Toxins in the workplace: How you can stay safe
If you’re exposed to toxins in the workplace, you could suffer serious health problems. Every day, many people within the U.S. are exposed to hazardous chemicals when they’re on the job. If you’re exposed, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation and medical care, so you can get the treatments you need and make up lost wages while you’re unable to work. These toxins shouldn’t be present without you knowing that you’re in a position where you could potentially be exposed and harmed.
Under the law, you have a right to work in an environment that is safe and free of unnecessary hazards. If hazardous chemicals or toxins are present in your workplace, then your employer must tell you about these toxins and inform you about what to do if you are exposed. The information about the toxins comes on a data sheet called the Material Safety Data Sheet, and it’s required to be provided in every workplace with these toxins.
Your employer may provide information on specific chemicals in your workplace as well as having an overall document explaining what to do if you’re exposed to chemicals in the workplace. The MSDSs will include information for you, like the first aid procedures for exposure, what kind of protective equipment you need, and what to do if a leak or spill takes place.
If toxins are present in your workplace, it’s important to find out if they’re necessary. If they can be replaced by a nontoxic or less toxic substance, your employer may wish to do this. These items may also be isolated to prevent exposure.
Source: FindLaw, “Toxic Exposure in the Workplace,” accessed April 08, 2016
Asbestos is a well-known word to many; it’s a building material that has been linked to types of cancer. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has determined that if you’re exposed to asbestos fibers, you could suffer from cancer or asbestosis as a result. Because of this, no worker should be exposed without his or her knowledge, and it’s required that all exposures be as limited as possible.
Asbestosis doesn’t typically appear until 10 to 40 years following exposure. That can make it hard to recognize initially, but there are some symptoms. They include:
1. A shortness of breath.2. Dry, persistent coughs.3. Clubbing of the fingertips and toes.4. Tightness or pain in the chest.5. A loss of appetite with weight loss.
The disease manifests due to being exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. They become trapped in the alveoli. As the alveoli are irritated, they are scarred. Over time, the lungs become stiff and breathing becomes more difficult. Those who smoke may see the disease progress more quickly, since smoking cigarettes increases the retention of those fibers in the lungs.
Most people today won’t be exposed to asbestos on a regular basis, but there are some industries that are at a higher risk. For instance, North Carolina shipyard workers, building construction workers, those who work to remove asbestos from older buildings or steam pipes, electricians, and others are more likely to be exposed to asbestos today. It’s important that anyone who is going to be around these fibers has them contained, so they don’t become airborne and lodge in the lungs.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Asbestos,” accessed March 31, 2016
As an employee, you can protect yourself from unsafe working conditions. Your employer is obligated to giving you a safe workplace. If your workplace is home to an unsafe environment, then you can report the workplace to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for review. In some cases, you can also refuse to go to work when the hazards are particularly dangerous to your health.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act is a federal statute that makes it clear that employers have to keep your workplace free of dangerous health and safety issues that could lead to death, injuries, or illnesses. OSHA protects workers like yourself from one-time injuries, recognized hazards, and illnesses caused by unsafe conditions.
Your workplace should have an OSHA safety notice. This notice gives you information on how to reach out to OSHA in the case that you need to discuss your work environment. If necessary, OSHA can provide safety training and keeps a record of all injuries, deaths, and hazards in workplaces like yours.
If your workplace is putting you in immediate danger, it’s important that you report the hazard to OSHA immediately. You can also refuse to work in some cases, like if you don’t have a reasonable alternative or if your employer won’t take the time to fix the problem in your workplace.
If the conditions aren’t too dangerous but still pose a threat, you should inform your employer in writing. If it’s not repaired or remedied, OSHA can still step in to address the concerns you have.
Source: FindLaw, “Protecting Yourself from Unsafe Working Conditions,” accessed March 22, 2016
Depression from the workplace? You can file a claim
Workplace illnesses can include mental health concerns that may be attributed to the workplace and your work environment. For instance, a traumatic event in the workplace could result in post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or ongoing anxiety. Harassment can cause concerns and also affect your mental health. Of course, many other things can as well.
Depression costs around $200 million in lost workdays each year, and that results in losses of around $17 to $44 billion. The rates of depression do vary by occupation and industry, with workers age 55 or older reporting that they have some kind of mental health concern at a rate of around 20 percent.
Workers who suffer from depression can miss work often. According to the statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, workers with depression miss an average of 4.8 days of work in three months, while they also suffer around 11.5 days of reduced productivity.
Depression varies by occupation, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s most common among those in the personal care and service occupations at a rate of 10.8 percent. Those in food preparation and serving also suffer often and at a rate of 10.3 percent.
Depression increases health care costs and can lead to or contribute to other health concerns as well. If you’re suffering from depression due to your work environment, you may be able to seek workers’ compensation to help you cover the costs of the appropriate treatments. Our website has more information on depression and mental and physical health in the workplace, so you can learn how to make a claim.
Your employer must provide safety and health training programs as indicated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in order to keep you safe and educated about your safety. It’s your employer’s job to make sure that you understand what kinds of unsafe conditions exist in your workplace. It’s also his or her job to make sure you aren’t exposed to those hazards due to them being uncontrolled or present in your work environment.
For instance, if you are required to handle caustics, poisons, or other kinds of harmful substances, you should know how to handle them safely. Even if you’re previously educated on how to work with the substances, it’s important that you are given more information on the safe handling and use of these items in accordance to your workplace’s rules and requirements.
On top of that, you should receive information on the potential hazards caused by the substances, learn about how personal hygiene can affect those substances, and be told about the kinds of personal protective measures that you can take to stay safe.
If you’re hurt because these rules aren’t enforced or made obvious in the workplace, it’s important that you are able to file a claim for workers’ compensation. You may also have a case against your employer for violating federal safety regulations.
Our website has more information on what to do if you’ve been hurt at work because of negligence or disregard for your safety. By learning more about the laws, you can work with your attorney to make a solid case against the employer who caused your pain and suffering.
Working on the roads, you normally have a designated work zone. Cones tend to be set out, and your vehicle has indicators or reflectors to make it obvious to others. Work-in-progress signs, or other kinds, may be put up to alert drivers that you’re working, too.
When drivers disregard your safety, you deserve to be compensated. You can be compensated through workers’ compensation, but you also may have the right to claim against the negligent driver. If you’ve lost a loved one in a work-related accident like this one, that may be what you’re trying to do.
In this recent story, it was reported that a worker killed in Moore County has been identified, according to the news from Feb. 18. The man was working through a private contractor for the North Carolina Department of Transportation when a driver collided with him and his coworkers on the roadway.
He and other workers were setting up a wood chipper when they were struck at around 8 a.m, during the height of the morning rush hour. The driver, who struck them on Plank Road, has been reported as a 50-year-old man from North Carolina.
After hitting the workers, one man was killed immediately. Another was also injured; both had been inside a work zone when the accident took place. The second victim was airlifted to the hospital, while the first was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
There has been no news on the cause of the accident; the police have not indicated if distractions or intoxication could have been a factor.
Source: North Carolina News, “Worker killed in Moore County crash identified,” Feb. 18, 2016
Are work injuries becoming less common?
Work injuries take place all the time, and although some types may be in decline, they are still fairly common. If you’re hurt at work, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation, and that can help you pay your medical bills and even cover some of your lost wages. Are injuries on the decline, though, and should you worry about injuries in the future?
In 2014, there were close to 3 million nonfatal workplace illnesses and injuries reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Department of Labor. That’s a rate of 3.2 cases of injuries per 100 full-time workers in 2014.
In 2014, there was an increase in the number of hours worked in the private industry. What’s interesting is that there were actually 54,000 fewer nonfatal injuries and illnesses during that time, showing that most workplaces were actually getting safer. That is a trend that has been going on for around 12 years.
When people were injured on the job, only around 1.7 out of 100 full-time workers had to take time off, transfer jobs, or work with restrictions. What this means is that even though some people were injured or ill, they were not badly injured or ill enough to take time away from work; the injuries and illnesses were not as severe as in past years.
Out of the close to 3 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses suffered, 95.1 percent were injuries on the job. Most took place in service industries. Interestingly, out of those who suffered illnesses, the number who suffered from skin diseases declined in 2014, showing a lower risk of skin-related conditions in the workplace.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2014,” accessed Feb. 24, 2016
Occupational and work-related diseases vary, but anyone who works in a field for long enough may be exposed to these conditions. Work-related diseases can have many causes, from being exposed to hazards to working too many hours in a week. The work environment and a person’s own risk factors play an important role in the development of work-related diseases.
Some common work-related diseases that people may have heard about in the past include asbestos-related mesothelioma, fatigue and exhaustion from being overworked, and repetitive strain injuries, which are caused by performing the same actions over and over again for many hours and days per week.
Work-related illnesses and injuries don’t always appear right away. While injuries will usually come to a head during employment, illnesses aren’t as easy to recognize. Some won’t emerge until many years after a person leaves a job, making it his or her responsibility to file a claim for the suffering the person is now going through.
A good example of this would be asbestos exposure. You may not suffer any illnesses for many years; suddenly, you could find you have developed mesothelioma. That disease specifically is linked to exposure to asbestos, so if you are able to show that you were exposed at work, then you could be able to make a claim and be compensated for having this illness.
Occupational diseases can affect you, your family, and your future. Our website has more information on the illnesses that may be related to work and what you can do if you want to file a claim against an employer, whether you work at the company today or not.
Man pinned in lift accident suffered injuries
Workplace accidents, in most cases, can be prevented with stringent rules on safety and steps to make sure everyone working knows what to do if hazards are seen. When workplaces are educated in safety techniques, it’s less likely for workers to be injured. If you’re hurt due to the carelessness of a coworker or as a result of malfunctioning machinery, you could be in a position to obtain workers’ compensation, because getting hurt on the job shouldn’t happen.
A Port of Wilmington employee who was hurt during an accident is now part of an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, since he was pinned in an odd lift accident. The news, updated on Feb. 7, reports that the man had been working with others who were using a lift to replace the lighting fixtures inside a building. He had been inside the lift basket, based on the story, which makes what happened next surprising.
While the team was working, the man became trapped between the guardrail of the lift basket and the fixtures. It’s not clear if he fell out of the basket or was caught on the lift while working on the fixture.
Fortunately, a spotter who was on the ground was able to override the device’s controls, bringing the man down to the ground for emergency medical treatment. The man’s injuries have not been reported to the news, but OHSA has stated that it, as part of the North Carolina Department of Labor, will be investigating what happened and if negligence was a cause of this accident.
Source: WECT 6, “Port of Wilmington employee hurt during accident, OSHA investigating,” Feb. 07, 2016
When you work for an employer, that employer should always have workers’ compensation insurance. Even if you’re not in a dangerous profession, it’s possible to have an accident at work. Slick floors on a wet day, climbing a ladder that collapses, or even getting a shock from an outlet can result in injuries in the course of your workday. If you get hurt and find out that your boss doesn’t have compensation, then you may have to work through other avenues with your attorney to get the money you need.
A report out of North Carolina has shown that many companies in the state have been fined, because it’s been discovered that they don’t, or didn’t, carry workers’ compensation insurance. $1 million in civil fines have been collected by the commission responsible for enforcing insurance coverage.
As of April 2012, there were around 30,000 employers in the state that had not purchased workers’ compensation, even though they were legally obligated to do so. Another 11,000 had either cancelled policies or allowed their policies to lapse.
Another issue is that some companies have been misclassifying their employees, calling them independent contractors to avoid paying for workers’ compensation insurance. This will change in the future, though, because the commission plans to crack down on misclassification to help workers get the insurance coverage they need while they’re on the job. In 2015 alone, there were close to 2,000 cases that were affected due to an employer’s lack of coverage. At least 71 workers were injured while working for the employers who did not maintain proper insurance coverage.
Source: Claims Journal, “North Carolina Gets $1M in Fines From Employers Without Workers’ Comp,” Jan. 13, 2016
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