As the legal cannabis industry continues to grow, so have concerns about workplace safety and health. Tragically, a work-related asthma death in the cannabis industry has brought attention to the potential respiratory hazards that workers may face. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Occupational Safety…
Although construction and other labor-intensive jobs have an especially high incidence of work-related accidents, injuries occur in every type of job. In Massachusetts, employees across all industries, from healthcare and education to manufacturing and technology, are typically protected by workers’ compensation insurance. Coverage is Almost Universal Workers’ compensation is a…
While anyone can get hurt on the job, certain professions are significantly more hazardous than others. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a total of 5,190 fatal work injuries occurred across industries and regions in the United States in 2021. The following jobs represent the 10 civilian occupations…
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspects tens of thousands of worksites a year. While typically under half of those inspections (44% in 2022) are programmed to target hazardous industries and operations, the rest result from specific events like employee complaints, injuries, fatalities, and referrals. Any safety violations encountered…
Falls are a leading cause of workplace fatalities and serious injuries across industries in the US. In 2021, 850 workers died from accidents involving slips, trips, and falls, with 680 dying specifically from falls to lower elevations. In addition to being one of the most significant causes of workplace deaths,…
Designed to promote employee health and safety, OSHA standards aim to reduce injuries from foreseeable hazards in the workplace. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations govern over 130 million workers at 8 million worksites across the United States. While covered employers should always follow OSHA standards, inspections happen only…
The Injury Machine? Workplace Accidents at Amazon Warehouses Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world and the second-largest employer in the country. Unfortunately, it also leads the field in a less favorable category: warehouse injuries. Amazon workers suffer serious injuries at over twice the rate of other warehouse…
Hearing loss can be detrimental to a person’s quality of life. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), around 30 million people are exposed to chemicals dangerous to their ears at work and another 22 million are exposed to dangerous levels of noise. When workers are exposed over…
Two common cleaning solutions – both safe when used individually – created a toxic cloud of fumes when unknowingly combined by an employee, which claimed the life of the general manager of the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Burlington, Massachusetts and injured about a dozen others. In cases such as…
On October 12, a portion of a new Hard Rock Hotel under construction in New Orleans collapsed, killing three construction workers and injuring dozens more, and wreaking chaos in the city that has left family members of the victims searching for answers. Multiple investigations are under way to determine who…