Temperatures still high in California; outdoor workers at risk

Oct 01 2015

Although fall is almost here, California is still experiencing high temperatures much of the time. While this hot weather seemingly exacerbates the effects of the forest fires and drought plaguing parts of the state, the temperatures also pose a threat to workers who primarily work outdoors. In mid September, the National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings and heat advisories. In response, the state branch of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) reminded employers to protect their workers by following protocols for heat regulation. The agency said it also plans to focus on inspections of outdoor worksites to ensure…

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Was employer negligence a factor in fatal construction accident?

Sep 18 2015

Workplaces have certainly become less hazardous over the years. Most office workers, for instance, don’t need to worry much about workplace safety. That being said, there are plenty of other types of work that will always be dangerous, including and especially construction work. At a construction site, a clear hierarchy exists, and those at the top are tasked with ensuring safety compliance. Job foremen and general contractors must ensure that workers are wearing/using required safety equipment and following protocols. Even if some workers are not making personal safety a priority, construction accidents can still be prevented if those in charge…

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Fighting skepticism after filing a workers’ compensation claim

Sep 16 2015

Even when things go smoothly, workers’ compensation claims can be frustrating. You need to report a specific accident or cumulative injury to the appropriate person at your job, then wade through mounds of paperwork and answer endless questions. After that, you may still be waiting for your claim to be processed. Unfortunately, the workers’ compensation claims process does not always go smoothly, which means the headaches and frustrations are even worse. Why is it often so difficult to get compensation for a work-related injury? In many cases, insurance companies are responsible. Insurance companies are most profitable when they can deny…

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Industrial robots may soon work safely alongside human workers

Sep 03 2015

The use of robots in manufacturing and other industrial jobs has been controversial. On one hand, many factory workers have lost their jobs because robots can do the same work more quickly, more accurately and for less money. On the other hand, robots can do work that may be too dangerous for humans or too taxing on the body. They also tend to lower costs of manufactured products for consumers. Like it or not, robots are here to stay. But as manufacturing becomes more sophisticated, companies are realizing that they cannot completely remove humans from the process. There are just…

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Addressing a leading cause of nursing injuries: Lifting patients

Aug 31 2015

Most of the women and men who go into nursing have some idea of the on-the-job hazards they will face. Obviously, there are concerns about communicable diseases, bodily fluids and sharp objects. But nurses are often unprepared for one of the most common types of injuries associated with their profession: Injuries sustained while lifting patients. Patients in the hospital may need to be transferred in and out of beds and wheelchairs. Some even need to be turned regularly to prevent bedsores. Up until now, most nurses have been trained to engage in “manual transfers,” where they rely on their own…

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A kinder SSDI application process for seriously ill claimants

Aug 20 2015

The Compassionate Allowance program fast tracks Social Security Disability Insurance applications for the sickest claimants. It is well known that it can take the Social Security Administration months or even years to correctly process a Social Security Disability Insurance application to the point of actually finding that a claimant meets the definition of disability and awarding benefits. In response to criticism, the SSA created the Compassionate Allowances program as one of its initiatives to more quickly get financial relief to people whose disabilities are not going to be hard to prove. SSDI is the federal disability insurance program of the…

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Reasons for workers’ compensation denial

Aug 18 2015

Every day, Denver workers take risks in the course of their jobs. Construction workers, police officers, oil workers, firefighters and employees in manufacturing, health care and other businesses and industries risk their health in order to provide us with needed services and products. Some worker injuries are inevitable, whether they take place in a high-risk road construction zone or a quiet office. Payscale.com recently noted some steps you can take to reduce the risk of experiencing a workers’ compensation denial. One of the simplest things you can do to protect yourself after a workplace injury is to promptly notify your…

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Disabled workers paid for SSDI benefits for decades

Aug 13 2015

Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were alive, Hillary Clinton was in the White House and dinosaurs ruled the world. The year was 1993. Statistics show that the average American worker who today begins receiving Social Security Disability has spent 22 years on the job, paying for those benefits with each check. Twenty-two years ago, “Jurassic Park” was the top movie, Whitney Houston songs dominated the charts and Bill Clinton was in the first year of his presidency. If you’re a Denver worker who today begins receiving SSDI, perhaps the first thing you will notice is how modest those benefits are….

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Request for safety harness rejected, worker falls and is injured

Aug 06 2015

Cotton Holdings is a global disaster solutions company, it says on its website. It also offers a variety of other services, including logistics, culinary services, roofing and construction. The company has locations all over the nation, including three in the Denver area. However, it was recently issued a fine by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an investigation determined that a temporary worker was denied a safety harness after asking for one. The man later fell without a harness a dozen feet through a roof and had to be hospitalized with broken arms and severe bruising. The construction accident…

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Painting a better picture for injured Denver workers

Jul 29 2015

Earlier this year, a commercial painter working for an Aurora company found that he was made sick by the noxious fumes from the paints he used. He was experiencing dizziness, shortness of breath and sore throats, so he asked his supervisor for a respirator mask. According to the Colorado Independent, she not only refused to give him a mask to protect him from the fumes, she fired him for complaining. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to provide at no cost safety equipment to employees. The goal is to prevent injury and illness to workers requiring medical treatments,…

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