Articles Posted in Work Injuries

Whether you love work or dread the average workday, you always hope you’ll return home safe and sound. Sadly, this is not the case for far too many workers. The recently released National Census of 2017 Fatal Occupational Injuries sheds light on daily dangers in a variety of professions. The following are among the most deadly:

1. Commercial Fishing

Deadliest Catch might be more than a mere reality show; turns out, commercial fishing is as dangerous as it appears on television. In 2017, it topped the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ list of dangerous professions. Common dangers in commercial fishing include hydraulic machinery, coil lines, and slippery decks that can prompt devastating falls.

Complacency in a hazardous work environment can cause injuries and death when workers let down their guard or do not follow the rules. Working around the loading dock is one of the most dangerous workplaces in America.

Warehouse employees, dockworkers, and truck drivers are at significant risk of suffering debilitating injuries or wrongful death from shifting loads, pallet cargo tip-overs, falling, being crushed, exposure to loud noises and hazardous materials, and improper lifting practices.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration) regulates all loading and unloading activity occurring at plants, stores, shipyards, warehouse and other locations. The federal agency warns workers to remain cautious when preparing the trailer and dock for loading and unloading and how to properly use forklifts and equipment to load or remove cargo in the docking area.

Florida investigators are reviewing a case involving the collapse of a communication tower in Miami Gardens that claimed the lives of three workers on September 27, 2017. The dead include 31-year-old Sidney, Ohio resident Marcus Goffena, 23-year-old Longwood, Florida resident Brachton Barber, and 35-year-old Tampa, Florida resident Benito Rodriguez. All three men were installing a new television antenna on top of the communication tower for WSVN Channel 7, a Miami Fox affiliate station.

Witnesses who saw the collapse and subsequent flying debris stated that it “sounded like an explosion” as the crane fell to the ground while carrying the workers. A neighbor in the community, Eric Garner, said that he called emergency medical services and stated to WFOR-TV that “You know, that’s all about I can do, and I just prayed for the guys, you know what I mean, the families.” Garner also stated that “It sounded like the winds from the hurricane. When I heard the boom, I saw the debris fly up in the air, and I immediately called 911.”

Local law enforcement pronounced all three men dead at the scene located at 501 N.W. 207th St., Miami Gardens, Florida. The crew was working for Tower King II at the time of the collision replacing equipment on the television tower that has been sending transmission signals since its original installation in 2009. One worker, Brachton Barber, was the son of the Power King II President Kevin Barber of Cedar Hill Texas.

Farmers represent a small portion of our population, but feed the entire country and most of the world. Despite advances in agricultural technology, however, farming remains one of the most dangerous occupations. To exacerbate matters, the injury of a farmer often hurts his or her entire family, as entire families often work together and feel the pain when one of their loved ones is unable to contribute and must be cared for by the others. It is for this reason that they must be extremely mindful of safety and constantly devising safer ways of accomplishing their goals.

Over Two Million Workers are employed on Farms Each Year

According to NIOSH, over 1.8 million people are employed full-time in the agricultural field every year, with over 200,000 part time workers. Many of these workers are under the age of 20 and working for their families’ farms. Of these workers, there are a recorded 374 deaths per year on average due to agricultural related injuries, with the most common cause of death being tractor overturns.

A jury in Madison county ruled against the Union Pacific Railroad, awarding a former worker $7.5 million in damages for injuries linked to long term exposure to creosote and other toxic materials during his 31-year career as a railroad worker. The plaintiff, Mr. Brown was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and alleged that the diagnosis was due to the failure of his employer to provide protective equipment despite knowing of the dangers linked with the substances workers were exposed to on a regular basis. The creosote injury attorneys of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC view this ruling as a victory for the many victims of creosote exposure currently filing claims and yet to come forward.

Exposure to Toxic Chemicals Responsible for Multiple Medical Conditions

Mr. Brown worked for the Chicago & North Western Railway for 18 years before it was taken over by the Union Pacific. During his time at CNW, he alleges that he was exposed to toxic chemicals on such a routine basis that his clothing often became soaked with substances such as creosote, lead and degreasing solvents. Evidence exists that suggests the railroad industry was aware of the health risks associated with these substances for decades but failed to warn employees or provide equipment that would prevent contamination.

It is always been clear that some occupations are more dangerous than others. However, the increasing number of injuries and death occurring on the job have highlighted the need for improving safety procedures in many careers.

Identifying the Most Dangerous Jobs

Dangerous and hazardous occupations are defined by two major factors: fatality frequency and fatality rates. In the first, fatality frequency is recognized as the number of job-related deaths in a given occupation involving a specific group of workers. Alternatively, fatality rates take into account the different numbers of fatalities occurring in various career fields.

Erie v. Tompkins, 304 U.S. 64; 367 (1938)

• 1938
• Category: Personal injury; civil procedure

Davis V. Virginian Railway Company 361 U.S. 354; 53

• 1960
• Category: Railroad injuries; FELA

Chandris, Inc. v. Latsis 515 U.S. 347

• 1995
• Category: Seaman injuries; Jones Act

When you consider just how important our vision is to our independence and ability to perform our designated duties at work, you can understand the need to protect that sight from all of the hazards which threaten it. About 2,000 injuries to the eyes are reported to OSHA every day in the United States and many of these injuries occur either because the worker was not wearing eye protection or the protection worn was not appropriate for the hazards present on the job. Wearing safety goggles can greatly reduce your risk of injury and protect your vision if you the eye protection you are provided is designed to protect you from the hazards you are most likely to encounter.

Work Hazards and Causes of Eye Injuries

Different forms of hazards may be present at each work site, depending on the type of industry and material used to complete assigned tasks. While the lack of eye protection is cited in many accidents, the improper eyewear is also a major contributing factor to numerous eye injuries. When workers wear the wrong eye protection, they could have a false sense of confidence and injure themselves as a result. Following are some of the most common hazards to the eyes found at various workplaces.