Chemical Exposure in the Workplace: 5 Industries at High Risk in Central Pennsylvania
Some jobs are objectively more dangerous than others. They expose people to particularly consequential workplace hazards. Truckers are at risk of crashes on the job, while security professionals could end up injured by a criminal trying to flee the premises. Chemical exposure is a common job hazard that can cause...
Warehouse workers face serious risks on the job
Warehouse workers have important jobs that help to keep the economy moving. They work to fulfill orders, which can sometimes involve heavy lifting or using machinery. These workers face serious hazards while they’re at work. The onus is on employers to ensure the workers have a safe work environment. The...
Can video footage of a work injury affect someone’s benefits?
If a Pennsylvania employee gets hurt at work, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. State law requires that employers who directly hire workers provide coverage. The Pennsylvania workers’ compensation program theoretically helps injured individuals pay for the cost of their medical treatment and cover basic living expenses while...
What if you are in a collision during your work day?
Any car accident can upend a person’s life. When a collision happens during a person’s work day, getting the financial support they need to heal could be even more complex. Thankfully, injured people may be eligible for support, including benefits through the workers’ compensation program. What should you know about...
Five slip, trip and fall hazards in the workplace
Stumbling or falling is a common accident, and many workers become injured as a result of these accidents every year. What conditions could lead to a slip, trip or fall accident in the workplace? What can create workplace slip, trip and fall hazards? You may work every day in an...
The danger of eye injuries on construction sites
On a construction site, workers rely on their eyes to perform tasks and assess danger. However, injuries to their eyes could compromise their vision and their ability to perform this work in the future. What should construction workers know about eye injuries? Eye injuries are a common risk in construction...
3 dangerous types of forklift accidents
In warehouse and production settings, forklifts are a key tool for employees. However, this machinery can also lead to the risk of accidents both for those operating the forklift and for those working around it. What accidents might you experience when working with or around forklifts? Rollovers When a forklift...
4 hidden workplace hazards
Many workplace hazards are immediately apparent: power tools, heavy machinery, toxic chemicals and other risks. However, other risks may go unnoticed in a workplace. What hidden workplace hazards should you be aware of? 1. Sedentary work While many might think that workers who do not perform heavy lifting, work with...
The potential risks of working around pallet racking
Pallet racking allows warehouse facilities to store more within the same floor plan by storing those objects at a height. However, it can also create risks for the people working in those warehouses. What risks should workers be aware of? Pallet racking often requires employees to work at a height....
Loading dock injuries: what should workers know?
Warehouses and production facilities alike depend on the workers who unload supplies and load completed products onto trucks for shipment. However, these workers can experience a wide variety of injuries as part of their work. What injuries might workers experience when loading or unloading cargo? Heavy lifting can lead to...
Why are truckers at high risk for musculoskeletal disorders?
When many people think about the workplace injuries that truck drivers can experience, they immediately think about accidents on the road. However, truck drivers can struggle with many other work-related conditions and injuries. One surprisingly common struggle for truck drivers is musculoskeletal disorders. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health...
What steps can you take after a denied workers’ compensation claim?
When you applied for workers’ compensation after an injury, you hoped to rely on those benefits to support you and your family while you recovered. As a result, opening a denial letter can leave you uncertain about the future. Is there any way to push back against a claim denial...
4 potential risks of forklift operation
Many warehouses depend on forklifts to move and carry products and to decrease the amount of heavy lifting that employees must do. However, while forklifts may ease the risk of some injuries, they can also bring new hazards into an employee’s daily work. What risks might workers experience while operating...
Can you receive workers’ compensation after a car accident?
Workplace injuries can come in a variety of forms. Slips, trips and falls can occur in almost any setting. People working with heavy machinery may risk other injuries like electrocution. Repeated motion can create strain over time. In the United States, transportation-related injuries are common workplace accidents and are the...
Lifting injuries can put healthcare workers at risk
Nurses and doctors dedicate their careers to helping others heal. However, workplace injuries can put them in a position where they need to heal before they can continue that work, and a particularly common source of injury is lifting in the workplace. What should healthcare workers know about these injuries?...
What if I’m injured in a crash while driving on the job?
Every day, hundreds of delivery drivers and truck drivers transport goods across town, across the Keystone state and beyond. Some drivers decide to pick up some extra money by driving for Uber or Lyft or work for a taxi service. Some employees have to drive to meet clients or from...
Amazon employs more seasonal workers in PA
Amazon recently expanded its payroll to include more than 6,000 seasonal workers across Pennsylvania to help with distribution, transportation and order shipments over the holiday season. Apparently, the expansion for seasonal workers is an initiative across the United States and Canada to keep up with the increasing demand for gift...
Medical staff still face injuries in hospitals
Healthcare workers are especially important in current times, and most of them are dedicating all their time to take care of others. It makes sense that they might put aside their own health to prioritize the wellbeing of their patients. Unfortunately, many nurses and medical professionals are at risk for...
How automation is causing more injuries for Amazon
Amazon is always verging on the cutting edge of its industry with new practices, new approaches to distribution and new ways to break into different markets. However, one of their new tactics for automation is causing problems for their warehouse employees. According to a recent report from TechCrunch, Amazon invested...
The dangers of returning to work too soon after an injury
Many warehouse workers depend greatly on their income to feed their families, maintain a roof over their heads and even fund their true passions outside the workplace. They may even rush the recovery process after an injury to return to work faster. However, there are significant consequences for rushing the...
The dangers of burnout among warehouse employees
Most warehouses and distribution centers rely heavily on their employees to meet certain goals and quotas each day. And as online shopping grows in popularity, the stakes get higher for most of these workplaces. It puts many workers in a tough position as they have to work faster, longer and...
Does a car accident on the job mean workers’ compensation?
Many occupations require employees to drive from one site to another. Whether it’s to help with distribution, lend a hand for transporting goods or just to bring you from one job site to another job area, driving can be a necessary part of your job. However, what happens if you...
Does hearing loss qualify under workers’ compensation?
Many adults experience hearing loss over time from natural causes, such as aging. Even technology is working diligently to make it easier for aging adults to address hearing disabilities early on with hearing aids, special headphones and other listening devices. However, there are ways to accelerate the healing loss process...
Four external factors that cause injuries in warehouses
Most people blame themselves when they are injured at work. They assume they mishandled equipment incorrectly or took inappropriate actions that eventually caused a risky situation. However, there are external factors on the warehouse floor that increase the likelihood of work-related injuries. It’s critical for employees to know these factors...
Watch out for scorching summer temperatures at work
Pennsylvania is known for its beautiful summers that bring along hot temperatures and humid conditions. It’s perfect for days where you are swimming at the pool, relaxing with your family or staying indoors. It’s not perfect for employees who work outdoors or in stuffy warehouses. Heat affects employees physically and...
Three accidents that warehouse workers see daily
Most people have negative connotations with Amazon warehouses due to the countless headlines surrounding employees’ treatments and injuries across the United States. However, most people underestimate exactly how many accidents happen on the warehouse floor. Between dangerous equipment, shifting work environments and distracted co-workers, accidents happen almost every day. Some...
Specific risks for delivery drivers
Recently, delivery drivers have become critical due to their ability to deliver groceries, household commodities and other necessary goods to people and stores alike. However, with more delivery drivers on the road, it’s important to point out the potential risks that come with the position. Most drivers perform multiple duties...
Three questions to ask before returning to work
Most employees feel different types of pain after a work-related injury. They feel the physical pain from the incident itself, the emotional pain of leaving work and the financial pain of medical treatments and reduced incomes. It makes sense that many employees try to return to work as soon as...
A fall at work could lead to falling back in your career
Many employees know the risks that come with working a warehouse floor. You must be diligent about safety protocols, other staff members’ actions and potential hazards in the workplace. However, there are situations that you can’t anticipate like falls. Falls are a significant portion of worker injuries across the country....
Amazon warehouses have more injuries than industry standards
A recent investigation found Amazon warehouse employees are experiencing severe injuries, especially in the Fresno fulfillment center in California. The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates over 300 work-related injuries at one warehouse – almost triple the national warehouse industry standards. According to Lake County Record-Bee, the Fresno center...
Five largest distractions for warehouse workers
Employees in warehouses dedicated a significant amount of time each day to ensure the product is moved and distributed to the proper areas across Pennsylvania – even throughout the United States. However, warehouse workers are still susceptible to distraction like other staff members. But there are more considerable consequences if...
Summer heat causes a physical toll on construction workers
As August approaches, most employees fantasize about autumn leaves and cooler weather on the horizon. However, construction workers are still in the midst of the hot summer days across Pennsylvania. They have to work every day, despite dry heat or extreme humidity. They need to make sure the projects are...
Falls are common on construction sites
Construction work is in full swing in the summer months across Pennsylvania. While construction workers face hazards every day, one of the most consistent and severe risks is falling. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. In...
Top causes of accidents on construction sites
Warmer spring weather signals the start of construction across Pennsylvania on roads, bridges, buildings and more. This also marks the time for employers, property owners and construction site workers alike to take measures to guard against the potential for serious accidents. Construction sites can pose constant risks for workers. These...
Pennsylvania worker killed by falling shed
A Pennsylvania woman was killed when a temporary shed fell on top of her. According to U.S. News & World Report, a woman and her male coworker were smoking in the temporary structure, when the wind caught the hut and toppled it over on top of them on Feb. 8....
Dorney Park construction worker receives $2.75 million settlement
Anthony De Santos was operating a forklift at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom on April 23, 2014 to move a steel column. He used a tagline to control the forklift while he walked beside it. De Santos was pulled in front of the forklift’s wheel after a sudden stop, and...
One way to avoid falling at work may be counterintuitive
Slips, trips and falls in the workplace can be very dangerous. In 2016, 849 American workers died because of a slip, trip or fall, and many others suffered serious injuries. Because accidents like these are so serious, many people are afraid that it will happen to them. However, this fear...
What to do after a car accident on the job
Driving for work or owning a company vehicle certainly has its benefits. However, driving on the job also comes with great responsibility given the risk involved. Car accidents are unfortunately part of being on the road. When you are involved in an accident in which another driver was at fault,...
Company buy-in is vital regarding workplace safety
The deaths of four workers earlier this year in two separate industrial accidents in south-central Pennsylvania illustrates the dangers that many workers face on the job every day. In February, three workers died and two more injured at the Manitowoc Cranes plant on a windy day in what was reported...
Question: What profession is more injury-prone than mining?
Hint: it’s nursing. Here is a grim statistic: Of all professions, the one with the highest rate of nonfatal occupational injuries is nursing. Worse than mining, construction, or manufacturing. [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics]. Aching backs and more These are the kinds of dangers nurses face every day: Back injuries....
Deadliest jobs list includes usual suspects
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its yearly list of the 20 deadliest jobs in the nation. While many of the jobs on the list come as no surprise, there are some that people don’t generally consider dangerous unless they are in the industry. People expect to see...
Workers put in harm’s way
Some jobs force workers to place themselves in vulnerable positions. Some of these jobs, including law enforcement, firefighting and construction, are well known for the hazards faced by workers. Others carry similar, or even greater levels of risk, but are not recognized as dangerous by the public. One such jog...
Knowing what to do when you witness a workplace accident
Someone got hurt on the job, and although you weren’t able to stop the accident from happening, you had a front-row seat. Whether you like it or not, you’re now a workplace accident witness. Do you know what your next move ought to be? The role of the workplace accident...
Industrial fires: Top 5 contributing factors
Industrial fires and explosions are a major risk at worksites across the country. Warehouses, processing plants, mills and the like are fraught with fire hazards. Although detailed safety regulations are designed to prevent tragic fires, they still happen with unfortunate regularity. Nationwide, there are more than 35,000 industrial fires each...
Safety violations at Pennsylvania chicken processing plant illustrate the many dangers employees face
Meat processing plants count on the hard work of employees to turn a profit. Far too often, however, these plants overlook important safety measures that can make a life-or-death difference for their workers. A chicken plant near Harrisburg recently failed a safety inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational...
Safety is a big issue for coal miners
In less than a year, there have been over 1,100 non-fatal accidents and 8 deaths in coal mines across the United States, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Pennsylvania has some of the highest rates of injury. These figures point to the troubling fact that mining workers...
3 tips for staying safe around forklifts
Semitrucks, cranes and other heavy machinery come with obvious dangers. Their sheer size and power provide a constant reminder of their risks. By contrast, it’s easy to forget that the humble forklift can be incredibly dangerous. In fact, every year, nearly 100,000 workers nationwide suffer injuries from forklift accidents. Because...
Deadliest jobs: Is yours one of them?
All lines of work involve hazards to one degree or another. For some, though, the risk of injury or death is far greater than others. According to Time Magazine, the following are among the top 25 most dangerous jobs in the United States, measured by fatality rate: Construction workers: It’s...
6 dangers steel workers face every day
Steel workers often have to endure exhausting hours, strenuous conditions and constant perils. Whether at mills or construction sites, steel workers face a wide range of risks that factor into their everyday duties. The International Labour Organization’s Code of Practice on Safety and Health in the Iron and Steel Industry identifies...
Tired workers cause more accidents
The National Sleep Foundation has conducted studies that show that workplace accidents, including those in the industrial sector, could be caused by workers who are too tired. According to those studies, a worker who is highly sleepy could be up to 70 percent more likely to find himself or herself...
Giant Food Stores worker dies after fall from ladder
A man who worked for Giant Food Stores fell from a 12-foot ladder on Valentine’s Day. He was rushed to the York Hospital and given care, but he recently passed away from his injuries. He was 56 years old. No one actually saw the man fall from the ladder, but...
Young workers have rights, too
Workers who are still minors—under the age of 18—are allowed to work in many situations, even though there are stipulations regarding the hours they can work and what industries they can work in. It’s important for these younger workers to know that they also have rights if they are injured...
Cellphones can directly cause workplace accidents
Cellphones can be very useful tools in the workplace, but they can also be very dangerous distractions. It is estimated that 3,000,000,000 text messages are sent out each and every day. More and more often, people are using mobile devices so that they can send and receive these messages while...
The law protects you from retaliation
Do you think your workplace is unsafe, but are you scared to speak up? Maybe you don’t want to be seen as a complainer, or maybe you’re afraid that your boss will retaliate in some way if you say what’s on your mind. If you think that a complaint needs...
Another road worker injured when struck by vehicle
Like other states, Pennsylvania sees more than its fair share of workplace accidents involving motorists. Usually, these accidents impact road maintenance and road construction workers, who must perform their jobs on the state’s busy roads. Last month, at least one road worker suffered injuries in a motorist involved accident, and...
Industrial workplace safety: Going beyond the basics
Pennsylvania residents understand the employee risks inherent in the state’s rich industrial landscape. The mining industry in particular is often fraught with hazards due to the challenging locations where these resources are found. While mining and other industries remain crucial to the economical vitality of Pennsylvania, workplace safety should never...
Low visibility possible factor in sanitation worker’s death
Benefits are available for Harrisburg employees who are injured on the job. Workers’ compensation benefits, provided by employer-paid insurance, cover medical costs and wage losses for workplace accident victims. Benefits are also available for immediate family members when a loved one suffers a fatal job-related injury. A Pennsylvania sanitation worker...
Little things that can help reduce workplace accidents
Workplace accidents may happen suddenly, but they’re not always that surprising. Often, when looking at things retrospectively, it’s easy for people in Pennsylvania to see why the accidents happened. Looking at these things in advance helps employers and workers alike avoid accidents. Poor Lighting People who are forced to work...
Some workplace accidents can be prevented
Pennsylvania can be a busy place. In a typical workday, thousands of people are working hard to meet deadlines or quotas and simply catch up to themselves. Working at such paces has its advantages such as bigger paychecks, promotions and even feelings of accomplishments. It can also have a very...
Pennsylvania industries among most dangerous jobs
As the nation’s population continues to grow, so does the amount of workers needed to service and supply the people. While this means more much-needed jobs become available, it also means the possibility of more work-related accidents. Pennsylvania’s bounty of natural resources provides almost endless possibilities for employment in our...
Job-related vehicle accident risk factors for young people
The youth of today fill an important role in the Pennsylvania workplace. From working in simple delivery jobs to more sophisticated mining and agricultural careers, young people keep the busy world in motion. Driving is one of the most common duties assigned to members of the workforce younger than 25...
How dangerous are forklifts in industrial settings?
If you look around at several different industrial facilities or job locations, what is the one thing you will likely find at each of them? The answer is a forklift of some type, and you will probably see more than one. Like other equipment or machinery, forklifts can indeed be...
Falling remains a major factor in workplace accidents
Despite decades of widespread education about the dangers of falls in the workplace, falling remains one of the top reasons for workplace accidents. While the construction industry remains the primary industry in which fatal falls occur, the risk is present in nearly all other industries as well. Even workplace tasks...
Accidents in Pennsylvania’s industrial workforce
By their very nature, industrial companies throughout Pennsylvania are the sites of worker accidents from time to time. From manufacturing to the chemical industry to warehouse careers, these jobs can be dangerous to those who do the heavy lifting and other types of work. While workers’ compensation is an enormous...
Road worker killed on Route 22 in Pennsylvania
According to police, a road construction worker was killed by a utility vehicle on Route 22 in Hanover Township on April 9. The accident occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. The victim, a 43-year-old Connellsville man, was part of a construction crew working to repair a guardrail near Burgettstown that had...
Pennsylvania explosion injures worker
A Feb. 15 accident has led to the injury of one worker in Derry Township. The incident reportedly occurred after 5 p.m. An explosion at a natural gas company building resulted in a fire, which apparently led to burns to the arms and face of the worker. Officials indicate that...
The dangers of working in trenches
Workers in Pennsylvania who excavate or dig trenches can be killed or suffer serious injuries if the trench wall collapses. These accidents often occur without warning, and workers are given little or no time to escape the danger. With a cubic yard of dirt weighing over 3,000 pounds, even small...
Bucks County silo collapse turned into recovery effort
Authorities on the scene of a Bucks County silo collapse reported that their initial search and rescue effort turned into a recovery effort. After six hours of searching for a worker trapped by the falling debris, authorities indicated the man was then presumed dead. The accident happened on Jan. 8...
Reducing risks when operating heavy machinery
Most Pennsylvania construction workers know that working around and operating heavy machinery is inherently dangerous. With more than 150,000 reported injuries and 800 deaths nationwide in 2013 alone, it is important that both employers and employees take safety precautions seriously. One of the easiest ways to reduce construction work injuries...
Preventing falls at the workplace
Pennsylvania workers may benefit from learning more about how to prevent falls, as described by material published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. According to OSHA, employees should be wearing the appropriate protection when working at least four above ground in general industry or at least six feet high...
Scaffold malfunction leaves workers stranded mid-air
The new World Trade Center officially opened the week before this workplace incident, though it had been in use since June, authorities said. The two window washers were working on the south side of the building when one of the four cables supporting their scaffold gave way. Immediately following the...
2012 workplace fatality statistics in Pennsylvania
According to the regional commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 163 workplace injuries that proved fatal in Pennsylvania in 2012. She also stated that even though that is a preliminary count, the numbers had declined over the 2011 count by 23. The highest number was in...
Pennsylvania electrical worker dies after 50-foot fall
It has been reported that a 32-year-old electrical worker died on Oct. 9th when he fell more than 50 feet from a bucket in Delco in Upper Chichester. The accident occurred at around 7:30 am on Winding Way while the man was working on power lines. It is unclear whether...
Ammonia leak at brewery sends 1 person to the hospital
An old Pennsylvania brewery was evacuated after an explosion on Aug. 13 that injured one person. The explosion took place at the Lion Brewery in Wilkes-Barre, an establishment that was founded in 1905 and is one of the longest-running breweries in the state. According to a statement from the Luzerne...
Oil tank explodes, causes minor injuries to worker
A crude oil tank exploded when it was cut with a large-scale circular saw at a Pennsylvania recycling facility. The worker who was making the cut suffered minor injuries in the workplace accident. The explosion took place on Aug. 5 around 11:20 a.m. No other injuries were reported in connection...
Temp worker’s death prompts scrutiny
A Pennsylvania temp worker was killed in a sugar plant accident in February 2013 in Fairless Hills. The man was breaking up clumps in a sugar hopper when he slid into it and was killed by suffocation. The sugar plant had initially had a safety screen in the hopper, but...
Worker killed in explosion at GM facility
One worker was killed and eight others were hospitalized after an explosion that occurred in a General Motors plant on July 2. Quaker Chemical Corp., a Pennsylvania-based chemical manufacturer that provides contract services at the plant, announced that the decedent was one of its employees. The incident occurred at the...
Death of Amazon temp worker prompts OSHA citations
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary data shows that in 2012 alone, temporary workers and contractors were involved in 708 fatalities, which is 16 percent of that year’s workplace fatality total. A 57-year-old man who was working for a staffing agency contracted by a Pennsylvania-based logistics provider was killed...
Lack of safety precautions leads to worker’s death
Pennsylvania workers know that following safety precautions in the workplace is essential. A 28-year-old man in a Massachusetts facility was never trained in procedures that might have saved his life. The company had been cited by federal safety inspectors for not following safety protocol. The young man died while trying...
Pennsylvania man killed in construction site accident
A 32-year-old Pennsylvania man died while working on a sewer installation project on May 6. The construction accident occurred in Somerset County southeast of Pittsburgh. The construction work was part of a project to provide the small town of Ursina with its first sewer system. The construction work involved lowering...
Pennsylvania workers face significant risk of falling off ladders
According to a recent study, workers using ladders in Pennsylvania and other parts of the country face a significant risk of falling. Approximately 20 percent of all fall injuries in the U.S. can be attributed to falls from ladders. That number has grown to 81 percent of all fall injuries...
Federal appeals court upholds SeaWorld trainer drowning decision
Pennsylvania SeaWorld fans might have heard about the trainer at the SeaWorld Park in Orlando, Florida, who was interacting with a killer whale on Feb. 24, 2010, when the whale took hold of her and pulled her from a platform and into the pool. She was held underwater and drowned...
Pennsylvania man survives work-related chainsaw accident
A professional tree cutter was removing a tree when the chainsaw he was using struck his shoulder and embedded itself in his neck. He had been attempting to cut around power lines at the time of the accident. A co-worker assisted the man until EMTs arrived on the scene. Although...
2 Pennsylvanians injured in roof collapse
Two Pennsylvania workers suffered injuries in an accident in Cambrian County. The construction accident occurred at a Hampton Inn in Richland Township on Wednesday, March 26 at around 10:30 a.m. as the two men were trying to repair a carport ceiling that had been damaged by seasonal weather. While the...
Flash fire severely burns Pennsylvania worker
A flash fire at an east Erie industrial plant burned a maintenance worker on the afternoon of March 4. Emergency personnel transported the worker to a local medical center for treatment. He was later transferred to a Pittsburgh hospital burn unit where he has been listed in critical condition. No...
Families workers killed by explosion to receive compensation
When a residential water heater used in lieu of a commercial boiler exploded in a plastics factory in 2009, two people were killed. The former manager of the Solus Industrial Innovations plant and the maintenance supervisor for the facility were charged with felonies related to the workplace accident. On Feb....
Parties reach $17 million settlement in workplace death case
A Pennsylvania family will receive what is being called one of the largest settlements for a workplace death in Philadelphia history. The settlement was reached just prior to the start of a jury trial on the matter. In the summer of 2011, at a Philadelphia steam plant run by Veolia...
3 homes burnt after suspected gas explosion
A fire damaged three homes in a south Philadelphia neighborhood on Jan. 30, injuring two employees of Philadelphia Gas Works. It is suspected that the fire was caused by a leaking gas line, which may have led to an explosion around 7:30 p.m. However, at the time of the report,...
Pennsylvania worker killed by falling electrical box
According to a York County deputy coroner, a one- to two-ton electrical box fell on and killed an Adams County electrician on Jan. 20. The workplace accident occurred at a water authority pumping facility that is undergoing expansion in Windsor Township. According to police, the worker was attempting to move...
Worker burned at metal plant
A Pennsylvania worker was injured and transported to a care facility when his clothing caught fire as he was warming himself and got too close to an open flame portable propane heater. His co-workers helped to put out the flames by rolling him on the ground and using a fire...
Worker crushed to death in trucking accident
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is looking into the cause of an industrial accident at a Pennsylvania trucking company that claimed a man’s life in late December. The fatal workplace accident occurred on the morning of Monday, Dec. 30, 2013. A representative of the local police department said...
Worker injured by an explosion at Pennsylvania plant
A worker at the Wolfe Dye & Bleach Works Inc. in Perry Township suffered injuries as a result of an explosion that occurred on Dec. 21 sometime after 1 p.m. After the workplace accident, the 47-year-old man fled the scene and crossed Route 61, where a motorist pulled over and...
Colorado miners killed, sick from mining accident
Pennsylvania workers may be subjected to dangerous working conditions due to the large amount of factories and associated industrial accidents. However, a recent mining accident in Colorado was the site of the latest large-scale workplace accident. The mining accident occurred in southwestern Colorado. The Ouray County Sheriff’s Office received an...
Government shutdown severely hampers OSHA
Workers in Pennsylvania who perform dangerous jobs may be especially concerned about the government shutdown which began on Oct. 1. The investigation of workplace accidents by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, has all but shut down, with 90 percent of the agency’s inspectors furloughed. Manpower levels are...
Subcontractor files lawsuit after on-the-job accident
A Philadelphia worker filed a lawsuit on Sept. 23 after he was injured on the job and broke his arm while working as a subcontractor when items on a forklift fell off onto him. The construction accident happened as he worked on a commercial loading dock on April 30. His...
Chemical leak in Pennsylvania business sends one to hospital
One person was sent to the hospital and several homes and businesses were evacuated after a chemical leak at a Pennsylvania business occurred. The report did not indicate what the chemical was but authorities stated that it posed no threat to the public. According to the report, the evacuation occurred...
12 workers injured in fire at Pennsylvania munitions factory
A dozen factory workers were hospitalized as a result of a factory fire in Jamestown on Sept. 10. The fire began at about 5:45 a.m. that morning in the Kinsman Road plant which manufactures tear gas and other tactical munitions. According to the local fire chief, the blaze occurred in...
Pennsylvania man trapped in truck sustains little injury
A Pittston man feels lucky to be alive, much less up and moving around, just a day after having been in a potentially fatal accident. The workplace accident involved a 17-ton piece of wall falling on the man’s truck, trapping him inside of his vehicle. On Aug. 28, the man...
Pennsylvania man killed in mining accident
A Pennsylvania man who had been working in Pennsylvania as a mechanic for a mining company was identified by the state police and the U.S. Mine and Safety Health Administration. According to the report, the workplace accident occurred when the man was crushed between a tire and a truck’s frame...
Tree-trimmer dies after striking high-voltage power line
A 42-year-old Pennsylvania man was killed while trimming tree branches for a subcontractor of PPL Electric Utilities. His job included scaling a ladder in order to trim branches growing too close to a high-voltage power line. At the time of his fatal workplace accident, he was trimming trees in preparation...
Miners Injured in Pennsylvanian Mine Collapse
A mine collapse in Western Pennsylvania on June 24 has reportedly left two miners injured. The mine collapse and workplace accident was reported by authorities to be a partial ceiling collapse that took place in a coal mine that was located approximately 40 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The collapse was...
Building collapse fatal for 2 Salvation Army employees
The collapse of a building onto a Pennsylvania Salvation Army thrift store on June 5 has led to the death of two Salvation Army employees. A neighboring four-floor Philadelphia building on Market Street was scheduled for demolition, but a construction accident caused it to collapse sideways and trap workers and...
Pennsylvania excavating company cited by OSHA
A Pennsylvania excavating company has been cited by OSHA with 12 safety violations after two inspections were conducted following the discovery of unsupervised trenches. The violations involved trenching hazards that have the potential to cause serious workplace accidents. Two of the alleged willful violations involved failing to provide a protective...
Pennsylvania worker injured in hit-and-run accident
During morning rush hour in the Liberty Tunnels in Pittsburgh on March 14, a vehicle hit a worker for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, or PennDOT. The vehicle had moved into the traffic around a single-vehicle accident inside the tunnels. The driver who hit the worker immediately fled the crime...
Saylorsburg woman sues manufacturers of garage door after injury
A former support manager at the Stroudsburg location of PetSmart is suing two Pennsylvania-based garage door manufacturers over injuries she sustained nearly two years ago while on the job. The workplace accident resulted in several serious injuries to the woman. The incident took place back on July 27, 2011 when...
Vat fall kills Philly sugar plant employee
According to authorities, a New Jersey resident working at a sugar processing facility in the Philadelphia suburbs fell into a vat and died after an unknown period of time. Although none of the man’s coworkers actually witnessed the accident, it was reported that he had previously been observed attempting to...
Defendants claim protection in Pa. workplace accident suit
An individual injured by a crane at the Fairless Hills U-Haul factory brought allegations of negligence leading to an unsafe working environment against four related defendants. The injury occurred in March of 2012 when a crane fell on the worker and caused several serious injuries, including disc injuries and spinal...
Shale industry fraught with health challenges
Business is booming in some Pennsylvania towns where hydraulic fracturing, known as “fracking,” for oil and natural gas has increased the population. However, along with the increased growth comes increased problems related to workplace accidents and health issues. Job-related illnesses, mental health issues and other physical work-related problems can take...
Family man falls to his death in Pennsylvania work accident
This holiday, a Pennsylvania family and community will mourn the loss of a loved one. Last week, a 31-year-old man was working in a water tower when terror ensued. Somehow, the worker fell a significant distance and sustained fatal injuries in the workplace accident. According to reports, the rescue attempt...
Opinion piece challenges Wal-Mart’s care for worker safety
Because most people who read this blog or news in general likely don’t follow Bangladesh news, readers might not know of a tragic fire that took place in a warehouse in Bangladesh last weekend. More than 100 workers reportedly died in the fatal workplace accident. The faraway tragedy does have...
Experienced worker killed in tuna canning accident
Many people know and love their Bumble Bee Tuna. What they tend to forget is the work that goes into canning their favorite lunchtime protein. A 62-year-old man, a father of six, had worked canning in the tuna plant for several years before he recently died in an unthinkable way....
An average of 13 people die on the job each day
It seems like a staggering statistic when broken down by day. An average of 13 workers lose their lives while working each day. That is thirteen people who leave for work in the morning only to never come home. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis made a statement last week...
Most deadly professions involve driving
When people are asked to think about the most dangerous jobs they might think about jobs like firefighters or those that involve heavy machinery. Although those professions do have risks, it turns out that more sales reps and truck drivers are killed while working. This is because sales reps that...
Concrete barrier fatally strikes construction worker in Bethlehem accident
A 29-year-old construction worker was killed in a workplace accident in early September. Bethlehem Police say that the man was working for a construction company that was making improvements to Route 412. Authorities say that the worker was struck by a roughly 2,000 pound concrete barrier. The concrete barrier reportedly...
Report Reveals High Number of Youths Injured at Work
When most Americans consider the issue of workplace injuries, they imagine adults getting injured while on the job. Child labor issues rarely receive much attention in the U.S. Every year, however, many young people die or are injured in workplace accidents. A recent report points to poorly regulated workplaces as...
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania Foundry Cited for Repeat Safety Violations
Employers have a duty to provide their employees with safe working conditions. This makes it all the more concerning when they fail to correct known safety issues. Unfortunately, this seems to be what may be happening at an iron foundry in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The company was recently cited by the...
The Most Deadly Jobs in America
For many employees a hard day at the office may include long meetings or looming deadlines. These stressors seem very minor, however, compared to workers who put their bodies and lives on the line every day at work. Of the top ten most hazardous jobs in the country some are...
Slow OSHA results spark criticism from Senate officials
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has come under fire recently because of the length of time it takes to approve new safety rules. According to government officials, OSHA averaged about eight years before making the regulations official, which is roughly twice as long as the Transportation Department and 50...
OSHA Criticized for Delays in Issuing Workplace Safety Rules
People may expect that government entities move slowly when adopting new rules. Even so, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) takes more time than most government agencies when issuing new regulations. On average it takes OSHA almost eight years to adopt a new safety regulation, and during that time...
Work accident leaves man pinned between two trucks
When there are workplace hazards, employees can get seriously hurt or even killed. This was the case when a 19-year-old man died after getting crushed between a tractor trailer and a flatbed trailer in a workplace accident. Responders who arrived at the accident found the man on the ground with...
Several Pennsylvania Lowe’s stores cited for unsafe work environment
Being injured on-the-job can cause a number of problems for a worker. In addition to the physical implications, there are financial considerations as well. When a work accident occurs, an injured worker can seek workers’ compensation benefits. Recently several Lowe’s stores were cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration....
Hershey student workers protest dangerous work conditions
Each year, hundreds of thousands of J-1 visas are available for overseas students to visit the United States. The program was designed in an effort to promote America to foreign students. The original intention was a cultural exchange program in which the foreign students would learn English and travel. However,...
Pennsylvania building collapse leaves three workers injured
Investigations are under way by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at the scene of a building collapse that occurred Monday in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and resulted in three work injuries. Suffering an injury on-the-job can lead to a number of challenges for the injured worker. Not only are there...
OSHA cites Pennsylvania bottling company for Safety Violations
Individuals who are injured on the job may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Being hurt in a work accident can leave a worker in a tight financial situation, especially with medical expenses and lost wages. Such may be the case for some of the workers employed by the...
Pennsylvania man killed in trench collapse; OSHA to investigate
When an employee goes to work, there should be little to no fear of a workplace accident occurring. There are federal safety standards that employers must adhere to in order to prevent or minimize the risk of injuries to workers. One Pennsylvania excavating company had been fined by the Occupational...
Pennsylvania workers exposed to high levels of lead
In most instances, employees who have been injured on-the-job are entitled to workers’ compensation. It is important to notify a supervisor or employer if an injury occurs in the workplace. This is helpful, especially since injuries can become worse over time. Some injuries are fairly obvious, such as a broken bone...
Fatal Explosion in Pennsylvania Leads to OSHA Investigation
Depending on the job, workplace injuries can be severe and sometimes even fatal. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates employers to ensure that work environments are safe and up to health standards. Failure to comply with OSHA regulations can result in violations and citations. In a recent news...
Worker Injured and Three Killed in Plant Explosion
Previous incidents involving metal dust explosions at chemical plants in Pennsylvania have been investigated by the Chemical Safety Board (CSB). Recently, an explosion at a similar chemical plant in a neighboring state left three dead and another seriously injured in a workplace accident. According to the article, there is little...