OSHA updating rules on falling hazards in the workplace
An OSHA ruling more than 25 years in the making has cleared the final hurdles towards implementation. Workers in Oklahoma and around the country may soon find their workplace safety protections against falling more robust than ever before. Guard rails and other physical barriers are the primary forms of fall prevention in the workplace. OSHA […]
Workers’ compensation benefits decline to historic low
According to a study, workers’ compensation benefits have fallen to the lowest level since 1980 around the country. This may be due to changes in the laws in Oklahoma to limit access to workers’ compensation when workers are injured. It might also be attributed to fewer people being injured at work or their returning to […]
OSHA report regarding Oklahoma workplace injuries
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released its findings on the severe injury reporting process the agency put in place effective Jan. 1, 2015. Under this system, employers are required to notify OSHA of work-related hospitalizations, amputations and losses of an eye within 24 hours of the event taking place. Based on data submitted […]
Workplace computer time can cause eye problems
Many Oklahoma employees are required to use a computer at work. While computers are a convenient tool, there are health hazards associated with spending too much time in front of one. Carpal tunnel syndrome is perhaps the best-known computer-related health hazard, but individuals may also develop “computer vision syndrome” as a result of staring at […]
The financial cost of workplace accidents
Work injuries in Oklahoma cost employees and their families in lost working hours and medical bills. Employers also lose money from the lost productivity that can result from workplace accidents. According to data that was gathered in 2013 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers lost almost $62 billion due to serious workplace accidents. […]
Workers’ compensation and the commute to work
Most Oklahoma employees are covered by their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance, but understanding how coverage works can be confusing. Most accidents or injuries that are job-related are covered, even if they don’t happen on the work site. Injuries that happen while a person is traveling for work may be covered, but injuries on the way […]
Workers’ compensation insurance in Oklahoma
Employers are generally required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance that provides financial benefits to workers who are injured or become sick while on the job. Workers are covered while at their workplaces or performing their duties at another location, but coverage is not extended to those injured in automobile accidents while commuting to or from […]
OSHA reminds employers of the dangers of heat in the workplace
It’s no secret that summer temperatures in Oklahoma and across the nation can get pretty high. That’s why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiates a campaign each year designed to educate employers and outdoor workers about the dangers of heat-related injuries and illnesses. Data compiled by the agency reveals that heat stroke claimed the […]
Opioid prescriptions decline for injured workers in Oklahoma
After analyzing the data from approximately 1.9 million prescriptions linked to more than 337,000 nonsurgical workers’ compensation claims across 25 states, the Workers Compensation Research Institute calculated a drop in the amount of opioids prescribed to workers in Oklahoma and several other states. The study compared 24-month periods ending in March 2012 and March 2014, […]
Teens new to workforce at risk for work-related injuries
Many Oklahoma teenagers take summer jobs so that they can earn their own money. For teens who are new to the workforce, however, taking on a first job can be difficult. They may feel required to complete every task that they’re assigned, even if there’s a significant risk of injury. In fact, younger workers are […]