Chicago Illinois Legal Blog

Of all the different industries in Illinois, employees in the construction sector are at the highest risk. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the rate of fatal construction accidents exceeds the average rate of deaths in all industry sectors nationwide. What is concerning is the fact that most fatal injuries are caused by a few common types of accidents, which are all preventable by compliance with safety regulations.

One of the most significant hazards that construction workers face is working at heights. Not only are those working on elevated structures like scaffolds at risk of falling, but employees who work at lower levels could be struck by objects dropped by workers at higher levels. Even a small tool can cause a deadly injury if it falls a great distance. Electrocution hazards are present on all construction sites. Direct contact with power lines, incomplete electrical systems, exposed wiring or other live parts can cause injuries, and indirect contact with a conducting material or object can also cause death.

Although only medical marijuana use is currently legal in Illinois, there is growing support for recreational use as well. However, many questions are being asked about the impact this will have on workplace safety. How will business owners and their workers' compensation insurers deal with work injury claims filed by users of cannabis?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse says marijuana distorts perception and impairs judgment and short-term memory. Safety authorities have linked the use of cannabis to increased numbers of workplace injuries and accidents, believed to result from these short-term effects. They say marijuana also impairs workers' sense of timing and their reaction times, while it also alters their capabilities to solve problems. Furthermore, they believe the drug changes the thought patterns and sensory perception of users while it also impairs body movement.

Any Illinois workers who move about below others at higher levels will be at risk of being struck by falling tools. Even a small tool dropped from a significant height can cause a deadly workplace injury. However, it is not only workers on high-altitude work sites such as scaffolds and masts that must take care. Those on elevated areas of warehouses and other workplaces also have to be careful.

According to prescribed safety regulations, all tools used at heights must be tethered by lanyards to a tool belt worn by the worker, or to the structure on which he or she is working. Authorities say the question is not which tools to tether but rather which tools to take onto the elevated work area because every piece of equipment or tool must be tethered. For this reason, careful consideration is necessary when tools to take on the job are selected.

Every summer, workers nationwide, including some in Illinois, suffer heat-related illnesses. Heat stroke can be a life-threatening condition, and the resulting medical expenses and lost wages can adversely impact a victim's financial stability. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have developed a tool that might keep workers safe who are exposed to summer heat.

The OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool is an app that workers can access on their mobile phones. It is not only available in English but also in Spanish, and it can be used for heat index calculation. Those who work in full sunlight might experience a 15-degree Fahrenheit increase in the heat index, and precautions are essential to protect workers. By using the Heat Safety Tool, the level of risk for exposed workers will be displayed, based on the heat index.