Over the last few decades, work on communication towers has exploded. Before the 1980s, there was only a small, specialized industry of workers who erected, serviced and maintained broadcast and communication towers. Now, with a cellphone in every pocket,...
Injuries
Illinois workers’ compensation claims for work-related hearing losses
Many Illinois jobs involve exposure to noise levels that can have a negative effect on your hearing. If you work in a loud environment and your hearing has diminished over time, there is a good chance that your hearing loss is work-related. As Harvard Health...
OSHA cites national retailer for serious safety violations
When you think about dangerous jobs, retail probably doesn’t come immediately to mind. But even retail employees face serious hazards, especially when employers fail to follow federal and state safety regulations or best practices within the industry. An example of...
Use power tools at work? Excessive vibration can lead to injury.
Some vibrations can be therapeutic and relaxing, which is why we all love those vibrating massage chairs you see for sale at the mall. But too much vibration over an extended period of time can be more harmful than most people realize. If you work in construction or...
Interaction of Illinois workers’ compensation benefits and the COVID-19 vaccine, part 2
In part 1 of this post, we talked about Illinois workers’ compensation law and its potential interaction with the coronavirus-vaccine issues. Today we will talk about rare, severe side effects from the vaccine and other more tangential injuries for which employees may...
Part 1: Does workers’ compensation cover injury from a COVID-19 vaccine in Illinois?
In Illinois as of the date of this writing in August 2021, the issue falls into somewhat of a gray area. Scant legal precedent in the state exists to answer this question, but we will share some of our findings in this two-part post. Impact of state statute?...
Illinois summer heat and outdoor workers can be a dangerous mix
Illinoisans are no strangers to extreme weather, enduring risky outdoor conditions in the depths of winter and in the heat and humidity of summer. And it's not getting any better because of the impact of climate change, which is already apparent. According to the U.S....
COVID-19 in Illinois workplaces
As the number of vaccinated people continues to rise, more employers anticipate reopening and bringing employees back into the workplace. Unfortunately, we have all learned how contagious the coronavirus is and know that absolute protection is impossible. But...
New data: Illinoisans lost to work-related fatal injuries in 2019
On March 17, 2021, a press release revealed new federal statistics about 2019 employee deaths in Illinois workplaces. The data included not only people earning wages or salaries, but also those who were self employed. We wrote in this space previously about last...
Preventing employee accidents involving ladders at Illinois worksites
Summer is finally on its way and with it, the construction industry ramps up its activity throughout Illinois. In the rush to complete projects before the snow falls again, it can be easy to cut corners when it comes to safety requirements. But when it comes to the...
