The death of a worker who was accidentally cooked to death in an industrial pressure cooker has resulted in fines for Bumble Bee tuna company.
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Tags: bumble bee, Cal/OSHA, confined space, cooked to death, energy control
Prior, less serious safety violations often foreshadow future, more tragic events. They did in the case of an employee who met his death in a meat blender.
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Tags: death in meat blender, Interstate Meat Distributors, lockout, Oregon OSHA
The New Mexico Supreme Court has ordered a trial court to take another look at a case involving a police officer who died while saving a drowning child. Whether he was in the course and scope of his employment at the time will determine if his widow gets workers’ comp death benefits. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: death benefits, police officer death, save drowning child, Workers' comp
Last summer, a judge affirmed fines and an abatement order against SeaWorld Orlando in connection with the drowning death of a trainer who was pulled underwater by a killer whale. SeaWorld appealed and in the meantime didn’t comply with the abatement order. Now a judge has weighed in again.
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Tags: Dawn Brancheau, drowning death of trainer by killer whale, OSHA abatement order, SeaWorld
Probably most of us have had a foot blister due to a pair of shoes that didn’t fit quite right. This employee says his steel-toed boots, required at work, led to a costly medical problem. Did he get workers’ comp for the injury?
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Tags: diabetes, leg amputation, steel-toed boots, Workers' comp
A Wal-Mart loss prevention employee chased a shoplifter, and in the process, a co-worker was knocked over and killed. Is Wal-Mart liable for the employee’s death? How did employee training factor into this case?
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Tags: exclusive remedy, shoplifter, Workers' comp, wrongful death lawsuit
As spring approaches, thoughts turn to fun outdoor activities to reward hard-working employees or serve as team-building exercises. But if employees get hurt at these activities, can they receive workers’ comp benefits?
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Tags: go-cart crash, recreational activity, team building, Workers' comp
An effort has stalled in one state to clear up conflicting portions of its workers’ comp law about drunk/drugged employees who are injured. This raises the question: Can impaired employees get comp benefits when they’re injured?
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Tags: drunk high, fell off garbage truck, New Mexico, Workers' comp
“A worker’s first day at work shouldn’t be his last day on earth,” said OSHA administrator David Michaels about a 21-year-old temporary worker who was crushed to death his first day on the job. (Updated Feb. 14 with statement from Bacardi.)
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Tags: Bacardi, crushed to death, first day on the job, lockout/tagout
Usually, employees can’t sue supervisors for injuries at work — it’s prohibited under state workers’ comp laws. But there are exceptions, as pointed out recently by one state court.
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Tags: exclusive remedy, fire extinguisher, myasthenia gravis, sue supervisor, Workers' comp
