Employees in various industries in New York are exposed to hazards in their workplaces that could be detrimental to their health. Sometimes a workplace illness develops over time, while others are immediately evident. Regardless, the victims might be unsure of whether the workers' compensation insurance program will cover their particular occupational diseases.
Beryllium exposure enforcement might prevent workplace illness
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has declared beryllium as a carcinogen that can cause lung cancer. This is a severe occupational hazard, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced the development of standards to protect workers from contracting this workplace illness. Although March 12, 2018, was the set enforcement date, it was postponed to May 11 to give stakeholders in New York and other states the opportunity to study their obligations and to ensure consistency in OSHA inspections.
4 primary hazards that cause workplace illness and injury
Employees in New York may face a variety of dangerous situations every day. Safety authorities expect employers to protect workers against workplace illness or injury. However, regardless of the industry in which a person is employed, he or she may be exposed to any of the four common types of occupational hazards.
Workplace illness: Cold stress threatens outdoor workers
At the start of every winter, New York workers who have to work outdoors will likely feel anxious about the impact their work environments will have on their health. Cold stress is a workplace illness that can be fatal if not treated promptly. This condition is caused by the environmental cold that affects workers who are exposed to air temperatures that are also cold. Cold stress risks are even higher when wind speeds increase because it increases the chill factor by making the air temperature feel colder against the skin.
Workplace illness: New silica rules good news for workers
Employees in different industries in New York may be happy to learn that employers who tried to stop the new silica rule were unsuccessful. Industry leaders who dispute the need for regulations that are stricter asked a federal appeals court to prevent implementation, but a panel of judges found that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration offered adequate evidence to motivate the enforcement of the new rules. The safety agency claims the new precautions will prevent those who are exposed to silica from contracting a potentially deadly workplace illness called silicosis.
Toluene exposure can cause workplace illness
New York employees in various occupations may be exposed to hazardous chemicals without even knowing about it. Employers are responsible for the health and safety of employees. Workers must be informed of dangers they will face while working, including hazards that can cause workplace illness. However, safety training related to exposure to chemicals is often neglected, sometimes with tragic consequences.
Carbon monoxide exposure can cause serious workplace illness
New York workers in industrial facilities typically have to face multiple safety hazards in the line of duty. Compliance with safety regulations is one way of preventing an on-the-job injury or a workplace illness. Employers are responsible for the health and safety of employees. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recently reported that noncompliance with rules related to carbon monoxide exposure could lead to fatalities.
Safety training can prevent workplace accidents involving teens
This is the time of the year when many young workers enter the New York workforce -- as permanent employees in their first jobs, or teens taking on temp jobs for the summer. Every year there are reports of teen workers who die in tragic workplace accidents within days of starting employment. In most cases, these deaths result from a lack of safety training and/or inadequate supervision.
Claims for workplace illness compensation rejected
Former employees at a gun range in a neighboring state say they were exposed to a dangerous workplace environment. Lead is a known workplace illness hazard in facilities in which workers have to handle firearms and ammunition. The owner of the now-closed business made headlines when police caught him with a vehicle filled with weapons outside New York City last year. His arrest prompted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate the business.
Welding industry hazards can cause serious workplace illness
Employees in New York in occupations that involve welding, brazing and cutting are part of over 500,000 workers in the tri-state region surrounding New York City who face serious health risks if they work without proper safety gear. The danger posed by this industry comes in the form of gases and fumes that could be hazardous. Welding activities produce visible smoke -- in the welder's breathing space -- containing harmful gas byproducts and metal fumes that can cause workplace illness.
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