Posts Tagged ‘safety’

According to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, falls rank as the third highest number (17%) of events reported in healthcare facilities to the Patient Authority for the reporting year 2006. The attorneys at DLP have been representing elderly individuals who have suffered serious injuries as a result of falls in nursing homes for many years. While some falls cannot be prevented, there are many instances where appropriate safeguards can be implemented to protect residents from needless injury due to falls. Contact the lawyers at dlp if you have any questions about a loved one injured in a fall at a nursing home.

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Labor and Industry monitors and administers the codes and regulations which affect the safety of our workforce. The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (“the BWC”) administers laws which assure that workers are insured against job-related injury, illness, or death. The Health and Safety Division of the BWC is responsible for enforcement of the health and safety regulations of the Workers’ Compensation Act.
The Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety is responsible for the administration and enforcement of various provisions and regulations including the Uniform Construction Code, the Fire and Panic Law, the Universal Accessibility Law, the General Safety Law, the Boiler Law, and the Elevator Law. Also included in the purview of the Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety is the enforcement of the provisions of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Law and the Flammable & Combustible Liquids Law.

With the burgeoning growth of the natural drilling industry in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale field, it’s important that the workers in this industry can be assured of a safe work environment. It’s also important that these workers are aware of the rights and remedies available to them in the event that they suffer a work injury. The team of lawyers at Dougherty, Leventhal & Price are ready to answer your questions on workplace safety and the workers’ compensation system. If you do suffer a work injury, contact us and we will be happy to represent you and guide you through the litigation of your workers’ compensation claim.

Jack had been working construction for 20 years and was extremely safety conscious. Jack would always wear a hardhat or safety eyewear when around the construction sites.
As fate would have it, Jack was on his day off when he got an emergency call from one of the construction sites. Jack was a foreman, and there was a dispute over the way some of the electrical work was being done. Jack arrived at the site and proceeded into the building that was under construction. Jack had no sooner entered the building when a metal fragment came flying into his right eye which, despite extensive treatment, would be lost.

Question: What are Jack’s rights under the Workers’ Compensation Act?

Answer: Jack would be entitled to what is called loss of use of the eye which will entitle him to payment of all of his medical bills as well as compensation benefits for 275 weeks regardless of whether he works or not. If Jack’s compensation rate would have been $700/week, he would receive that amount for the full 275 weeks. The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act provides these types of benefits for loss of use of limbs, eyesight, hearing and even for scarring of the head, neck and face.

Disclaimer: The above article is for instructive purposes only and each case is fact sensitive. Consultation with an attorney should be obtained instead of reliance upon the legal issues discussed in this column.

On August 14, 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that toymaker Mattel is voluntarily recalling 9 million of its toys in the United States. The recalled items include popular characters such as Batman, Barbie, Polly Pockets and a toy from Pixar’s “Cars” movie because of hazards to children.
18.2 million magnetic toys are being recalled globally and the majority of the toys are no longer available in stores.
Some of the recalled toys have magnets that can become dislodged and swallowed. At least one toy has hazardous levels of lead in its paint.
The majority of the recall – 7 million toys – involves Polly Pocket dolls and accessories, which contain small magnets. These toys were produced between May 2003 to November 2006. None of the toys manufactured after November 1, 2006, are affected by the recall.
To access the Mattell recall page, type: http://www.mattel.com/safety/us/
To access the U.S. Product Safety Commission website, type : http://www.cpsc.gov/

Thomas P. Cummings, Esq.
DLP Law Offices
570-347-1011
[email protected]