s

Tag Archives: hazardous situation

April 17, 2020 News
0

Negligence? Why is New York getting hit so hard with COVID-19?

New York – Various theories abound as to why the New York City area is at the epicenter of the novel coronavirus 2019 pandemic. Thousands of COVID-19 victims have already died and up to several hundred thousand more New Yorkers are confirmed to have been infected with the dangerous virus. Citizens and workers have been concerned as to why the area has been hit so hard and wonder what should be done about it. One possibility is that employers and businesses have been negligent in properly disinfecting surfaces and equipment in the workplace. Improper cleaning of desks, phones, doorknobs and files may be linked to spread of the dangerous disease. This has many concerned for their health and welfare, especially for those workers who are being required to come into work every day. Office workers, maintenance staff, factory workers and essential workers such as doctors, nurses and ancillary hospital staff can be at risk for contracting and spreading coronavirus according to research. Workplace safety experts say that it is the responsibility of employers and management to provide for a safe work environment and to prevent a hazardous situation for both workers and customers alike. They express concern for the lack of safety equipment, personal protective supplies and disinfection control in places ranging from hospitals and doctor’s offices to everyday places such as offices, warehouses and supermarkets. Important things to look out for when assessing this include: Does the business provide gloves or face masks? Approved and safe cleaning and disinfectant supplies? Cleaning crews that are licensed and follow best practices? Does the store require customers and workers to wear face masks? Do they enforce social distancing guidelines to prevent people from coughing or sneezing on others? Some have pointed out that negligent cleaning can be similar in concept to negligent maintenance that creates a health risk and dangerous condition for others. Imagine if a store refused to clean up a slippery spill in the middle of an aisle and along comes an unsuspecting shopper that suffers a slip and fall accident as a result. Is this all part of the cause of the rapid and dangerous spread of COVID-19 in New York? See this article for more about the New York outbreak of coronavirus.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: sergio santos [License]

January 19, 2020 News
0

Car recall announced due to dangerous defective part

Car safety experts are warning about a potentially deadly faulty part that was installed on some Mercedes-Benz cars. This has led to a product safety recall of these vehicles in order to try to repair the hazardous situation. The specific models of cars involved in the product recall have been determined to have used a faulty bonding glue that attaches the sunroof to the vehicle. The glue material has been shown to break down and can cause the sunroof to break off. Concerned car safety specialists say that this can cause a dangerous car accident if the sunroof goes flying at high speeds. It can hit another car or cause a pedestrian accident. It can also cause the driver of the car to lose control and crash, leading to accident injuries or even wrongful death. It is unclear at this point if any car crash incidents have been linked to this potentially dangerous product. See this article for further details about this car recall.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: erocsid [License]

June 30, 2017 News
0

Construction work accident in Queens leaves 6 injured workers

New York – A scaffolding collapse in the middle of a construction site in Long Island City, Queens caused mayhem this week. Six workers were injured during the construction accident and were rushed to the emergency room. Hospital officials confirmed that the accident victims suffered a back injury, possible broken bones and arm and leg injuries. Reports note that the workers were pouring concrete into wooden forms to create a floor when it collapsed. Concerned safety advocates explain that the owner and developer of the building may have been negligent in the management of the project. They note that the New York City’s buildings department placed an emergency stop order on the construction when they noticed several dangerous safety violations. It has been pointed out that the same work site has a history of multiple complaints filed with the Department of Buildings since the new owner took it over in 2015. More research will be needed to determine if, in fact, the developer had created a hazardous situation that placed the safety of his employees and the public at risk for injury. Employers are responsible to obtain worker’s compensation insurance in order to deal with these types of work accidents. However, this doesn’t absolve them of their duty to prevent accidents and avoid negligence. More details about this building collapse accident can be found here.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo Credit: Phillip Pessar [License]

May 31, 2016 News
0

Preventing a work injury and knowing your rights if you are injured at work

New York – Work accidents are common but often avoidable, according to a New York City worker’s compensation injury lawyer. However, many employees and employers alike are unaware of how to go about preventing accidents, injuries and death in the workplace. There are several areas of responsibility that are shared between employer and worker to ensure safety while on the job. These include work-sponsored trainings that involve both formal and informal instruction on how to use equipment and avoid injury in all necessary settings. Also included is the responsibility of the boss and managers to provide safety equipment, such as helmets, secure scaffolding, rigging, harnesses, gloves, eye goggles, ear protection and the like. They are required to make sure that the equipment is not only available but also not broken and with proper instructions. Unfortunately there is sometimes employer negligence when it comes to these necessary safety points, which can lead to an unsafe work environment and even a hazardous situation. Negligent maintenance of equipment is an easily overlooked danger when employers and managers place heavy pressure of deadlines and productivity on their workers. However, a major concern also exists for jobs that involve repetitive motions, slip and fall hazards, overexertion and falling from a height. There are things that employees can do to protect themselves and prevent accidents but some employers try to shift the burden of safety entirely to the worker. This is a concern and should be discussed with a work injury lawyer.

Beyond work accident prevention, work staff should become familiar with their responsibilities and rights if they’re injured on the job. This can include immediate notification of the supervisor or boss of the injury, calling an ambulance, going for emergency or immediate medical treatment, if needed and filing all necessary paperwork about the accident and injury. Employers are usually required to maintain a worker’s comp insurance policy to pay for medical treatment of the injury. The worker also has the right to speak to an accident lawyer that specializes in workman’s compensation injuries for assistance. An experienced law firm can assist with obtaining insurance benefits, hospital, doctor and treatment coverage as well as filing a worker’s comp lawsuit, if necessary. This informative article can explain more.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Bill Jacobus [License]

September 18, 2014 News
0

Crest toothpaste raising health concerns due to polyethylene additive

The Crest line of toothpastes have recently come under fire by dentists and consumer advocates due an additive of tiny plastic beads that have been included in the make-up of several kinds of the toothpaste. The polyethylene ingredient is apparently not needed as one of the active ingredients, according to the Crest manufacturer, a subsidiary of consumer product giant, Proctor & Gamble. Scientists say that the substance is actually a chemical name for plastic and is supposed to be biologically inactive. They explain that the tiny microbeads are the size of grains of sand and were added for color and aesthetic purposes. However, dental experts note that the plastic pieces can still cause serious health problems or dental disease, such as gingivitis, despite their being inert. Some dentists and periodontal specialists note that some patients have been found to have the polyethylene microbeads lodged in their gums, leaving a route open to introduce bacteria and infections into the gums. Company officials for Crest have announced, after a lengthy fight with dentists and consumer product safety advocates, that they are removing the potentially dangerous ingredient from all of their toothpaste products. They believe that it will take approximately six months to complete this removal of the plastic ingredient, while critics feel that this is much too long of a timeline to correct a dangerous condition for consumers. In the meantime, activists want to see the company issue a dangerous product recall in order to warn potential victims of the hazardous situation and advise them to see their oral health specialists. If you or someone you know has been exposed to this potential health hazard, you should speak to your doctor or dentist. You also have the right to consult with an attorney with expertise in consumer product liability. See this article for more about the dangerous use of polyethylene additives in Crest toothpaste as well as other various consumer products and even some foods.

Illustrative photo by Thegreenj (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

March 21, 2014 News
0

Electrical shock hazard concerns trigger product recall

The makers of a popular breast pump have issued a dangerous product recall this week. They explain that there is a concern of injuries being caused by an electrical shock from the faulty machines. The concern arises from loose connections between the adapter and the electrical source. Experts say that a poor product design can lead to this type of hazardous situation and needs to be addressed quickly. They note that safe electrical engineering is important when producing electrical machines of any kind. However, they note, breast pumps are considered medical devices since they are used by new mothers to extract supplemental breast milk for the baby. This means that the product recall needs to be coordinated by the Food and Drug Administration. Reports from the manufacturer show that no women or babies have been injured so far by these products. However, some product safety advocates warn that companies aren’t always fully forthcoming about details of possible injury caused by the use of one of their products. They sometimes blame outside causes for the injuries in order to avoid negligence lawsuits. Consumers who think that they may have been injured by a dangerous product are encouraged to seek legal counsel in order to determine their rights. Check out this article for details regarding the breast pump recall.

Illustrative photo by Wencke g (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons