Recently a Walmart employee’s workers’ compensation appeal was denied because she could not prove that the injury was work-related. “In order to recover in a workers’ compensation action, a claimant must establish personal injury by accident rising out of and in the course and scope of his or her employment” or risk being denied workers’… Read More »
Welder Injuries
Welding is among the most hazardous jobs in construction and manufacturing. From burns, temporary blindness (welders flash), to electrocution, the job of welding can be downright dangerous. Add exposure to toxic chemicals released from welding rods, and workers have an increased risk of serious lung, brain, and nerve damage including manganism, known as Welder’s Parkinson’s… Read More »
Workers’ Compensation for Covid-19
In the early months of the pandemic sweeping the nation, many Iowa City meatpacking plant employees were infected with the corona virus with a dozen hospitalized and two deaths. Recent findings point to a more serious level of infection than previously reported, with over a thousand workers falling ill. With the pandemic still raging on… Read More »
Workers’ Compensation While Working From Home
Many who work remotely can attest to the many distractions and interruptions that occur when working from home. From demanding kids to a revolving door of maintenance workers and all the stuff in between, many who work at home do so in sometimes short and extended spurts – logging in work hours when the time… Read More »
New Iowa Law Protects Businesses and Healthcare Providers From Covid-19 Liability
Iowa lawmakers have passed legislation to protect businesses and health care providers from Corona virus-related lawsuits and sent the bill to Governor Kim Reynolds to sign. Employers and operators of businesses as well as health care providers who follow CDC guidelines – occupancy restrictions, social distancing, and increased disinfection efforts to name a few –… Read More »
Returning to Work During Covid 19 – What Are My Rights?
With many states reopening, many employees may be nervous about returning to work. If you feel that your boss is calling you back too soon, is there anything you can do? Many Americans were furloughed or worked from home during the early weeks of the pandemic and are fearful of returning to the workplace as… Read More »
When Workers Return Will Companies Liable for Covid-19?
Under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to provide a safe workplace, free from serious hazards, complying with standards rules and regulations issued under the OSH Act. As pressure mounts to reopen the economy, employers are feeling the heat to protect their employees from the known hazards of Covid-19. In a recent… Read More »
Failure to Control Hazardous Energy | Lock Out Tag Violation Cited by OSHA
Recently the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited an Arcola, Illinois manufacturer for violations of OSHA’s machine safety standards after an employee was seriously injured on the job. The company was cited for not only inadequate machine guarding but also a failure to control hazardous energy sources – a lockout/tag… Read More »
Construction Zones and Car Accidents
Construction of the I-74 Bridge has seen a few mishaps since it began in 2017. Last February, the Iowa DOT reported that two workers were rescued after falling into the Mississippi River. Later the same month, a catastrophic failure resulted in a crane boom collapsing into the river. Road closures and detours have resulted in… Read More »
Increase in Workplace Fatalities in the U.S.
Nearly 5 million employees are injured on the job every year and workplace fatalities are on the rise. A recent census released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that fatal workplace injuries have increased 2% since 2017 – 5,147 lives lost on the job in 2017 to 5,250 in 2018. Transportation incidents are… Read More »