Articles Posted in Workplace Injuries

In many industries, workers are subjected to repeat tasks that end up causing an injury that is eligible for compensation. These are repetitive motion injuries.

A repetitive motion injury can be temporary or permanent, and they typically impact the muscles, nerves, ligaments and tendons. These body parts are used in the same motion over and over again to the point of stress, which causes pain. Any occupation with repeated activities can cause employees to develop a repetitive motion injury, regardless of whether the job is hard labor or desk work.

The repetitive motion injury most people are familiar with is carpal tunnel syndrome (CPS), which is when the median nerve in the carpal tunnel is compressed by swollen or inflamed ligaments and tendons. CPS is common among anyone who spends most of the work day using a keyboard or working an assembly line. Women are typically more likely to develop CPS than men.

Maryland employers have the responsibility to keep workplaces safe and train all incoming employees on safety measures. As new safety guidelines are implemented, employers also have the obligation to provide continued support and training to employees while maintaining safe and productive workplaces. The main goal of the guidelines is to help eliminate workplace injuries. When employers ignore safety concerns, employees often suffer the consequences.

A Veterans Affairs Medical Center in another state has once again been under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for workplace safety violations. This time, employees have turned to OSHA after unsuccessfully addressing their concerns with management. Representatives for the VA state that they are currently fixing the issues that have been noted and looking for other possible issues that could pose a future problem.

According to employees, the center’s exit doors swing inward, as opposed to outward, posing a serious threat should a fire occur. In addition, exits are not properly marked. OSHA also noted electrical hazards that could cause electrical shock or fires if not addressed. Cracked or broken concrete attic steps were noted as risks for falls and potentially serious injuries.

Employers have the responsibility under Maryland law to do everything in their power to keep their employees safe while working on the job. Ensuring the work site is safe is imperative to keeping workplace injuries at bay, but some employers fail to follow the laws. When safety is not a concern, accidents and fatalities can occur.

A company in another state has been cited by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration after knowingly exposing its employees to a plethora of hazards in the workplace. The infractions are all things that the company can fix to help prevent injuries or worse. The company has 15 business days from the issuance of the penalties and citations to make the proposed changes. If the company does not comply, it will have to pay $220,544 in fines.

The company was cited for two willful, seven serious and five other-than-serious workplace violations after an inspection in late October. The investigation revealed that workers of the company were exposed to unguarded machines, which could lead to amputation. OSHA also discovered that exposed electrical wires and control cabinets left the workers open to electrocution and burns. Guardrails that could prevent falls were also not present in many walkways.

Safety in the Maryland workplace has improved over the last decade by leaps and bounds. Most employers have gone to great lengths and expense to see that their employees are kept safe and up to date on safety trainings. Workplace injuries can and still occur, more so when an employer or company doesn’t put good safety practices into place and neglects to use safety guidelines on machines and equipment.

A manufacturing plant in another state is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after a woman died while on the job. The car parts manufacturing plant in question has no prior investigations from OSHA, but the company has other plants across the nation. A look into OSHA’s history with the company has shown at least 33 serious safety violations in the last few years.

The 44-year-old female victim succumbed to injuries suffered from an accident with a machine. A former co-worker says that she is not surprised that an employee died at the plant. She claims that the plant has no trainings in place for new employees about proper use of the machines.

Being injured while on the job is still a very common occurrence. Employees can be injured while performing almost any type of work-related activity. Even with the standards implemented by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, workplace injuries still affect many Maryland residents. When an accident happens while one is on the job, seeking benefits through the workers’ compensation program to help cover lost wages while one is unable to work is how most employees make it through the difficult financial time.

A man in another state is suing a salmon farm for an injury he sustained while on the job. The man’s attorney is claiming that the injuries his client sustained will not allow the victim to go out to sea again. At this time, the amount of damages has not been specified.

The worker was holding on to a rope to help himself balance because no gang plank was present. While the man was gripping the rope, a manager activated a winch. Because the winch was set in motion, the man’s hand was crushed, and two fingers had to be amputated.

Workplace accidents can happen at any time while one is working. Most Maryland employers make it a top priority to keep their employees safe while they are working on the job. Guidelines, policies and trainings are put into place to help meet the standards set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Even with the best placed policies, highest standards and relentless training, workplace injuries still occur.

OSHA has opened up an investigation after a man was killed while on the job. The 55-year-old male was killed when granite slabs fell on top of him. The stones crushed him while he was working at a stone distribution center in another state.

The investigation led by OSHA could take up to six months before a final verdict is rendered. At that time, any fines, if necessary, will be handed out. The company that the employee worked for has no prior OSHA history with workplace injuries, accidents or deaths.

Many Maryland residents head to work at some point during the day to provide a service for the community and to put food on their own tables at home. When heading off to their place of employment, many do not think about the possibility of falling victim to workplace injuries. Regardless of the task performed, the risk is present, as two landscapers recently became victims of electrical shock.

The two landscapers were performing services in a neighborhood in another state when one of them came across a primary high-voltage power line. One worker was holding a ladder at the base while the other cleared away some brush. The landscaper who encountered the line was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The second landscaper who was holding the ladder received a strong indirect shock. The second victim was taken to another local hospital and is currently under care. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration continues to investigate the incident.

Providing for a family or simply making ends meet for one’s self can be an overwhelming task in today’s economic climate. Hard work sometimes entails long hours, physically demanding labor or mentally intensive tasks. Regardless of the work Maryland residents perform, the risk for workplace injuries is still present. After many conflicting reports, a woman has been identified as one of the latest to suffer an on-the-job accident.

Dispatchers received a call around 8:30 p.m. requesting medical assistance at a meat-packing plant in another state. An employee had gotten her arm stuck in a conveyor belt. It took rescue crews over an hour to carefully untangle and release her arm. She was flown to a local hospital and treated for injuries not thought to be life-threatening.

At the time of the incident, information released was unclear and incorrect. Reports indicate that the plant where the woman works had received five calls for work-related injuries in the last five years. The woman’s accident is the first to be identified as an industrial accident.

Construction work can be physically demanding and is oftentimes dangerous. Workplace injuries can occur if safety and training are not held to high standards and establishments don’t follow the laws set forth to protect employees. When an employer refuses to supply the materials or training necessary to keep a Maryland work site safe, legal action can follow.

An employer in another state was charged with manslaughter after an investigation from a 2015 incident raised questions and revealed a plethora of OSHA violations. The employer ordered excavation in a location that was outside of the allotted space granted on the permit. The workers had been requesting for the proper equipment to secure the walls and were repeatedly ignored or denied. No one on the crew held any OSHA training or safety certifications.

Due to the lack of experience and the employer’s denial of the proper equipment, one of the walls collapsed. Falling debris and masonry blocks killed an 18-year-old and severely injured two other workers. Compounding the issue is also the employer’s lack of workers compensation coverage.

When the economy begins to slow down, one may wonder about the security of his or her job. When job security is in question, employers seem to have the upper hand and should workplace injuries occur, the instance for the employer to nullify or downplay the severity of the injury can leave employees with less than the law allows. Maryland employees are guaranteed certain workplace rights should an on-the-job injury occur, and employers must abide by these laws.

A factory in another state is under investigation after repeatedly giving false information to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Not only has the company repeatedly ignored safety issues that have been brought to its attention, the business has been cited for over 240 safety violations. These oversights and blatant disregard for the employees’ safety has led to many workplace injuries and even deaths.

In 2015, a migrant worker had been employed by the factory in question was cleaning out a machine, just has his supervisor had shown him, when his foot slipped. The mishap caused the machine to roar to life, and upon doing so, trapped his left leg, which twisted until it snapped. The 17-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital where his lower leg had to be amputated. Once word got back to the management at the factory, all underage and undocumented employees were fired.

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