Shollenberger Januzzi & Wolfe, LLP

Workplace Injuries

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...

Identifying causes for burn injuries at work

Burns are physical-damaging and emotional-draining injuries for all employees. And it’s hard to avoid burns unless you happen to be wearing the right equipment at the right time. It begs the question of how burns happen in the workplace and what employees can do in order to protect themselves from...

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...

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...

Avoiding work injury requires knowing potential hazards

Harrisburg’s top employers are the state and federal governments. But from a historical perspective, the region is known as a major logistics hub. As products ship from east to west, north to south, they often make stops here. Warehousing and storage facilities abound. Those with experience in workers’ compensation filings...

Why do self-employed workers have the highest fatality rates?

Self-employment, like any working arrangement, has its pros and cons. More freedom and independence but longer hours and irregular paychecks, for example. Another downside of self-employment often goes overlooked: the higher rate of work-related fatalities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, fatal injury rates are consistently greater among...

What did you say? My job puts my hearing at risk?!

Mining, construction and manufacturing jobs place stress on your body and can lead to injury. However, working in one of these industries puts you at a higher risk for developing a commonly overlooked injury – hearing loss. Why are you not given ear protection? If hearing loss is a common...

Common injuries hospital workers face

Hospitals are hazardous places to work. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, hospitals have nearly twice the rate of employee injuries than the rest of the private sector. And, based on total days away from work, hospital workers are even more prone to injuries than those who earn...

Injuries and fatalities on the farm

If you are a farm or agricultural worker, you are used to long hours and difficult weather conditions. Your work is physically exhausting and places intense stress on your body. On top of that, farm-related injuries and fatalities are all too common, and many job requirements are high-risk. According to...

Worker claims fall led to catastrophic injuries

A heating and cooling worker who was injured on the job started a lawsuit due to his injuries, but his lawyer has now decided to withdraw from the case. The lawsuit is aimed at a number of different companies and individuals. The companies involved include Kieran Cole Construction, Inc., Concept...

Workplace injuries happen far more than illnesses

Workers in Pennsylvania may have a right to compensation after workplace injuries or illnesses that arise due to conditions in the workplace, so these are often considered together when looking at compensation claim statistics. However, breaking down the numbers shows that injuries are much more common than illnesses. According to...

Should you let people move you after a workplace injury?

So you’ve suffered a workplace injury, perhaps after a fall, one of the most common ways that workers get hurt. What happens in the immediate aftermath of the injury is incredibly important. If you’re conscious, should you let people move you? There are some situations where being moved is very...

Workplace injuries don’t always happen at work

Many workplace injures happen while on the job—in a warehouse, on a construction site, or in an office building, for example. However, it is important to note that injuries don’t have to happen at a specific location to count as workplace injuries. For example, you could be hurt while driving...

Can you refuse to drive in dangerous conditions?

If you have to drive as part of your job, you may run into a situation during the winter in Pennsylvania where you just don’t feel safe being on the road. When a big snowstorm blows in and the roads are coated in ice, can you tell your employer that...

It is important not to ignore even minor office injuries

Working in an office environment seems like the safest way to earn a living. This is certainly the case most of the time, but office workers can be at risk for serious injury the same as those employed in other, more physical industries. Office injuries are more common than many...

Our firm awarded for achievements in brain injury litigation

Brain injuries received during the course of what is ordinarily a routine work assignment have a devastating effect on the worker. This is an obvious statement that most anyone can imagine. What some people do not understand is how this kind of injury creates ripples that spread to every member...

Choosing a doctor for Pennsylvania workplace injuries

When you suffer a workplace injury in the Harrisburg area, the workers’ compensation insurance your employer provides will likely cover any associated medical expenses. While workers’ compensation does allow injured workers to seek treatment from the doctor they desire, physician choice might be limited in some situations. The Pennsylvania Workers’...

Furniture company once again fined for poor workplace safety

Ashley Furniture Industries is once more facing a hefty fine after failing to report a workplace injury. Reportedly, a worker lost his finger this past March while working but the furniture company did not report the incident. Already the target of multiple complaints according to the news report, OSHA (Occupational...

Pennsylvania Work Zone Safety law reduces injuries and deaths

Motorists in Pennsylvania know that traveling on the state’s roads carries risks of receiving personal injuries due to accidents. Most of these motorists try to drive in as safe a manner as possible to preserve their safety. However, they must also consider the safety of other people, and this means...

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders

Occupational musculoskeletal disorders are frequently caused by ergonomic hazards in the workplace. Since the 1970s, this type of workplace injury has become an increasing problem to the nation’s workforce. Workers in Harrisburg and other Pennsylvania cities are not immune to these dangers, which can cause lengthy work absences and even...

Planning ahead reduces heat-related worker injuries

Workplaces that expose workers to extreme heat could inflict heat stress illnesses. Heat stroke presents the worst risk to Pennsylvania workers in hot conditions because it is potentially deadly. The federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration recommends that employers keep workers aware of heat illness risks and establish procedures to...

Amusement park worker hit by roller coaster

A worker at an amusement park in Pennsylvania was injured after being hit by a roller coaster on March 26. The worker was injured while a new roller coaster at Knoebels Amusement Resort was being tested. The man suffered from a broken hand and a laceration on his head when...

Fast food workers challenge workplace safety

As some Pennsylvania workers may know, fast food workers face challenges from burn injuries. Multiple complaints have been filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The workers contend that workplace safety is compromised due to working conditions. According to the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health’s poll of...

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...

Modifications to machinery reduces risk for employee injuries

Pennsylvania employees who work with stone-cutting machines or rock cutters may know that the machines can potentially be dangerous or hazardous if used carelessly or incorrectly. What they may not know is that many of the machines available on the market pose serious amputation risks for the employee. The Occupational...

Worker injury and illness rates on the decline

Pennsylvania residents might be interested to learn about some of the key findings from a survey that was conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The federal agency recently announced that there were over three million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2013, according to statistics that it had compiled....

Countering amputation risks in the workplace

Pennsylvania workers know far too well that serious injuries may happen on the job. When faulty equipment or lack of safety precautions is involved, repeat accidents may be the focus of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation. This is the case with a chimney supply company in Scranton. In...

Common causes of workplace injury

Pennsylvania workplaces are fraught with the potential for serious injury, with specific causes more common in certain industries. Two of the leading causes of injury in almost every profession are stress and fatigue. Tired or stressed workers are more prone to suffering from impaired judgement and thus making mistakes that...

Understanding TBI treatment and risks

Patients in Pennsylvania who suffer traumatic brain injuries might not fully understand their injuries and the treatment and risks involved. TBIs occur when an object violently strikes the head or penetrates the cranium and passes into the brain. The symptoms that the patients experience vary depending on the severity of...

Lower back injuries are common in the workplace

Pennsylvania workers, especially those who do heavy lifting, may not be surprised to learn that lower back pain is the most common cause of injuries in the workplace. Only workers with a common cold miss more time from work than back pain sufferers. More than 1 million workers nationwide suffer...

How workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania works

Workers’ compensation protects individuals who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses. The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act provides for medical expenses, wage-loss compensation and other such expenses. Businesses are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance or to be self-insured. Nearly all workers in the state of Pennsylvania are covered. If an employer...

2012 statistics point to the 5 most dangerous jobs

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3.2 workers out of 100,000 died in workplace accidents in 2012. This means that there were 4,628 fatalities across all occupations that year, which is on the low end of the yearly average 4,500 to 6,500. Some workers in Pennsylvania may be surprised...

Pennsylvania railroad worker files claim against employer

The Federal Employers’ Liability Act, passed in 1908 by the U.S. Congress, exists to protect and assist railroad workers who are injured on the job. A resident of Levittown has filed suit in connection with his workplace injury, claiming that his company failed to provide a safe workplace. The man...

Study: More than 50,000 preventable workplace deaths last year

Pennsylvania residents might be disturbed by a recent report published by the National Council on Occupational Safety and Health, which claimed that more than 50,000 people died in workplace-related injuries and illnesses in 2013. Among these deaths, said the report, was that of a 27-year-old camera assistant working on the...

Pennsylvania resident wins workers’ compensation appeal

A Westmoreland resident recently won an appeal in Commonwealth Court to receive workers’ compensation benefits. The appellant worked as a caregiver for her 33-year-old son for nine months in her home. Her son had myriad significant health issues that qualified him to receive care in a private residence under a...

Temporary workers have little protection

Pennsylvania workers may be surprised to learn that temporary workers make up approximately 2.8 percent of the workforce, and they have little or no protection when they are hurt at work. These workers are often told to report any workplace injuries to the temporary-labor companies that placed them, but these...

OSHA suggests public database on workplace safety

The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration has suggested that some workplaces in Pennsylvania and across the nation be required to put their records of injuries and sicknesses online once every three months. The information would be public and available in a database. OSHA believes that mandatory reporting will hold...

OSHA encourages safety for the holiday shopping season

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a list of safety guidelines for retail stores in Pennsylvania and nationwide in preparation for the shopping season. The assistant secretary of labor for the organization stated that the holiday season should not be a reason for workers to be at...

Common causes of Pennsylvania worker accidents

There are a wide variety of reasons that workplace accidents occur, many of which are preventable. When organizations are proactive about ensuring the safety of their employees, a workplace injury is less likely to occur. Some of the most common causes of accidents are wet floors, hazardous materials and unsecured...

Preliminary objections overruled in workplace injury case

A Pennsylvania judge has overruled a defendant’s preliminary objections to being named in a joinder complaint to an initial workplace injury case. The judge stated that the defendant had 20 days from the judicial order to file a response to the suit. An employee of the defendant who was working...

Pennsylvania nearly worst in U.S. for work injury numbers

A study shows that rate of workplace injury and illness varies between U.S. states. Social Security Disability Insurance provider Allsup said that workers even in the same industry saw a different number of people getting sick or injured on the job depending on what state they worked in. Maine ranked...

Worker crushed in Pennsylvania mining accident

Pennsylvania and federal authorities are investigating an accident at a Greene County coal mine that sent one worker to the hospital. A 35-year-old contractor was injured on the job when an empty rock dust platform fell off its supply car and landed on him, crushing him below the waist. The...

Injured Pennsylvania worker’s lawsuit moves through courts

A Pennsylvania man’s lawsuit for compensation for workplace injuries is headed back to state court after a recent ruling by a federal judge. The injured man’s lawyers had sought the return of his lawsuit to the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court because complete diversity was not present. While granting the victim’s...

Lawsuit gaining momentum following building collapse

A lawsuit filed against a Philadelphia contractor involved in a recent building collapse has been picking up steam as the rescue operation slows down. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Salvation Army worker who was buried under rubble when a building wall being torn down next door collapsed...

On-the-job deaths exceed 50,000 per year

The AFL-CIO released a report at the beginning of May that indicated about 13 people died on the job each day in 2011. In addition, work-related illnesses claimed the lives about 137 individuals per day during the same year. The number of fatalities on the job initially declined after the...

Fracking jobs may increase lung cancer risk

People in Pennsylvania have been hearing about the environmental dangers of fracking for some time, but few realize that the danger for workers is not limited to eco-damage. A dangerous type of workplace injury in fracking operations is the penetration of lung tissue by fine sand particles called silica. This...

Fracking industry brings silicone exposure to the forefront

One workplace safety expert recently observed fracking in person and saw huge amounts of silica dust swirling in the air around workers. The silica is a result of workers drilling into the rock with a combination of water, chemicals and sand to extract oil and gas. Sand and silica have...

OSHA sets rules to inspire safer workplace for railroad workers

The tune of “I’ve been working on the railroad” makes working for a railway sound like a joyful, carefree time. Just like any job, however, the industry comes with its particular workplace safety threats. Just like any industry, its workers have the right to report job-related injuries and unsafe work...

Speedy movements can make the medical workplace dangerous

A heightened sense of urgency coupled with an innate desire to treat needy patients puts medical facility staff in constant physical jeopardy. Healthcare venues typically possess extremely hard floors constructed with materials designed to decrease any allowance for infectious diseases to take hold. Yet, these very same surfaces cause many...

Better workplace injury protection proposed for flight attendants

In a draft agreement, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration have agreed to expand the workplace protections for flight attendants. Under current law, the FAA has jurisdiction to enforce workplace health and safety protections for flight attendants, but airline unions have been fighting to change...

Returning to work after injury or illness: Be prepared

When you have taken a leave of absence from your job due to illness or injury, the prospect of returning to work can be both excited and frustrating. Chances are that you are still recovering from whatever workplace accident, illness or other circumstance led you to take a leave of...

Dangerous U.S. jobs of 2011 might surprise you

Every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a report on illness and injuries in workplaces across the country. The information is interesting, but is also important because it helps industry and safety officials determining which workplaces could possibly use more safety regulations. The data from 2011 reveals a list...

Is your work giving you a repetitive motion disorder?

You may have never heard the term “repetitive motion disorder” before, but it is very possible that you have felt its effects. Repetitive motion disorders (RMDs) are found most commonly in people who work doing repetitive tasks or motions. These may include assembly line workers, musicians, and people who spend long...

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...

Pennsylvania Workers Overexposed to Lead and Silver Metal

Earlier this month the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a release detailing citations against Heraeus Materials Technology LLC for exposing workers to dangerous levels of silver and lead. The company’s West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania facility was cited for five violations, and proposed penalties total over $45,000. Heraus Materials Technology...

National Safety Month Highlights Working Ergonomically

June is National Safety Month, and during the week of June 10th through the 16th the National Safety Council is focusing on the issue of working ergonomically. Ergonomics involves making sure a person’s work environment and equipment appropriately fits their body. It is important both to create a comfortable work...

Workplace Injury Rates Decline After OSHA Inspections

Some may wonder whether the inspections conducted by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) actually have a lasting impact on workplace safety. A recent study dealing with Pennsylvania manufactures seems to indicate that they do. The study by the Rand Corporation found that those inspections among manufacturers, which took...

Workers’ Memorial Day Activities in Pennsylvania

This Saturday marks Workers’ Memorial Day, honoring workers killed or injured on the job. A variety of events will be taking place in Pennsylvania and across the nation, including wreath presentations, candlelight vigils and programs recognizing those men and women killed while working during the past year. Workers’ Memorial Day...

Warehouse Workers Voice Concerns About Workplace Safety

When you order something from Amazon you probably don’t think about all the people involved in getting the merchandise to your front door. Over 15,000 Amazon employees work in warehouses called “fulfillment centers.” In several of these fulfillment centers employees have raised safety concerns about the working conditions, and questioned...

Pennsylvania warehouse workers suffer injuries at Amazon warehouse

For a number of workers in Pennsylvania, their working environment left them with symptoms that included light-headedness, cramped legs, and dehydration. These workers were employed at the Amazon warehouse in Lehigh Valley. Workers who are injured on the job often find themselves with increasing financial challenges. In some instances, whether...

OSHA raises concerns regarding work-related heat illnesses

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration has released new education and emergency response initiatives for workers who perform jobs outdoors in high temperatures for extended periods of time. Coming out just ahead of the hottest time of year, the government outreach effort is geared toward at-risk workers and their employers...

Pennsylvania gas company worker struck in face

When a worker suffers a work-related injury, a number of challenges can arise. Physically, a worker may be unable to perform job functions while recovering from the injury. In those situations, finances can become tight as the cost of medications and treatments grow. Workers who are hurt in a work...

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...