September is Suicide Prevention Month. In support of this cause, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a news release about the shockingly high rate of suicide among male construction workers as compared with employees in other industries....
Work Accidents
Employers have a duty to limit dangerous chemical exposures
In light of the recent fire at the Chemtool plant in Rockton, we thought we should discuss employers’ responsibilities around chemical hazards and other toxic substances in the workplace. Employers do have a duty to mitigate these risks for their employees, and it...
Preventing falls on Illinois construction sites
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), falls are the top cause of construction worker deaths. Nationally, 400 construction employees died from falls at work plus many others sustained severe injuries. The DOL suggests that if an employee must perform work...
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...
Car-light maker fined for explosion that burned Illinois worker
On April 20, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a news release announcing violations of federal work safety requirements at a central Illinois manufacturing plant. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), part of the DOL, proposed almost...
Workers at risk of needlesticks during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign
As of this writing on April 17, the Chicago Tribune reports that officials say almost 8 million vaccine doses have been administered and almost 3.3 million people in Illinois are now fully vaccinated – that is about one-quarter of our population. In Winnebago County,...
Illinois grain workers are at risk of serious injury
The scope of agricultural production in our state is truly breathtaking. As far as grain crops, our soybean and corn harvests are massive along with respectable production of wheat, oats, buckwheat, sorghum and others. Of course, this level of production employs many...
Are you suffering from work-related neck injury symptoms?
Anything from repetitive strain to sudden injuries can lead to serious neck pain, and neck pain can lead to chronic, debilitating problems. Understanding more about the types of neck injuries you can develop can help you better recognize the signs of trouble and...
Does your employer increase your risk of on-the-job injuries?
On-the-job injuries affect workers in every sector, but some workers are at a higher risk of injury because of their employers. The same people on whom we depend for paychecks and job security are also responsible for our workplace safety. Should employers fail in...
