Here in Pennsylvania we have had some of the heaviest rains in recent memory. Flooding and damage due to these rains have been widespread across the state and it seems to be getting worse and worse as the late summer progresses. Most people do not consider heavy rains to…
Falls from an elevated position continue to the leading cause of death for construction employees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 37% (370 out of 991) of construction fatalities recorded in 2016 were caused by a fall. The overarching goal of the National Safety Stand-Down campaign is to…
National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is a campaign held every year in the spring at the beginning of construction season to bring national attention to motorist and worker safety issues and encourage safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in…
Federal investigators have charged a Williamsport bridge contractor in a trench collapse in 2015 that led to the death of one of its employees. The employee was killed when he was crushed by dirt at a jobsite near Millville in Columbia County, PA. Susquehanna Supply Company was charged Tuesday with violating an…
Eye injuries are very common in the workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports that every day about 2,000 U.S. workers suffer work-related eye injuries that require some form of medical treatment. However, eye specialists and safety experts believe the proper eye protection can decrease the severity…
Forklifts are widely used in many industries. Warehouses, distribution centers, production facilities, and construction sites use forklifts to complete numerous tasks primarily moving heavy and large products. Since they are used so often (OSHA estimates there are 1.5 million lift operators in the United States) and are often used to…
Lifting and carrying heavy objects is one of the leading causes of injury in the workplace. It affects workers in almost every industry, not only the “blue collar” ones. Lifting injuries can affect all areas of your body especially your back, neck, shoulders, and hands. There are 2 types of…
The percentage of older workers continues to rise as more and more Americans work past the traditional retirement age of 65. This also means that older workers are experiencing more and more serious workplace injuries. Many would argue that workers should just simply retire when they reach 65 to avoid…
An independent medical examination (IME) is a medical evaluation performed on an injured worker by a doctor at the request of the employer/insurance company. It is done to show that a work-related injury no longer exists, that it has decreased in severity, or that the injury isn’t actually work-related. It…
A backover incident occurs when a vehicle is backing up and hits a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling behind the vehicle. Backover fatalities and injuries are most prevalent in the construction industry. While many people only think of construction workers being struck by passing motorists, road workers are…