Metallic mercury can pose a health and safety risk to many workers. While it remains a liquid at room temperature, it can turn into a toxic vapor or mingle with dust, causing problems once it is inhaled. The California Department of Public Health points out that it’s also harmful for the skin to come into contact with this metal. Mercury exposure, when it’s chronic but at a low level every time, will damage the nervous system so that victims may experience tremors or weakness in the limbs. Victims may also develop anxiety or start to…Read More
Most workers who get hurt on the job will have minimal need for workers’ compensation. In a lot of cases, the benefits someone can secure through California workers’ compensation after a workplace injury may only need to cover basic medical care immediately after the incident and possibly the loss of wages for a few days or a couple of weeks. In rare, more severe, cases, an individual who gets hurt on the job might wind up with a permanent disability. In fact, even injuries that people sometimes think of as minor or at least easy…Read More
Between 1992 and 2017, the number of U.S. workers 55 and older has more than doubled. Yet in that same time period, the number of fatal occupational injuries among these workers rose 56%. California residents should know that this was in spite of a 17% decline in overall fatal occupational injuries. This was only the first of the many findings that the Bureau of Labor Statistics released in January 2020 in the Monthly Labor Review. The BLS found that workers 65 and older were especially dying on the job more frequently. The fatality rates were…Read More
California employees who frequently work around machinery probably know something about pinch points. These are any points where workers or one of their extremities are liable to get caught. They include areas between two moving parts, between a moving and a stationary part of the machine and between a part of the machine and some material. Metal workers may encounter pinch points in power presses and other metal-forming machines. Construction and warehouse workers run a high risk for injury as well. Pinch points can be found in conveyors, printing presses, assembling machines, powered rollers and…Read More
In California, incidents resulting in an injury to highway construction workers are on the rise. Whether it is simply due to more roadwork being performed on crumbling infrastructure or the fact that drivers are not paying the proper amount of attention, those who perform their jobs in work zones are risking their health when they go to work each day. Employers must take steps to protect their employees when they are on the job. In a highway setting, this means having more barriers to keep employees safe. It also means selecting the right type of…Read More
Construction workers in California probably know how dangerous it is to be in a work zone. Despite various efforts to reduce violations, the number of work zone fatalities nationwide has remained steady over the years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, for instance, analyzed the number of such fatalities between 2003 and 2018 and said that an average of 123 workers died each year. While 2013 saw a low of 105 deaths, the number shot up to 143 in 2016 before coming down to 124 in 2018. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which recorded all work zone…Read More
Undocumented workers or those without proper paperwork for securing paying jobs in the United States contribute substantially to the economy in California. Some people without documentation work in factories, while others work on farms, in retail businesses or at restaurants. Regardless of what field you work in, you need to know your rights or risk an employer intentionally violating them, especially if you get hurt on the job. Employers may attempt to take advantage of workers without documentation, especially in situations where those workers aren’t familiar with their own rights or aren’t willing to stand up for…Read More
Certain work-related illnesses and injuries are to be recorded on a log known as OSHA’s Form 300. OSHA has set up criteria that employers in California, as elsewhere, must evaluate each injury and illness in the light of so that they will know what to record and what not to. Unfortunately, there is some confusion in this regard; even those who know the criteria can find them to be full of gray areas. XpertHR, a provider of human resources tools, has come out with a guide to help employers with compliance with OSHA’s record-keeping guidelines.…Read More
The mining industry faces a high risk for fires every day, so mine owners in California need to make sure they are doing all they can to keep workers safe. It starts with proper ventilation and atmospheric monitoring, and fortunately, new technology can help in the efforts. For example, ventilation on demand, rather than sending clean air to unoccupied areas of the mine, will ventilate those places where sensors detect machinery and people to be present. Heavy machinery inevitably produces dust and potentially toxic fumes, so this is essential. When it comes to monitoring, employers could…Read More
Medical bills and missing work are ingredients for disaster, so you want all the help you can get from workers’ compensation. The insurance company might not want to hear what you and your doctor have to say, but a third party could step in and set things straight. Workers’ compensation provided over $608 million to California workers last year. That money goes out to thousands of workers who need help covering costs after a workplace accident. But getting the money you need isn’t guaranteed when you apply, and the insurance company may need some convincing. This…Read More
