2011 September | Scudder & Hedrick, PLLC.

Boulder falls off equipment and onto worker

Posted on September 28th, 2011 No Comments

Yesterday, a contractor was injured when a boulder fell off of the construction equipment he was using and rolled back onto him. Reports indicate that the contractor was working at a construction site in Charlotte at East Charlotte and Robinson Church Road when the accident occurred.

The contractor was using a Bobcat construction vehicle to lift a boulder when it fell off the machine’s scoop and rolled back onto the vehicle. The worker was trapped in the Bobcat, but fortunately he was able to use his cell phone to call 9-1-1.

Emergency crews removed the boulder, which was resting on top of the worker’s lap, and extricated him from the construction vehicle. He was taken to Carolinas Medical Center University for treatment of minor injuries.

Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the accident to determine a cause.

Contact the Raleigh construction equipment malfunction lawyers of Scudder & Hedrick, PLLC at 919-851-3311 today, if you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving construction equipment malfunction.

Occupations with highest rates of occupational disease

Posted on September 21st, 2011 No Comments

A data analysis company recently reviewed statistics from the Bureau of Labor and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine what are the most common occupational diseases and in what professions workers are the most likely to become ill.

The most common types of occupational illness were found to be lung disease, heart disease, and cancer. In addition, researchers found that morticians, coal miners, welders, concrete mixers, pipefitters, firefighters, and pilots were the most likely to contract occupational diseases.

In July, officials declared formaldehyde a carcinogen. Because morticians often work with formaldehyde, they are more likely to develop leukemia than workers in other professions. Concrete mixers are at risk of developing silicosis — a lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust often found in concrete.

Coal miners are the most likely to suffer from pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease, and pilots are at risk of developing melanoma from prolonged sun exposure.

If you or someone you love has developed an occupational disease as the result of unhealthy working conditions, contact the Raleigh occupational disease attorneys of Scudder & Hedrick, PLLC at 919-851-3311 to learn more about how we can help you file for workers’ compensation.

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Improvements in workplace safety over 20 years since Hamlet plant fire

Posted on September 13th, 2011 No Comments

Many in North Carolina are recognizing the improvement in workplace safety in the state since the 20th anniversary of the Hamlet plant fire earlier this month.

On September 3, 1991, a fire broke out at chicken processing plant in Hamlet. The fire was caused by a ruptured hydraulic line which released flammable liquids that caught fire when they came into contact with a deep fryer at the plant. Smoke and flames engulfed the Imperial Food Products plant and 25 people were killed. One brave employee was able to break through a locked door and save the lives of 25 other employees at the plant.

Operating for 11 years before the tragic industrial accident, the plant had never been inspected by state officials. After the fire, inspectors found 80 workplace safety violations.

Federal Occupational Safety and Health officials condemned North Carolina’s Labor Department for employing too few inspectors and not issuing sufficient serious safety and health violations. By 1993, there were double the number of investigators in the state than there were in 1990.

Now, North Carolina has a declining rate of workplace injuries and illnesses and a rate lower than most other states in the country.

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AGC says construction fatalities decreasing

Posted on September 7th, 2011 No Comments

New data shows that construction fatalities decreased by 10 percent between 2009 and 2010. In addition, fatalities from construction accidents and injuries have decreased by approximately 40 percent since 2006.

Officials with the Associated General Contractors of America said that the industry has an increased focus on worker safety. In 2010, there were a total of 751 fatalities in the construction industry. In 2009, there were 834 construction fatalities.

260 of the construction fatalities were caused by elevated falls. The second most common cause of fatalities was accidents involving equipment.

“The industry has made safety a top priority in good times and bad, and the new data shows those efforts are helping save lives. But even one fatality is too many, which is why this data also serves as a somber reminder of the work that still needs to be done,” said the CEO of the AGC.

If you or a loved one has been injured working construction, contact the Raleigh construction accident attorneys of Scudder & Hedrick, PLLC at 919-851-3311 to speak with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer today.

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