Syracuse Injury Lawyer Blog

Syracuse jobsite accidents causing workplace injuries are common. According to the Department of Labor, countless workplace injuries occur every year, leading to tens of thousands of injured workers. Those most likely to suffer a workplace injury include construction workers, those working around machinery, and those involved in manufacturing and transportation.

According to a new study by the United States Government Accountability Office, many company doctors under pressure from employers are concealing workplace injuries. In extreme cases, company doctors are providing inadequate medical care to injured workers. According to a GAO survery:

* 1/3 of company doctors interviewed reported being directed by employers to provide inadequate care to injured employees to improve the appearance of company injury report logs;

* 1/2 of company doctors interviewed reported receiving pressure from company officials to minimize worker illnesses and laborer injuries; and

* 2/3 of company doctors interviewed reported knowing about employees who did not report workplace injuries because they feared company discipline.

One example of collusion between company officials and company doctors to better company safety records is the treatment of cuts. Workplace lacerations that are closed with stitches must be reported to OSHA. However, cuts that are closed with a bandage are not reported. Another example is the certification of a workplace injury, even a very serious injury, as one that requires only "first aid." Injuries treated by "first aid" need not be reported.

Tom O'Connor, executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, commented on the GAO's findings. He stated that they were "dramatic," adding: "If healthcare professionals are being asked to not record injuries properly, then we have a pretty broken system."

Continue reading "New York Workplace Injuries Going Unreported" »

The laundry room of Faxton St.-Luke's Hospital, based in Utica, caught fire on Saturday. According to firefighters, the smoldering fire was caused by laundry lint and pipe insulation that had been ignited by sparks created by welding underway to repair a washing machine. The worker was not injured on the job and, fortunately, the fire was extinguished before any hospital patients were injured due to smoke inhalation or burned by flames.

Generally, hospital fires occur in the kitchen and other cooking areas -- as many as 1,600 each year. According to the National Fire Protection Association, as many as 52% of hospital blazes arise out of cooking-related activities. Often, this is because there is a heat source, fuel source, and poor supervision.

Very few hospital fires cause fatalities. On average, only one death per year. By comparison, the Centers for Disease Control reports that as many an 99,000 people die each year from infections acquired during a hospital admission.

Continue reading "Utica Hospital Fire Injures No Workers Or Patients" »