although the total number of workers killed in this country while on the job has declined, the number of Hispanic workers killed in the workplace shot up 76% between 1992 and 2007, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 1992, the number of Hispanics killed was 533; in 2007, it was 937. The total went down in that time from 6,217 to 5,657.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been investigating many of these deaths, including three workers who fell 11 stories when a scaffolding collapsed in Austin, Texas. Austin has already reported four Hispanic workplace deaths this year, and OSHA has promised to increase its number of safety inspectors in Texas as a measure against further accidents.

“I am particularly concerned about our Hispanic workforce, as Latinos often work low-wage jobs and are more susceptible to injuries in the workplace than other workers,” U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis told USA TODAY. “There can be no excuses for negligence in protecting workers, not even a language barrier.”

Workers without legal documentation to be in the U.S. are less inclined to join a union, which helps protect workers, or protest when conditions seem dangerous, said Raj Nayak of the California-based National Employment of Law Project. “They’re doing the most dangerous work for longer hours,” Nayak said. -USA TODAY

Labor advocates are right in arguing that a great number of these fatalities could have been prevented among Hispanics if more appropriate training measures were in place. Whether a worker is here legally or illegally, companies need to ensure that everyone on their sites is receiving adequate safety and job training. Companies who hire illegal workers also need to be made responsible if those workers get injured or killed on their job sites due to substandard safety training or regulations.

If you or a family member has been injured on a job site, contact The Ferrara Law Firm to find out more about your right to compensation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

Construction Deaths Way Up in Texas; OSHA Gets Involved

Mike Ferrara — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:53:34 GMT

Over the past four years, there has been a shocking 31% increase of construction related deaths in the state of Texas, particularly among Hispanic workers.

2007 data (the most recent available) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 144 Texas construction workers died on the job. Out of this 144, 78 were Hispanic.

The feds are now investigating, and extra Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors are being sent to Texas to figure out what’s going on, and work to reduce injuries and deaths at construction sites. Surprise inspections of construction sites will be part of the package.

The new initiative is a big step forward, said Michael Cunningham, executive director of the Texas Building & Construction Trades Council for the AFL-CIO in Austin, who said that many times companies know in advance OSHA inspectors are coming. That gives construction companies time to send their workers home so regulators can't interview them or see them without the proper safety gear, he said.

The Workers Defense Project in Austin took some of the credit for the new initiative. The nonprofit group, which gets much of its financial support from foundations, has been advocating for more OSHA oversight.

Director Cristina Tzintzú n said the group has been overwhelmed with complaints from construction workers who get injured but don't receive proper medical care, aren't given the proper safety equipment or aren't paid for the work they do. -L.M. SIXEL, Houston Chronicle

Construction companies who cut corners and don’t adequately reinforce safety regulations and safety equipment need to be held responsible for the injuries and deaths that occur on their sites. Surprise inspections should become a regular part of the job, rather than be limited to times of crisis. It’s good to see the feds taking an interest; let’s hope it becomes a permanent one.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

KBR Knowingly Poisoned U.S. Soldiers in Iraq, Refuses to Admit Fault

Camryn Hansen — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:20:54 GMT

KBR, the top US Defense Department contractor in Iraq who has alternately been accused of poor construction work leading to 13 US soldiers’ electrocution deaths, the profit-driven inflation of imported gas prices, the abysmal treatment of migrant workers, the rapes of women workers, and the trafficking of human beings, is now being investigated for knowingly exposing American soldiers to cancer-causing toxins.

National Guards in West Virginia, Indiana, and Oregon all report that their soldiers were exposed to sodium dichromate (a form of hexavalent chromium)—the same deadly carcinogen that inspired the film Erin Brockovich after a lawsuit over the pollution of drinking water by hexavalent chromium in Hinkley, CA led to a $333 million settlement by California’s PG&E. The exposure occurred in 2003, when the Guard members were assigned to guard civilians repairing the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant in Basrah after the US invasion, under the auspices of KBR. The company had gotten the job under a no-bid contract worth billions.

The Pentagon and KBR were aware in 2003 that the chemical was piled around the looted facility, and took blood samples from some soldiers and civilians in Iraq to try to determine their level of exposure. (…)

"They knew back in 2003 that this stuff was dangerous and they told us it wasn't," said one former West Virginia reservist. (…) "They asked us if we had seen this stuff, breathed it, gotten it on our clothes or our bodies," he said, adding that KBR officials on site told him it was only slightly more dangerous than baby powder.

Russell Kimberling…had been guarding the plant for more than two months when his superiors asked him to escort senior KBR officials there because there were rumors of an orange chemical on the ground that they wanted to see.

He said he got out of his vehicle at the site, kicked the dirt, stirring an orange cloud, and said, "This is what you are talking about."

But when Kimberling, dressed in battle fatigues, turned around, he was stunned to see that the KBR officials who were getting out of their vehicles were all dressed in full chemical suits.

"I knew that there was an issue when they sought to protect themselves and didn't bother to tell us on the way out there, 'You might want to have chemical masks and suits,' " said Kimberling, who intends to join a group of soldiers who are suing KBR. –Farah Stockman, The Boston Globe

A lawsuit is currently underway in Indiana, where two former guardsmen have developed cancer they believe to be a result of hexavalent chromium exposure, and others suffer from unrelenting rashes and nosebleeds. A federal arbitration complaint is also pending in Houston, where 10 contractors are claiming that KBR knowingly allowed them to be poisoned at the facility.

Thus far, KBR has denied all responsibility for wrongdoing in this matter, and has made little to no effort to notify former guardsmen of their risk and need to get tested for exposure. The National Guards of West Virginia, Indiana and Oregon are currently working to locate and contact these soldiers.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Camryn Hansen

Workplace Injuries Continue To Decline - OSHA Steps Up Enforcement

Mike Ferrara — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:37:39 GMT

The latest government data shows that the number of workplace injuries and workplace deaths was the lowest ever recorded in 2006, the latest year available. The actual figures are 4.4 injuries or illness per 100,000 employees and 3.9 fatalities per 100,000 employees.

Still, employers can do much more to keep reducing these figures. Workplace safety should be the prime consideration of employers and general contractors. Even one serious injury or one death is too many. Every one can be avoided with proper training and proper supervision. OSHA has done a lot of good work to reduce the problems, but it can do much more.

Generally, employees injured on the job are not permitted to sue their employers. Their only remedy is to file a workers compensation claim. This "no fault" system has been around since the early 20th Century. Maybe the time has come to allow workers the right to sue their employers directly. This may have the effect of reducing the number of products liability suits that arise from workplace injuries. The issue needs to be studied and debated.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

Hospitals Lead All Industries With Most Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

Mike Ferrara — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:45:31 GMT

The United States Department of Labor reports that hospitals are the leading industry with the most nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. The latest figures from 2005 show that there were 281,500 injuries and illnesses to workers and patients. Nursing and residential care facilties were second with 209,100. Truck drivers was the occupation with the highest number of median days away from work: 14 for 2005. Get the latest occupational injury and illness statistics from the Department of Labor website. The hospital, nursing home, and trucking industries need to do much more to injure the safety of their workers and those in who come under their care.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

Miami Crane Collapse Kills 2 - Florida Has No Regulations Dealing With Tower Cranes And Crane Operators

Mike Ferrara — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:45:11 GMT

As incredible as it seems, 10 days after seven were killed in a New York City crane collapse, the virtually identical thing happened again in Miami. The startling news this time is that Florida does not regulate or license tower cranes and crane operators. Two workers were killed and five were injured when the crane fell 30 stories. Workplace injuries kill and injury thousands each year. This is what happens when contractors and building owners disregard worker safety. A few good lawsuits can change all of that. The contractors at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City paid $101 million dollars to settle claims of injured and killed workes when a garage there collapsed. Expert testimony revealed short-cuts were used to speed up the completion of the project. I urge anyone who has lost a loved one or has had a loved one injured in ANY construction accident to seek the services of an attorney who handles these cases. There is no excuse for these tragedies. The owners and contractors have to be held personally responsible for the harms and losses they cause. Decent folks demand nothing less.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

Safety is Job One - Deaths at NYC Construction Site Should Not Have Happened

Mike Ferrara — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:13:23 GMT

Yesterday's tragic crane collapse in NYC killed four and injured 10. It happened in mid-town Manhattan and could have been much worse. The site at 50th Street and 2nd Avenue is a bustling mid city intersection. The crane was on the 19th floor of a 44 story condo that was being built. There had been prior violations at this work site and neighbors complained that the workers were working illegal hours and the building was going up too quickly. An owner of the contstruction company Reliance Contruction Group, Stephen Kaplan, said "this was a freak accident" and tried to explain what happened. Well Mr. Kaplan, I have something to tell you. There are no "freak accidents" at construction sites. That is why there are federal and state regulations dealing with workplace safety. That is why everyone involved in a construction project has to forsee what could possibly go wrong and prevent against it. While these four workers died a tragic and needless death, hopefully it will not be in vain. Owners like Mr. Kaplan and others of his ilk, will be sucessfully sued. Hopefully, construction companies and building owners will begin to take worker safety seriously so these tragedies can end.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

Falls Are Most Common Types Of Contruction Site Injuries

Mike Ferrara — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:04:57 GMT

According to the National Center for Personal Injury Protection and Control, one out of every 10 US construction workers is accidentally injured every year. In 2003, 400,000 people suffered construction accident injuries so severe that they were forced to miss work that same year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2005 a total of 4.2 million injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces, and about 2.2 million of these required days off work or restricted duties. By far, the most common accident at construction sites is a fall, either on the same level

or from significant height. While the most serious construction injuries are caused by falling from great heights, strained or sprained arms, legs, and backs are very common construction injuries; usually a result of lifting heavy objects. In fact, the back is the part of the body most frequently injured at work accounting for nearly 25 percent of all work-related. With proper safety training and careful supervision and, most constuction site injuries can be avoided. With so many working in the construction industry (about 7.3 million folks) we really owe it to all of them to make safety job one.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Worksite Injuries.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

Construction Collapse in Mall North of Boston - No One Seriously Hurt

Mike Ferrara — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 23:49:24 GMT

The Northshore Mall in Peabody has ducked a tragedy. The existing Macy's is being demolished and will be replaced by a Nordstrom's. During the early morning demolition, a chimney collapsed and destroyed some existing stores. There was only one minor injury. If it had happened several hours later when the stores were full, the result would have been horrendous. It is still incomprehensible how these types of incidents continue to happen. Building owners and general contractors must begin to take job safety more seriously. There is no excuse for any worksite injury since job safety must be of paramount importance. The Occupational Heath and Safety Administration (OSHA) must become more pro-active to reduct construction injuries.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Worksite Injuries and Workers Compensation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara

AMA Journal Reports 3.4M Work Injuries In Single Year - Job Safety Rules Need to be Stronger

Mike Ferrara — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 23:09:40 GMT

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has reported the number of workplace injuries or illnesses that required visits to the emergency rooms of hospitals topped 3.4 million workers. The latest data, reported in this weeks edition, was from data analyzed from 2004. Workers under the age of 25 had the highest rate of injury. More than three-fourths of the injuries involved contact with equipment or objects, e.g. being struck by a falling tool or having a hand caught in a machine or falls. Imagine how much more productive America would be if everyone worked harder to cut back on these injuries. Three million injuries per year divided by 365 days equals over 9,000 injuries per day. Doesn't anyone care about this continuing problem that is not getting better?

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Workers Compensation.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Wrongful Death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Ferrara