Houston construction accident lawyer’
Workplace Injuries and Fatalities Cost More than Disease
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
This shouldn’t come as news to any Houston workplace injury lawyer. According to a new study, the economic cost of workplace injuries and deaths in the United States is much greater than the total cost for all types of cancers, and the total cost from diseases like diabetes.
The researchers gathered data from 2007 on occupational injuries and illnesses and the resulting economic costs to workers, including agricultural and self-employed workers. According to the study funded by the National Institute for Patient Safety and Health, job-related injuries and deaths in the United States account for approximately $250 billion...
Worst Workplace Fatalities of 2011
Thursday, January 5th, 2012
The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health has compiled a list of the worst workplace fatalities that Houston workplace injury lawyers came across last year. The following incidents are included in the list.
- A grain elevator explosion at the Bartlett Crane Co. in Kansas in October which killed 6 workers
- A chemical dust explosion at a Tennessee facility which killed 3 workers
- An electrocution incident at Monsanto Corporation in Illinois that killed 2 teenage workers and injured 8 others
- A manhole accident in North Carolina which killed 2 workers
- An oil rig explosion in Wyoming In August which cost three workers...
Owner of Upper Big Branch Mine to Pay $209 Million in Penalties
Sunday, December 11th, 2011
The owner of the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia, which was the scene of a deadly mine explosion last year, has agreed to pay more than $200 million in penalties, and to make changes to prevent accidents in the future.
Alpha Natural Resources, which bought out Massey Energy, the parent company of the mine, has agreed to pay $209 million in penalties. The fine is more than 40 times the size of any fine paid out in a coal mine explosion or disaster. The Upper Big Branch mine explosion in April 2010 was the worst mining accident in...
Industry Groups Oppose Restrictions on Worker Exposure to Carcinogens.
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is considering restricting worker exposure to crystalline silica, a known carcinogen that workers in general industry and maritime industries are frequently exposed to. However, industry groups are opposing the agency's efforts.
Over the past decade, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been trying to restrict worker exposure to the carcinogen. Crystalline silica is a common element in the earth, and workers in the construction industry, the maritime industry and general industry may be exposed to the carcinogen. This carcinogen in its respirable form is associated with silicosis, lung cancer, respiratory diseases as well...
Texas Company Cited for Violations after Worker’s Electrocution Death
Sunday, November 20th, 2011
In June, an oil rig worker performing repair work on a rig near Ozona, Texas was killed in an electrocution accident. The company that operated the rig, Ringo Drilling has now been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for several violations.
The agency has cited the company for several serious violations, including failure to provide training in avoiding electrical hazards, failure to protect workers from falls by failing to provide with guard rails, and failure to train them about the proper use of stepladders. The company has been cited for four serious violations.
The agency has also cited the...
After Fatal Kansas Accident, Focus on Safety at Grain Handling Facilities
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
An explosion at a Kansas grain elevator that killed six workers last month has brought into sharp focus the safety measures at grain handling facilities in Texas and nationwide. The explosion occurred at the Bartlett Grain Co. located about 50 miles northwest of Kansas City.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has begun an investigation into the Kansas grain elevator explosion. The investigation is expected to take six months to complete, and we will then have answers as to what exactly went wrong here. However, according to the Associated Press, the agency had not inspected the elevator since...
Career Construction Workers Will Suffer At Least One Injury in Lifetime
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
The results of a new study into construction safety should not really come as a surprise to Houston workplace accident lawyers, who are familiar with the risks that construction workers face every day on the job. The study finds that career construction workers, or those who have made this profession their lifelong career, are at a much higher risk of workplace fatalities and injuries.
These workers have a risk of being injured or suffering an occupational illness at least once, if not more, during their time in the industry. These workers also have a much higher risk of...
OSHA’s Top Ten Citations for Workplace Safety
Friday, November 4th, 2011
Every year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration releases its top ten citations for workplace safety, and every year, there's nothing on the list that really surprises Houston workplace accident lawyers. Most of the spots on the list are occupied by the same violations year after year, although there are slight changes in the way these rank on the list.
This year is no different. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has partnered with the National Safety Council to release the top ten most frequently cited safety violations of 2011. This year, the top spots on the list...
Texas Companies Cited for Failure to Protect Against Noise, Fall Hazards
Saturday, October 8th, 2011
The Occupational Safety Health Administration has cited two Texas-based companies for a number of violations, including those related to noise hazards, hazardous dust exposure, and fall protection. The two companies are PJ Trailers Manufacturing Co. Inc. and Delco Trailers Company Inc.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, inspectors found a number of violations, including fall and noise hazards during inspections. The agency has proposed penalties of up to $949,800. The violations that the agency found include a failure to provide fall protection for employees working on trailers, failure to provide machine guarding, and eye protection during...
Slight Decline in U.S. Workplace Accident Fatalities in 2010
Friday, September 16th, 2011
Statistics from the Bureau of Labor show that there has been a slight decline in overall workplace fatalities in the year 2010, including in the construction sector. Last year, there were 4,547 workplace accident fatalities, a drop of four fatalities since 2009.
However, as a Houston work accident lawyer, I would advise against any optimism. That's just a decline of four deaths over the previous year. There is also enough indication that the decline is the result of poor economic conditions.
Many industries, including the construction industry, saw lowered activity in 2010, and that meant fewer workers...
