13 workers injured in formwork collapse; 3 companies receive $147K in safety fines
The injuries employees received in this structure collapse could have been much worse. The only thing that prevented worse injuries from their 20-foot falls?
Mold
Allergic to floor wax: Can she get ongoing workers’ comp?
No one is questioning that this worker developed occupational asthma from exposure to a chemical in floor wax. The question is how long her workers’ comp benefits should last.
Amputation and crushing injuries: $1.9M state fine
A dairy bottling and distribution company in Battle Ground, Washington, faces $1,848,000 in fines for multiple willful violations after a worker’s hand was crushed.
Company fined $116,000 for fatality; employee crushed
Here’s a story you can share with employees and supervisors about why lockout/tagout is so important:
Did dust and mold at work cause asthma? Can employee get workers’ comp?
A worker says when her employer moved her work space to the basement of a building, she developed disabling asthma from poor indoor air quality. Can she get workers’ comp benefits?
Did mold exposure create a compensable injury under workers’ comp?
There’s no question this former employee was exposed to mold at work. After the exposure, she developed an inflammatory illness that can affect the lungs. Did workers’ comp cover her condition?
Did smoking or workplace mold cause employee’s lung disease?
An employee says she should receive permanent disability benefits because mold at work was a significant factor in her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But she also smoked for 33 years. How did a court rule in this case?
Did work exposures cause shortness of breath?
It can be tricky to determine if a breathing problem is caused by work, particularly when workers’ comp benefits hang in the balance. In this case, cleaning chemicals were in question.
Employee suffered seizures at work: Safety vs. disability discrimination
When a case involving an employee’s seizures at work went to a federal appeals court, the employer said it was ensuring safety while the worker said it was a case of disability discrimination.
Flash fire shoots flames 40 feet high: 1 killed, 1 injured
OSHA is investigating just what caused a flash fire that killed one worker and injured another at a manufacturer of wood molding and doors in Kansas.
Fungal infection due to trenching on the job or hay on employee’s hobby farm?
An employee contracted a fungal infection in his lungs while digging a trench, but his employer claimed he got the infection while bailing hay on his hobby farm. Was the employee able to get benefits?
Garbage truck runs over its driver; widow sues employer
Was this workplace death primarily caused by the employer’s modification of a truck’s safety device or by the employee disobeying company rules? A recent court ruling addresses the widow’s lawsuit against the company.
Heavy smoker says work chemicals made her sick
A worker with chemical sensitivity who is also called “a fairly heavy smoker” by a doctor says exposure to substances at work caused her to be permanently and totally disabled. Can she prove that, and can she get workers’ comp?
How did worker’s diabetes affect this workers’ comp case?
How much of an employee’s injury was caused at work, and how much of it was due to his diabetes? The answer to that question will help determine how much he receives in workers’ comp.
Itchy eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat at work? It’s probably NOT mold
When it comes to indoor air quality, mold gets all the attention. But according to an occupational hygienist with Connecticut OSHA, when he investigates potential mold complaints, it’s usually not the problem. Instead, the problem is …
Jury awards worker $28 million for lung damage from mold exposure
A jury found a company responsible for causing a worker’s respiratory injury. The price the company now has to pay: $28 million.
SAFETY TRAINING KITS
Get up to date with our Safety Training Kits.
