Posts tagged "Workers' compensation"

It is of course possible to be injured at work regardless of one's job. The risks associated with some jobs are however, inherently greater than with others, due to the type of tasks associated with the various positions. While those who sit at their desks in front of computer screens all day may find themselves injured in work accidents, it seems to many that those who work at Seattle construction sites are much more likely to be hurt while performing tasks associated with their job.

Last month, a Washington construction worker was hurt. The man, who is in his 30s, was reportedly working at a Bellevue construction site near the intersection of Southeast 20th street and 106th. As he stood next to a boom truck with a chain in his hands, he was shocked. Though unconfirmed, it is suspected that the boom truck made contact with electrical wires overhead.

A Seattle firefighter who was seriously injured in an on-the-job accident has won a legal victory in his workers compensation claim against the fire department where he had worked for ten years. A state court of appeals upheld a jury verdict that awarded the ten-year department veteran $12.75 million in 2009.

The accident occurred in 2003 when the man got out of bed to use the restroom in a dark bunkhouse and fell through the fire-pole hole. The hole was not protected by a guardrail, and the floor below was made of concrete. The fireman lost consciousness and suffered severe injuries. He fractured his pelvis and several vertebrae, broke ten of his ribs and suffered a head injury. His lung, bladder and liver were also injured in the fall.

The operator of a crane at the Seattle shipyard, Vigor Industrial, was injured earlier this week. His injuries were due to the collapse of the crane he was operating. It, along with the man, ended up with the water.

This work accident comes on the heels of a fatal accident that occurred at the site earlier this month. In a previous post we wrote about the worker's death after a fall from scaffolding at the Harbor Island location, formerly home to Todd Pacific Shipyards.

Every day people throughout the state of Washington work hard at their jobs. In return, it is up to businesses to make sure their employees work in a safe environment. Though injuries can occur in any type of position, the most serious injuries generally occur at construction sites where dangerous machinery is often in use. While most people make it through the day safely, unfortunately, there are occasions when accidents occur.

One such accident occurred July 15, 2011, at a plant located 20 miles north of Seattle. The injured man is employed by concrete-cutting company Penhall. Penhall is a subcontractor to the contractor on the project, Schuchart.

After investigating an explosion from December, the State Department of Labor and Industries announced last month that Hops Extract of America will be fined $5,200 for the incident that put several employees' lives in danger.

The worksite accident occurred Dec. 10 at the company's Yakima, Washington, warehouse. One worker was on a catwalk near the origin of the explosion and was sent flying in the incident. He suffered critical injuries from the blast and was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. An update on the man's condition has not been reported.

The explosion was so strong that the warehouse's doors and windows were busted. Several other warehouse workers suffered minor injuries in the incident as well. Fortunately no one was killed in the incident, but state investigators did discover that the explosion could have been prevented.