A recent study conducted by Oregon State University (OSU) has revealed that the likelihood of suffering a traumatic injury while working outdoors increases drastically when temperatures are high. The new research is significant for people working in the Oregon construction and agricultural sectors, but it affects anyone whose job duties must be performed outdoors. Working…
When the COVID-19 pandemic started, people were required to stay inside and limit outings for fear of contracting the virus. Because of the sudden reduction in customers, businesses were forced to let their employees go and even close. Restaurant workers were forced to rely on unemployment and other ways to cope with the loss of…
In Amazon’s hit series Goliath, Billy Bob Thornton plays Billy McBride, an injured lawyer who takes on opioid producer Zax pharma and its maniacal, ethically challenged leader George Zax. According to Mr. Thornton, his portal was not a stretch. “Billy is not the type, I am not the type, who likes the idea of big…
Falling consistently ranks among the top causes of workplace injuries and deaths, and is the #1 killer of construction workers. In 2015, 11% of 44 fatal workplace accidents that took place in Oregon were falls. This year, painters on the Ross Island Bridge were exposed to treacherous conditions when their contractor failed to follow basic…
Following the fiery derailment of a Union Pacific train hauling crude through the Columbia River Gorge in June 2016 and discovery of more than 800 potential safety violations across its network, Union Pacific has agreed to more thorough inspections and maintenance improvements along its 32,000 miles of track across 23 states. The June derailment that…
With Ebola an increasing concern, advocacy groups are calling on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to quickly move forward with an infectious-disease rule that has been on the docket since 2010. Although OSHA has created a new web page with information about protecting workers in industries at high risk of exposure, including healthcare,…
Poor Working Conditions Call for Change The Labor Day holiday originated during one of American labor history’s most dismal times. At the height of the Industrial revolution in the late 1800s, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks to earn a basic living. Children as young as 5 or 6 worked in mills,…
Officer: So how did the accident happen? Distracted Driver: I don’t really know. Officer: Where you on your mobile phone? Distracted Driver: No Officer: May I see your drivers’ license? Distracted Driver: Yes Sir. Officer: Proof of insurance? Distracted Driver: Here you go. Officer: Now, please give me your mobile phone? Distracted Driver? Excuse me?…
When a worker is injured, everyone has an agenda: the employer needs the injured worker back on the job at full capacity, the insurance company wants to limit the amount of payout for care and rehabilitation, and the physician wants the worker to return to work only when fully recovered or at maximum medical improvement….
Occupational hearing loss is the most common work-related injury in the United States. Approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work, and an additional 9 million are exposed to chemicals causing hearing damage. An estimated $242 million is spent annually on worker’s compensation for hearing loss disability. Have you suffered…