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Created: 16 October 2015

Construction workers often land on ‘top ten’ lists of most dangerous jobs across the country. That's one reason why the state of New York has specific labor laws to protect these workers. In looking at workplace safety and the real risks that workers face on the job, media venues will sometimes look at statistical lists to determine which types of occupations are considered the most dangerous jobs in the country. In recent years, analysts have used these lists to express surprise that law enforcement individuals or those who are often considered to be doing explicitly high-risk work for higher pay and benefits are not actually on most of these lists. Instead, many of these roles relate to physical trades where many accidents and injuries are preventable according to workplace safety protocols and safeguards.

Looking at the List

In terms of the most dangerous jobs around, there are several that are near the top of almost any list. For example, in a list from Forbes Magazine based on government statistics, roofers are listed at number four, directly after loggers, fishermen and pilots. General construction laborers are listed at number 10 behind farmers and ranchers, truck drivers, electricians and recycling professionals. A detailed study directly from the government Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an index of relative risk for fatal occupational injuries as recorded in 1995. Here, roofers were ranked seventh, directly after construction laborers at sixth place. Fishermen and logging professionals topped this list as well, followed by airline production, steelworkers and taxicab drivers.

The Need for Key Workplace Safety Provisions

Although these industries experience tragic rates of fatalities and accidents, many of them can be avoided by improving workplace safety protocols. Companies need to invest in training and safety equipment, as well as personal protective equipment for workers, including things like goggles, gloves, helmets, respiratory masks, heavy boots and harnesses. Companies also need to put in place operational processes that are as safe as they can be. Unfortunately, too many companies skimp on safety and the results are evident. Although the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides penalties and fines for safety offenders, according to many advocates of high-risk workers, safety is not fully incentivized the way that it could be and not all companies keep safety at the forefront. After a workplace accident, a personal injury attorney will look at an injured worker’s case according to its full context and in consideration of federal, state and local law, as well as case precedent. Injury victims rely on these legal professionals to do the necessary fact-finding and research to back up injury claims. They look to professional injury attorneys for a fair assessment of their legal options and want to know how to move forward with the case.

Let RMFW Help You

Anyone harmed in a construction accident in New York or a family that has suffered a loss, can call the New York City wrongful death attorneys at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. We work to help injury victims and their families access their rights under the law. Let us help you through every step of a personal injury or wrongful death case to get your voice heard in local New York City courts.

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Created: 05 October 2015

New York Police Department officials think that a physician of questionable caliber fled to England after the death of a patient on May 30. A 34-year-old BET employee from Maryland traveled to Queens for silicone injections to her backside, but a homicide occurred as the cause of death was systemic silicone emboli because of the butt injections.

Read more: Plastic surgery procedure gone wrong leads to homicide

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Created: 23 September 2015

One critical consideration in the workplace is the use of motorized vehicles to move products or conduct any other types of core operations. These vehicles often require specific training for the employees who operate them. They have the ability to cause a variety of serious accidents that can lead to major injuries or even death, including collisions with other equipment or individuals or situations where cargo falls from above. To help minimize risk, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) demonstrates some of the issues with these vehicles and workers. Regulators typically look at how these types of powered equipment present risks and what can be done to keep everyone safer at work.

What Do Powered Trucks and Forklifts Do?

As OSHA points out, these vehicles are often primarily used to move products or materials within a warehouse or other space. They often move objects vertically and horizontally to put them in a specific destination, such as in horizontal or raised storage, onto a truck or onto a warehouse floor. Some of these vehicles are driven from the driver’s seat while on others, the operator rides on the back. Some are even controlled by a walking operator.

Safety Issues with Forklifts and Powered Trucks

OSHA also evaluates the safety hazards of each type of vehicle. Certain kinds of high-rise forklifts which are often driven from the driver’s seat can experience weight imbalances that can cause them to flip over or crash. High-powered industrial trucks can cause collisions or fall off of an uneven surface. In addressing these issues, workplace managers should integrate specific components into training to make sure that operators know how to control their vehicles to avoid accidents.

Safety Protocols

OSHA recommends that operators of forklifts and industrial trucks pass certain training courses to demonstrate their knowledge and commitment to safety on the job. The regulator also points out that federal law prevents minors under 18 years of age from driving these types of vehicles.

Evaluating Forklift and Industrial Truck Accidents

When injury lawyers are called on to represent clients in a work accident case, they will look at the ways in which any of these vehicles were operated at the scene. They will assess the training and qualifications of operators, as well as the conditions on the ground where the vehicles were operated. For instance, attorneys will look at whether any obstacles presented risks due to sight distance or whether insufficiently wide halls or spaces made operation hazardous. These lawyers do all of this to benefit the best interests of their client in order to help an injury victim get the best chance of compensation for costs including medical bills, lost wages, and more.

Get Legal Help From New York City Wrongful Death Attorneys

If you or someone you love was injured or killed in a New York City work accident, call the New York personal injury lawyers at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. Our experienced attorneys can help with the process of bringing personal injury and wrongful death claims through New York courts. Let us help your family get justice.

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Created: 09 September 2015

When people look at workplace safety, they tend to look at standard operations and plan accordingly; but sometimes it's when unusual things happen that there’s the highest risk of an accident. This is particularly true with regard to the kinds of high-pressure, powerful machines and equipment used in any physical trades, in manufacturing and in different types of industrial situations. Employers should really brainstorm and look beyond “business as usual” to figure out how to protect frontline workers, both in order to take care of their employees and to prevent significant liability.

Maintenance and Equipment Service

It's no surprise to a lot of people who work in physical industries that many workers are harmed each year when they attempt to maintain or service active industrial equipment. Employers should build a thorough checklist and go over this with all maintenance and service staff and even other people in related roles to make sure that certain things happen before service or maintenance begins. Machines should be fully powered off and disconnected from power sources as needed. Safety guards or rails should be in place and other precautions may apply.

Moving Machines Around

Sometimes, machines or equipment have to be relocated on the shop floor, especially if workers are dealing with a limited space. A staff change or other event may trigger some of these situations. When relocating pieces of equipment, it's important to figure out whether they will present hazards in their new positions, including safety for electrical cables and other connections and adequate space for operation.

Newly-Calibrated Machinery

When various parts of the machine architecture need to be renovated or changed in order to support new design or production processes, it's important to communicate that to workers. Changes in calibration or production, combined with changes in staffing, can be disastrous if the new people don't understand how to use the machines in a new way.

The Machine-to-Machine Age

In today's high-tech business world, many companies are utilizing things like machine-to-machine or M2M technologies where individual pieces of equipment ‘talk’ to each other over the Internet using embedded sensors and wireless connection devices. But these also raise other safety questions where human decision-makers need to able to do overrides for processes, closely observe M2M communications, or otherwise intervene to ensure 100 percent safety.

Taking Care of Injury Victims

Professional injury attorneys arrive on the scene after an accident has already happened. They evaluate what types of hazards contributed to the injury and whether or not a third party has responsibility for any negligence or inattention to work safety protocols.

New York City Wrongful Death Attorneys: We Handle Wrongful Death and Injury Scenarios

Physical trades or industrial workers in New York who have been hurt on the job can talk to the caring and attentive lawyers at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. Our experienced personal injury attorneys know how to guide clients through the entire process of filing and pursuing a personal injury claim in New York City courts. Let us help your voice be heard after a workplace accident.

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Created: 28 August 2015

Wrongful death cases and the circumstances surrounding them are typically tough to deal with on so many levels. The family is often in emergency mode while simultaneously trying to come to grips with the disaster and tragic loss of a loved one. At the same time, family members may be embarking on a quest to get as much information as possible from an employer in order to determine what actually happened at a job site. As a result, there is an overload of emotions and many individuals may feel overwhelmed. People react to tragedy and loss in different ways – some just “give up” and retreat from the loudness of daily life. Others go the opposite direction and become very aggressive, demanding to know all of the exact details and leaning heavily on employer representatives, insurance company personnel and others to get the full story. However, the aggressive approach does not often take them very far because employers and insurance companies have their own built-in defenses to help them handle outside scrutiny. With all of this in play, there's a real need for someone who's able to come in and assist from an objective and impartial standpoint -- someone (or several people) who can take on all of the complex and delicate tasks associated with a wrongful death investigation, from doing all of the fact-finding and research, to communicating with all of the involved parties in a way that's calm, professional and effective. How Attorneys Can Help in These Situations Personal injury and wrongful death attorneys generally act as advocates for their clients, respecting the feelings of family members and making sure that the family’s best interests are served in a court of law. This might mean bringing family members up-to-date on court hearings or other events. It might mean going up against the legal teams serving employers or insurance companies. And it just might mean listening and being attentive, helping clients understand their legal options and letting them make the tough decisions while having good counsel on their side. Professional wrongful death lawyers work to show possible defendants or responsible parties that just because a family is bereaved, they are not going to back down from a fair and equitable legal solution. We’re New York City Wrongful Death Attorneys: Call Us In cases where a New York family has experienced the tragedy of a workplace fatality or other wrongful death situation, family members can call the law offices of Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. Our experienced wrongful death lawyers will do the legal fact-finding and gather appropriate documentation to support a wrongful death claim and help clients get their voices heard in New York courts. Ask us about bringing a wrongful death claim in the state of New York, and get attentive, qualified legal counsel on your side through your time of grief.