Workplace fatalities are on the rise, but new safety research is outlining the ways that a deep dive into could-happens, near misses and smaller, less serious incidents could help prevent on-the-job deaths. Referring to a pyramid to illustrate workplace incidents, with the relatively small number of fatalities at the top and droves of noninjury accidents at the bottom, a researcher…
Private industry employers reported nearly 45,800 fewer nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2017 compared with a year earlier, according to estimates from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday. There were approximately 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2017, which occurred at…
Medical Services and How They Contribute to the Cost of WC Claims Not all workers compensation claims are equal when it comes to medical treatment. You don’t usually see the same doctor for a broken toe as you would for a head trauma. In fact, the more serious the injury, the more likely you are to receive a complicated mix…
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has confirmed the steady decline in accidents and injuries on the job. They have declined for 14 years. This data mirrors the steady decline of workers’ compensation claims and the change of the US workplace from a manufacturing to service. The question remains whether this trend will continue going forward given the elimination of…
A Kane County couple alleges they suffered respiratory injuries as a result of exposure to two chemical food additives. Lazaro Sanchez Jr. and Patricia Bustamante filed a complaint on Oct. 22 in Cook County Circuit Court against DSM Food Specialties USA Inc., Fona International Inc., O’Laughlin Industries Inc. and others alleging strict liability and other counts. According to the complaint,…
The Indiana Supreme Court has upheld the grant of summary judgment to a tool manufacturer sued after a man lost his eye while using one of the manufacturer’s products, finding the man’s misuse of the tool in question was the cause of his injuries and was a complete defense to his product liability claim. The justices unanimously restored the grant…
The Indiana Department of Insurance says lower workers’ compensation rates paid by businesses will take effect Jan. 1. The agency said Wednesday the recently approved reduction averages 7.6 percent and will save businesses about $63 million. The agency says Indiana workers’ compensation rates have been on a downward trend for several years because of fewer worker injuries. It says growing…
Women in the workplace encounter particular safety risks that need to be addressed, including workplace violence and ill-fitting personal protective equipment, according to safety experts. For example, women in industries such as health care and retail are significantly impacted by workplace violence, according to safety experts participating at the American Society of Safety Professionals’ Women’s Workplace Safety Summit in Rosemont,…
The daughter of a laborer who died from lung cancer is suing several companies, alleging asbestos exposure. Shelly Middleton, as special administrator of the estate of Francis Middleton, filed a complaint on Oct. 3 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Armstrong Pump Company, Cleaver-Brooks, Zurn Industries LLC and other defendants. According to the complaint, Francis Middleton was exposed to…
Two workers allege they were injured from an explosion that occurred while they were working at a sewage treatment plant in Chicago. William T. Kissane and William L. Ruiz filed a complaint on Sept. 18 in Cook County Circuit Court against the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and Independent Mechanical Industries Inc., alleging construction negligence and premises liability….
