Synopsis Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace. More than 2.8 billion workers are injured on the job each year and thousands more die from work-related accidents that could have been prevented by proper trainings and protections. The top 10 most frequently cited [...]
4 Common Causes of Forklift Operator Injury or Death Forklifts are common work vehicles used by most of Kentucky’s construction and manufacturing industries. Also known as powered industrial trucks (PITS), forklifts are used most often to lift heavy loads and transport supplies and can either be operated by a trained worker or controlled by a [...]
Workplace Fatalities Dropped in 2017 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) report released on December 18, 2018, there were 43 fewer workplace fatalities in 2017 than the previous year. A rate that also decreased from 3.6 percent in 2016 to 3.5 percent in 2017 nationwide. In Kentucky, the rate [...]
Investigators & Employers Knew of Coal Miners Risk of Black Lung Disease The multiyear investigation led by NPR and the PBS program Frontline is continuing to release more information about the rise in Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP), an epidemic commonly referred to as black lung disease. The groups continued their reporting on December 18, 2018 stating that [...]
Substance Abuse and Kentucky’s New Workers’ Compensation Law Workers injured on the job in Kentucky, are covered by the state’s workers’ compensation laws – with few exceptions for independent contractors, domestic workers, and most volunteers. Workers’ compensation provides injured workers with funding for medical costs, temporary disability, or permanent disability if lingering injuries or impairments [...]
Kentucky Legislation Supports Workplace Accommodations for Pregnant and Nursing Women A new bill dubbed the Kentucky Pregnant Workers’ Rights Act could make Kentucky the 24th state to require workplace accommodations like more breaks, fair treatment, and support for pregnant women and employees who are nursing. The act will ensure no pregnant woman is forced out [...]
Two Worker Deaths in One Week at Montaplast Plant in Frankfort Another worker tragedy, the second in less than a week, has occurred at the Montaplast of North America, Inc. plant in Franklin County. Initial reports say a production engineer died from an electrical shock while another worker is being treated for serious electrical injuries. [...]
Black Lung Benefits Take a Hit from State Workers’ Compensation Measure Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), also known as black lung disease, is a complicated fatal disease that has been responsible for the deaths of about 78,000 coal miners since the late 1960s. A new tweak to a Kentucky law has caused an uproar with coal [...]
Workers’ Comp Program Supports Young Workers Almost every employee in Kentucky is covered by the commonwealth’s Workers' Compensation Law, including minors. Kentucky’s Department of Workers’ Claims, which is attached to the Labor Cabinet, administers the workers’ compensation program. The department has reported in its Fiscal Year 2016- 2017 Annual Report, there were 391 injuries to [...]
New Data Reveals Kentucky’s Workers May Be Getting Hurt Less Often For the first time in Kentucky’s labor history, the state has reached the lowest rate of nonfatal workplace incidents. The most recent data (2016) supporting this claim was released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau’s report showed that Kentucky’s rate of [...]
