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Jury awards $30.4 million in worker’s popcorn lung lawsuit


August 31, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Chemical safety, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, What do you think?, cost of safety

A jury in Chicago has awarded the largest individual verdict in a popcorn lung disease case.

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OSHA files whistleblower lawsuit against convenience store chain


August 20, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, OSHA news, whistleblower

OSHA shows it’s serious about stepping up action against companies accused of firing workers for making complaints about safety.

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How OSHA fines can lead to bigger costs


August 19, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Fatality, In this week's e-newsletter, Injuries, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, OSHA news, Who Got Fined and Why?, cost of safety, fire/explosion

Sure, a $16.6 million OSHA fine sounds like a lot of money. But that might be only the tip of the iceberg in the case involving an explosion at a Kleen Energy construction site.

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2 employees poisoned: Why only 1 could sue


June 16, 2010 by Jim Burger
Posted in: Illnesses, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, Workers' comp, confined spaces, criminal charges, new court decision

How far should the “exclusive remedy” provision of workers’ comp go?

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He lost his WHAT in a workplace accident?


May 13, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Injuries, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits

At Safety News Alert, we comb the Internet daily to find news stories of interest to safety pros. So, you can’t blame us for wanting to find out what this story was about after reading the headline:

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Police dispatcher had narcolepsy: Too unsafe to work?


April 9, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, What Would You Do?, disabilities and safety

A police dispatcher in the Chicago area told her supervisor that she had narcolepsy which causes people to fall asleep unexpectedly. However, medication was keeping the condition under control.

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Business owner found guilty in employee fatality


February 12, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Fatality, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits

The owner of a tree removal company faces three to seven years in a state prison for creating workplace conditions that led to a worker fatality.

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Daunting task: Addressing safety and health claims by 9/11 workers


February 8, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Illnesses, In this week's e-newsletter, Injuries, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, Worker health

Imagine a workplace safety and health lawsuit involving more than 9,000 plaintiffs, 90 government agencies and private companies, tons of pages of court documents, and several hundred lawyers. It’s the 9/11 Ground Zero case.

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$11M verdict: Why didn’t workers’ comp cover this fatality?


February 8, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Fatality, Lawsuits, Special Report, Workers' comp

cost-of-safety

Workers’ comp laws usually prohibit lawsuits against companies when a worker is seriously injured or killed on the job. But a lawyer in Texas found a way to skirt the law and win a huge jury award.

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Company charged with exposing African American workers to higher radiation


February 3, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Chemical safety, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits

A company that processes radioactive waste in Memphis, TN, has agreed to pay 23 former African American employees to settle claims that they were discriminated against, including being exposed to higher levels of radiation than white employees.

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Workers awarded $100M, even without major health effects


December 22, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Chemical safety, Fatality, In this week's e-newsletter, Injuries, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, new court decision

BP must pay more than $100 million in damages for exposing contract workers to toxic chemicals, even though none of the 10 employees in the case suffered major long-term health effects.

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Victim’s daughter sues cellphone companies over fatal crash


December 16, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, cell phone and driving

Has the cell phone industry done enough to warn customers that it’s dangerous to use the devices and drive at the same time? One woman is taking her opinion to court.

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Fatality on her first shift


December 15, 2009 by Staff
Posted in: Fatality, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, Safety training

They didn’t even give the most minimal safety training to a temp who was just supposed to sweep the floor.

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Shareholders settle lawsuit to increase company’s safety


December 1, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Fatality, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, What do you think?, cost of safety, lockout/tagout, new court decision

Following a worker’s death and millions in OSHA fines, some shareholders filed a lawsuit against Cintas Corp. alleging the board has failed to ensure the company complied with safety regulations. Now the company has settled the lawsuit.

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Should employers pay for workers’ second-hand smoke exposure?


November 2, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Illnesses, Lawsuits, Special Report, Worker health

secondhandsmoke

As states pass non-smoking laws, fewer service employees are exposed to customers’ second-hand smoke. But should companies be liable for their workers who still encounter it on the job? Some businesses are facing lawsuits.

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Groups file lawsuit against per-employee citation policy


October 5, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Compliance, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, OSHA news, PPE (protective equipment), What do you think?, Who Got Fined and Why?

Several business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers, have filed a lawsuit challenging OSHA’s per-employee penalty policy for safety gear violations.

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Screening out unsafe workers — legally


August 20, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Alcohol/drugs, Injuries, Lawsuits, Special Report, What's Working in Safety, Worker health

bleeding-arm

What do you do with employees who have a history of injuries? Fire them and they may sue, but leave them on the job and they might harm themselves or others.

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Was he fired for safety violation or racial discrimination?


August 14, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Electrical safety, Lawsuits, Special Report, lockout/tagout, new court decision

lockout-tagout2

Have you ever fired someone for violating a company safety rule? In this case, a company did just that and then found itself in court on a charge of racial discrimination.

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Employer surveillance ‘harmed’ employee, court awards 1 million


July 31, 2009 by Jim Burger
Posted in: Lawsuits, Special Report, Workers' comp, new court decision

jury-box2

Have you ever been suspicious of a workers’ comp claim? Be careful. A recent ruling appears to draw an important — and, in this case, extremely expensive — distinction between “reasonable” and what you might call “reflexive” suspicion.

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OSHA isn’t budging on 8.8 mil fine


July 28, 2009 by Jim Burger
Posted in: Fatality, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, Who Got Fined and Why?, cost of safety, enforcement

It’s been a little over a year since the feds announced the third-largest penalty in OSHA history.

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Worker hurt in off-duty exercise class — why company had to pay


July 24, 2009 by Jim Burger
Posted in: Injuries, Lawsuits, Special Report, Workers' comp, new court decision

exercise

You hear it all the time: Sedentary, overweight and out-of-shape employees can be a huge drain when it comes to health insurance, workers’ comp and other costs. Whip ‘em into shape and you’ll save, save, save!

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Should employee get workers’ comp for anxiety?


July 21, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Lawsuits, Worker health, Workers' comp

An employee says she was harassed at work, and that caused her “mental injury.” She applied for workers’ comp payments.

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Imperial Sugar workers had little emergency exit training


July 20, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Fatality, Investigations, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, OSHA news, Who Got Fined and Why?, cost of safety, enforcement

A federal investigation appears to show that Imperial Sugar Co. didn’t train many workers at its Port Wentworth plant about how to escape during an emergency.

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Here are another 9.6 million safety reminders


July 20, 2009 by Jim Burger
Posted in: Chemical safety, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, Workers' comp, cost of safety

A story that vividly illustrates at least three points:

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Company pays big: Worker’s lax safety causes fatality


July 17, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Fatality, Lawsuits, Special Report, Transportation safety, cost of safety

cost-of-safety

A Texas drilling company will pay $16 million to the family of a woman who was killed when equipment fell off its tractor trailer and onto the victim’s SUV.

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UCLA drops appeal of citations in fatal lab fire


July 7, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Chemical safety, Fatality, In this week's e-newsletter, Investigations, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, OSHA news

UCLA has dropped its appeal of safety citations in connection with a lab fire that claimed the life of an employee. But that may not be the end of trouble for the university in this case as another investigation has started.

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Three huge settlements for work injuries to illegal immigrants


June 19, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Injuries, Lawsuits, Special Report, construction safety, cost of safety

costs-stack-up

In the last two weeks, three undocumented workers have reached settlements totaling $3.85 million for workplace accidents in New York.

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UCLA appeals citations in fatal lab fire


June 9, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Chemical safety, Fatality, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, PPE (protective equipment), Safety training, Who Got Fined and Why?, Workers' comp, cost of safety, criminal charges

UCLA has paid $31,875 in fines and taken corrective steps after a lab fire that claimed the life of an employee. But now, the university wants to appeal the citation for a technical reason.

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Can employer deny overtime to worker on light duty?


April 17, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Lawsuits, Special Report, Worker health, Workers' comp, cost of safety, disabilities and safety

timeclock

Blanket policies barring employees on light or limited duty from working overtime violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

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Employee causes off-work accident: Is company to blame?


April 16, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Alcohol/drugs, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, fatigue

Imagine this: Your company faces a lawsuit because an employee caused an off-work car accident. The injured people claim the employee’s long work hours helped cause the accident.

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Are injury lawyers licking their chops over down economy?


March 20, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Injuries, Lawsuits, Special Report, Workers' comp, cost of safety

costs-stack-up

Who has more work during the down economy? A lawyer who represents people injured on the job expects he may be getting more work.

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Would this discourage employees from speaking up about safety?


March 18, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, What Would You Do?

In this age of Facebook and MySpace, some employers are requiring workers to sign agreements that they won’t speak out against the company in public. Does that stifle employee concerns about workplace safety?

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Fired employee sues, says co-worker tried to punch him


March 13, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Lawsuits, Special Report, Uncategorized

office-violence

Employees who complain about workplace safety and then are fired can successfully sue to get their jobs back, along with back pay and benefits. But is an unlanded punch from a co-worker enough to make a workplace unsafe?

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New court challenge to truckers’ hours-of-service rule


March 13, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Lawsuits, Transportation safety

Here we go again: Four groups have filed a lawsuit in federal court asking that hours-of-service rules for commercial motor vehicle drivers be thrown out.

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5 keys to weed out injury-prone workers — legally


March 6, 2009 by Fred Hosier
Posted in: Injuries, Lawsuits, Special Report

trip-and-fall

Just how tricky is it to use tests to weed out injury-prone workers without getting dragged into court for alleged discrimination? Statistics from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission spell it out.

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