Asbestos exposure is a serious health hazard to workers. Research has shown that prolonged exposure without appropriate safeguards in place can lead to lung cancer and other diseases.

The Danvers-based company received one willful citation with a $55,000 proposed fine for not establishing a regulated work area. OSHA also issued the company 17 serious citations totaling $80,000 in fines for the other safety issues and one other-than-serious citation with a $1,000 fine for not providing injury and illness logs in a timely fashion. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or contest the findings.

Source: New England Contractor Fined for Asbestos Hazards, Respiratory Deficiencies, OHSOnline.com, March 3, 2010

Rescue teams rushed to the scene of the workplace accident and pulled the worker out of the shaft. He was apparently conscious while rescuers transported him to a local hospital for medical treatment. It was unclear whether the man was wearing a hard hat at the time of the fall or why the metal grate was left open.

The construction accident remains under investigation by local authorities and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Source: Construction worker injured at San Antonio College after falling into 20-foot hole, JusticeNewsFlash.com, March 1, 2010

Local fire officials reported that the workers were digging a hole for a septic tank when the trench collapsed. Due to unstable soil, rescue crews were not able to immediately rescue the men, ages 32 and 44. Crews finally recovered their bodies by 10:30pm that night.

The cause of the trench collapse is not known, but the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration will be investigating this fatal accident, and the state medical examiner's office will perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Source: Two Oklahoma construction workers buried alive, JusticeNewsFlash, February 23, 2010

OSHA is investigating the accident site along with Massachusetts state police and the US Chemical and Safety Board. According to federal law, OSHA has up to six months complete an investigation and determine whether any safety regulations were violated.

According to Middletown's chief building inspect, it appeared that the workers had performed a purge of gas lines by sending nitrogen through the line, followed by natural gas to clear out any moisture, which is "an accepted and approved method."

Source: OSHA investigating Middletown gas plant explosion site, The Register Citizen, February 17, 2010

One of the workers sustained non-life-threatening injuries to his back and knee. He was reportedly taken to Falmouth Hospital. The other suffered a serious but non-life-threatening head injury and was flown to a hospital in Boston.

The names of the injured workers have not been released and officials from OSHA plan to investigate the scene of the accident to determine if any there were any health or safety violations.

Source: Camp Edwards ceiling collapse injures two, Cape Cod Times, February 18, 2010

Overall, patients tend to experience better results from surgery up to two years after treatment, but those receiving workers' compensation received "no added benefit" from surgery. Those patients who underwent surgery had pain and physical function that was similar to those who'd had nonsurgical treatments. The percentage of patients returning to work or placed on disability was similar across the board, regardless of surgery or nonsurgical treatment and regardless of workers' compensation status.

Sciatica related to herniated disks is a common reason for workers' comp claims and it can be disabling.

Source: Workers' Compensation Patients Benefit Less from Back Surgery, ClaimsJournal.com, February 3, 2010

The mayor of Middletown said they were not able to determine exactly how many workers were onsite at the time of the explosion, because many of them were subcontractors. Because the construction accident occurred on a weekend, there were believed to be about 60 workers at that time.

The names of those dead were not released, because authorities still need to notify the families. This construction site explosion happened less than a week after federal regulators called for stricter safety measures during the installation and maintenance of gas pipes.

Source: At least 5 dead in power plant explosion, NewsTimes.com, February 7, 2010

The first inspection took place on August 21, 2009, when OSHA observed workers exposed to 26-foot falls from a makeshift work platform. Inspectors visited the work site again on September 9, 2009 and watched as workers were subjected to similar hazards. According to OSHA's area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts, the workers could have needlessly died or been seriously injured as a result of these safety violations.

The proposed fines total $54,250.

Source: Makeshift Scaffold, Other Dangers Add up to $54K Fine for Contractor, OHSOnline.com, January 26, 2010

According to authorities from OSHA, the ladder jack scaffold bore too much weight and was beyond capacity. The workers also lacked protective head and eye gear, as well as training on scaffolding and fall protection. In addition, misused, damaged or inadequate extension ladders had created fall hazards.

OSHA cites employers when their unsafe work environment creates a high risk of death or injury due to lack of training or safety precautions. The company has fifteen business days from receipt of the citations to comply, contest the findings, or take part in an informal conference with OSHA's area director.

Source: OSHA fines Legacy Builders 15 violations after Boston construction accident, NewYorkInjuryNews.com, February 2, 2010

The data is used by OSHA to calculate illness and injury incidence rates. These rates inform OSHA's strategic plan and allow the agency to focus its Site Specific Targeting (SST) Program. According to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, making this information public is part of the presidential administration's commitment to transparency.

Users can go to Data.gov or OSHA.gov to view an establishment's name, address, associated Total Case Rate (TCR), Days Away from Work (DAFWII) case rate, and other information. However, the database does not include rates calculated by OSHA for companies submitted unreliable or questionable dadta.

Source: OSHA releases workplace injury and illness data, ReliablePlant.com, January, 2010

During inspections, OSHA discovered workers at both locations who were exposed to cave-in hazards while working in trenches more than 6 feet deep. In Quincy, the workers were also exposed to struck-by hazards from material stored at a trench’s edge, and the trench was missing a safe means of exit. In addition, access ladders were damaged or misused, and OSHA found an incomplete injuries and illnesses log.

The contractor has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, contest the findings, or participate in an informal conference with OSHA’s area director.

Source: Contractor Cited for Treacherous Trenching, OHSonline.com, January 29, 2010

Source: Four injured at Lowell construction accident site, NewYorkInjuryNews.com, January 27, 2010

His widow took her case to the state retirement board, which ruled that her husband's death was "accidental," meaning she would get 72% of his pension. Had he been killed in the line of duty, she would have gotten 100% of his pension, plus a one-time payment of almost $100,000. While the ruling does create a connection between the officer's on-the-job injuries and his eventual suicide, his widow wants her husband's death to be ruled "line of duty." She would also like his name to be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

Suicide among police officers is a major issue that results in more deaths than homicides or accidents at work.

Source: The police suicide problem, Boston Sunday Globe Magazine, January 24, 2010

He was treated at St. Elizabeth Central Hospital, according to a university spokesperson who would not release the worker's name. The spokesperson did say the injured worker was pulling metal decking from "penthouse level" when he stepped through a hole and fell roughly 10 feet from the fourth floor to the third floor. It took an aerial truck and about 15 minutes to remove the worker.

A safety manager was reportedly on-site to examine the scene of the accident.

Source: Worker injured at Mackey work site, JCOnline.com, January 20, 2010