Kansas City Workers' Compensation Law Blog

Excavation work of any kind is a dangerous undertaking, especially when hazardous conditions exist. For this reason, OSHA mandates that workers are protected by proper support structures and safety equipment in case of a deadly trench collapse. If a Missouri employee suffers a serious injury due to an employer's negligence, he or she may have a case for filing a workers' compensation claim.

Recently, one company has come under scrutiny after having lost two employees in the span of six months who died under similar circumstances. The first death occurred in May of 2017, when a 60-year-old worker was apparently helping to direct his employer in using a clam-shell bucket attached to a truck-mounted crane. The workers were engaged in digging a cesspool for a property owner. At some point during the excavation, the ground under the worker opened up and the man was pulled down several feet under the debris. Another worker was able to avoid a similar death by grabbing the bucket and rising to safety.

The Department of Energy has moved to reclassify several nuclear facilities as being low-level operations that purportedly do not pose a hazard to the general public. It is also seeking to restrict members of a federal oversight board from questioning staff at certain facilities without prior consent of DOE officials. It proposes limiting the board's access to sensitive documentation while seeking to incorporate more legal protections. There are serious concerns that such changes could negatively impact workplace safety at nuclear facilities across the country, including the Callaway Nuclear Generating Station in Portland, Missouri.

The safety of nuclear materials have long been questioned. One way that the Department of Energy sought to placate those who questioned whether the well-being of workers was being prioritized was to work with a review board that oversees the operations of facilities that utilized nuclear materials. The proposed changes could now hamper this federal review board in ensuring the safety of employees who work with these materials. 

This country is described as the land of opportunity for immigrants searching for a better way of life. In the majority of cases, families have worked to make those dreams a reality and have improved the economy of many Missouri cities and towns where they settled. Unfortunately, there have been accounts of employers ignoring workplace safety regulations in order to cut operating costs -- which endangers the lives of those whom they employ.

Recently, a state branch of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an inspection of a slaughterhouse shortly after federal immigration agencies conducted a raid of the same business. After thoroughly reviewing the plant, inspectors discovered approximately 27 violations related to worker safety -- 23 of which are serious. The business was assessed fines in excess of $41,000 for violating federal safety standards.

Working in a factory can be a rewarding, albeit, dangerous occupation. The manufacturing of equipment often requires heavy machinery that demands close attention to detail as well as safeguards in order to prevent the risk of workers suffering serious injuries in an industrial accident. Unfortunately, even the most diligent Missouri employee can become a victim of a traumatic incident.

Recently, emergency crews were summoned to a manufacturing plant in response to a call involving a worker suffering a severe arm injury. Crews arrived to discover that a woman's forearm had been caught in machinery. She suffered an amputation of her lower arm and was receiving emergency aid from co-workers. In an attempt to stop the heavy bleeding, employees applied both pressure and bandaging until rescue personnel arrived on scene.