Articles Posted in Uncategorized

Do you need a harness on a scissor lift? In most cases, no. OSHA treats scissor lifts as work platforms covered by the scaffold standard, so a compliant guardrail system generally provides the required fall protection. You may need a personal fall arrest or restraint system when guardrails are not provided or cannot protect the…

Chicago’s skyline is full of glass towers, and someone has to keep those windows clean. It’s dangerous work. A high-rise window washer accident can happen in seconds when a cable snaps, a bosun’s chair tips, or an anchor point gives way hundreds of feet above the street. When rigging fails, the fall is rarely survivable…

A worker climbs into a grain bin to break up a clog. Thirty seconds later, the grain has swallowed him to the waist. By the time help arrives, it is often too late. This is the grim reality behind grain bin entrapment deaths in Illinois, where agricultural confined-space incidents remain a serious safety concern. Families…

If you were hurt operating or standing near a forklift and think you made a mistake, you are probably asking whether you can still get workers’ comp if the accident was my fault. The answer isn’t always the same.  In Illinois, the answer is almost always yes. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, meaning your…

Does my employer have to pay for PPE? Generally, the answer is yes.  Under OSHA rules, employers must provide and pay for personal protective equipment (PPE) when it is required to protect employees from workplace hazards, subject to limited exceptions. Workers generally should not have to buy required protective equipment out of pocket simply because…

Grain auger entanglement injuries can happen in seconds, leaving Illinois farm workers with crushed feet, severe lacerations, traumatic amputations, or fatal injuries. Grain augers move large quantities of corn, soybeans, and other agricultural products, but their rotating screws and moving parts can become deadly when workers are exposed to unguarded machinery. A worker may step…

A hay baler hand injury often happens in seconds. A glove, sleeve, or bare hand gets pulled into a moving belt, chain, or rotating shaft, and the machine does not stop on its own.  These machines move fast and apply tremendous force, which is why hay baling season brings a real risk of severe lacerations,…

A table saw injury at work can cause severe cuts, nerve damage, fractures, or permanent amputation in a matter of seconds. In Illinois, an injured worker may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through their employer, but the employer is not always the only party responsible.  Depending on how the accident happened, a defective saw…

Workers may experience pesticide exposure symptoms at work in the form of nausea, breathing trouble, skin irritation, or more serious long-term illness.  Illinois law allows exposed workers to pursue workers’ compensation benefits and a third-party injury claim in certain cases, but strict deadlines apply to protect that right. Pesticides are not limited to farm fields.…

Workers in Illinois have the right to report dangerous workplace conditions. If you have spotted a serious hazard on the job, knowing how to report an OSHA violation anonymously is often the first question on your mind.  The good news is that OSHA accepts anonymous safety complaints. However, reporting a safety hazard and filing a…