Why Do Roofers Fall From Roofs? Is it just because of gravity?

Today I received an urgent call from an attorney representing a client in New Jersey who fell from a roof. Before she told me the job description of the injured worker, now in a coma, I correctly anticipated that it was probably a roofer who had fallen from a roof, yet again. 

Workers Are Getting Sick to Their Stomach - A New Virus

A new outbreak of the "stomach virus" is affecting workers and some fatally. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has explained why this is happening and what cautions can be taken to prevent the spread of this illness.

A new strain of norovirus called GII.4 Sydney was the leading cause of norovirus outbreaks in the United States from September to December 2012, according to a study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new strain was detected in Australia in March 2012, and caused outbreaks in that country and several other countries.

CDC researchers analyzed 2012 data collected through CaliciNet on norovirus strains associated with outbreaks in the United States. They found that of the 266 norovirus outbreaks reported during the last four months of 2012, 141 were caused by the GII.4 Sydney strain.

9/11 Fund Starts Making Payment to Victims

The Zadroga 9/11 Victims Claim Fund has started to make payments to victims of the World Trade Center attack. First Responders andthose who lived or worked in the immediate geographical site near "ground zero" may be entitled to the payment of benenfits for illness and injuries that they suffer as a result of the terrorist attack.

Those eligible include, individuals present at  a 9/11 crash site at the time of or in the immediate aftermath, who suffer physical harm as a result of the crashes or debris removal. Also the personal representatives of individuals who were present at a 9/11 crash site, who died as a result of the crashes or debris removal, are eligible to file claims.

I Told My Supervisor - Why Do I Need To File An Accident Report In Writing?

Today's post comes from Matthew Funk of the NY Bar.

QUESTION: I TOLD MY SUPERVISOR ABOUT THE ACCIDENT BUT I DID NOT SUBMIT AN ACCIDENT REPORT. AM I GOOD TO GO WITH THE VERBAL NOTICE?
ANSWER: ALWAYS REPORT AN INJURY IN WRITING
Joe was working a construction job when Mike accidentally beaned Joe on the head with a 2X4. After seeing a couple of Tweety Birds and a whole bunch of stars, Joe went down to his supervisor’s station and told him he had just had an accident. Then he went off to the ER to make sure he was not seriously injured, relieved he had taken care of business at the job site. All he had to do now was get better.
No, Joe! No! Yes, Joe satisfied the notice requirement. However, Joe was NOT good to go.
Supervisors sometimes have a funny habit of forgetting conversations or oral notices of an accident. Even if Joe’s supervisor were his best friend, when push came to shove there could be no telling what the supervisor might say in Court front of a Judge. Furthermore,

Asbestos Disease Remains a Problem Despite Lower Consumption in the US

Recently release statistics from the US Geological Survey brings some hope to reducing asbestos disease in the US.  Historically, as the production of asbestos fiber lowers, so does the incidence of asbestos related disease, which is a latent medical condition that takes 10 to 30 years to manifest itself.

Asbestos this has been used for decades in the United States in militray and civilian environments in various forms including construction material and insulation. It appears in commercial and military buildings and equipment, as well as residential and consumer appliances. 

Asbestos has been causally connected to a rare and fatal cancer,  mesothelioma. Asbestos has also been linked to various other cancers including: lung cancer, a well as a pulmonary condition, asbestosis.

How to Protect Public Employees and Communities From Asbestos Exposure

It is unconscionable in this day and age for a worker who is exposed to asbestos fiber in the workplace. Ironically, in the 1950's, in Paterson, NJ, the city where the world renown asbestos researcher, Irving J. Selikoff MD, had conducted the initial the sentinel studies linking asbestos exposure with a fatal cancer, mesothelioma, public employees are still being exposed.
Despite the courts and public opinion frowning on such terrible events, it is imperative that the legislatures of the nation take the appropriate measures to ban asbestos in use, and to require a registry all sites where asbestos is known to be present. Additionally, the sites should be publicly listed in a registry by the US EPA and those site declared to be areas where a potential health emergency exists.

Siemens Recalls Temperature and Humidity Sensors for Schools, Hospitals and Other Buildings Due to Fire Hazard

Siemens Sensor - Biege Display Screen

Consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

This recall involves wall-mounted Q-series sensors that control heat, air conditioning and humidity inside commercial buildings, hospitals and schools. 

The sensors come in three designs: a blank cover, a cover with a digital display screen or a cover with a digital display screen and door.