Articles Posted in Boston Work Accidents

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We often hear in the news this time of year about people are injured as result of using amateur fireworks.  Even though fireworks are illegal in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, many people will drive to other states and buy them for use on various holidays including the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve.  While some neighboring states like Pennsylvania will sell consumer fireworks that can spark on the ground, some southern states such as South Carolina will sell mortars similar to the ones used by professional fireworks presenters, though typically much smaller in size.

welding-1387182-mFor many reasons, including the risk of causing personal injury, starting a fire, or being arrested, it is best to leave fireworks to the professionals. However, being a professional pryotechnician or apprentice can be a very dangerous job and one that often results in on-the-job injuries such as the one discussed in a recent news feature from WGN.  As discussed in that article, a professional fireworks demonstration was canceled when a fireworks installer was injured while helping to set up for the show. Continue reading

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According to a recent news feature from News 7 Boston, a worker was injured on the Medford-Everett line when a crane flipped over completely.  Authorities say the project was located at the border between the two Boston area suburbs at a bridge along the Revere Beach Parkway just north of the city.

mSeL02uIt was the end of the workday when workers were putting away their equipment before heading home for the night.  The crane with that they were working was not properly balanced and contained around 200 gallons of diesel fuel, which shifted, causing the crane to flip completely over.  The operator of the crane was still inside the control cabin when it flipped over, and he was trapped in the cab.  He had also broken his arm during the fall.  Continue reading

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Workers’ compensation in Massachusetts is generally what we consider a “no-fault” system. That means that if you are injured on-the-job in Boston, workers’ compensation benefits can still be paid to you no matter how the accident occurred or who was at-fault. But there are a few exceptions to this, and one of the biggest is when the employer has reason to believe the accident was caused by the injured worker’s use of alcohol and/or drugs.drinkinggirl

For this reason, companies started to make it standard practice to test workers for drugs and alcohol after an accident. But this has been met with mixed response from the courts. For example, the Ohio Supreme court struck down a part of state workers’ compensation law that allowed employers to automatically test workers for drugs and alcohol after a work injury, finding it a violation of workers’ Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches. Another case in West Virginia resulted in the same finding after a worker who injured his back was ordered to under drug and alcohol screening five days after the work accident.

Now, the issue has been raised again in the wake of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)s newest rules to prompt better reporting of all workplace injuries. Now, effective August 10, 2016, employers across the country are required to have a “reasonable procedure” for workers to report work-related injuries and illnesses both promptly and accurately. The rule forbids this procedure from discouraging or deterring an employee from accurately reporting a work-related injury or illness. Additionally, the rule specifically bars retaliation for a worker who reports workplace injuries or illnesses. Per this new standard, companies that require or request post-accident alcohol and/ or drug testing are going to face down additional scrutiny from OSHA under the new Final Rule to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses because such post-incident testing may deter reporting of the injury.  Continue reading

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According to a recent news report from WADT, a construction worker was installing insulation on a large building that was undergoing a complete renovation project when he fell two stories.  It seems the support beams under the floor on which he was standing collapsed.

constructionsite2A spokesperson from the local fire department said he fell the entire 20 feet when the floor under him gave way and he fell to the ground landing on the rubble below him.  He was seriously injured in the construction site fall.  Continue reading

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According to a recent news feature from The Boston Globe, a worker was just injured when he was badly burned in the Myles Standish State Forest in the Plymouth, Massachusetts area.  The worker, who is 51 years old, was in a bucket truck when the accident occurred.

mmftBzMThe United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is conducting a formal and full investigation into the cause of this accident and to see if it could be prevented in the future.  What they have released so far is that the worker was in the bucket truck around nine in the morning when he came in close proximity to live electrical wires.  Continue reading

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According to a recent news report from Safe to Work, a second accident involving a piece of equipment known as integrated tool carrier, or IT carrier, has occurred within a relatively short period of time.  This incident occurred in March.  There two workers in the basket were working on excavation and removal of two large pipes running under the city sidewalk.

construction-krane-1429442-mThe lift was raised nearly as high as it could, and it would provide the workers access to the pipe labeled for removal.  However, after reaching its maximum height, the person in control decided to just tilt the basket upwards and diagonal to get the workers even closer to the pipe being removed.  Continue reading

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A recent news commentary from Fair Warning looks at how some workplace accidents could result in criminal charges and consequences.  As the article notes, when we typically think of crimes taking place in the workplace, we think of an employee being assaulted, a robbery at a gas station or even a bank, an employee accused of stealing something, and things along those lines.

workHowever, some workplace accidents can also be a crime. This is an instance when an employer knowingly disregards workplace safety regulations, and it results in a serious injury or death.  Under some circumstances when this happens, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will investigate the situation and can levy fines.  In some more serious cases, the local police or an attorney general may decide to pursue criminal charges.  While it not an everyday occurrence, it certainly does happen from time to time. Continue reading

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According to a recent news feature from the New Haven Register, a construction worker was severely injured while on the job when he was involved in a scaffolding accident.  Witnesses say the 47-year-old worker was working on a scaffold that was more than six stories up the side of a hospital building in Hartford when the workplace accident occurred.

scaffold-1-1543984While he was up on the scaffolding, there was a total structural collapse, and everything came crashing down, including the construction worker.  He fell more than 60 feet to the ground along with parts of the scaffolding on which he was previously standing.    One witness said he heard the scaffolding come crashing down, and it sounded like metal waste being thrown in a construction dumpster.  He said he had no idea there was anyone on the metal scaffolding at the time of the on the job accident.  The victim was severely injured in the accident was not conscious when first responders arrived at the scene and attempted to provide immediate medical attention. Continue reading

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Harsh working conditions in slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants are not a new phenomenon in the meatpacking plants of Chicago and other cities across the United States. The problem was first brought to public attention when journalist Upton Sinclair published his now famous novel, The Jungle, highlighting the plight of immigrants and other workers

mmftBzMAs a result of this novel and many subsequent changes in worker’s rights laws, most workplaces have been a lot safer, and this includes slaughterhouses.  However, according to a recent news article from NPR, the latest government report is not capturing the total number of accidents in the meat and poultry industry.  Continue reading

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According to recent news feature from 7 News Boston, a construction worker was on the job in Easton, Massachusetts performing work in a manhole when he was struck by a car and severely injured.

workerexcavatorAuthorities say the tragic workplace accident occurred around 10:30 a.m. on a roadway in a local condominium complex.  The 45-year-old construction worker was performing repairs and maintenance on the septic system that was only accessible via a manhole cover in the complex’s parking lot. Continue reading

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