Posted on July 10, 2013 in Firm News

Employers are required by law to provide proactive safety measures including training and inspections to ensure a safe environment for all employees and to minimize the risk of workplace injury. The guidelines developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are implemented with these same goals in mind.

A scrap metal company with multiple locations in Illinois has received multiple citations for breaking the stated OSHA guidelines. Many of the violations are noted as “serious” by OSHA, a label given by the organization to an action has a high chance of resulting in either the death or serious injury of a worker. The latest inspection of the company was conducted as part of an OSHA program that focuses on companies with a higher than typical rate of reported injuries on the job. 

The Midland Davis Corporation plant in Pekin, IL received citations in 2012. Now, the Moline, IL plant is the subject of 19 citations with a combined fine of nearly $65,000. Violations include the lack of protection against falls, leaving damaged equipment in use, lack of periodic safety inspections and lack of proper training for power vehicle operators and more. The company’s actions leave workers vulnerable to injury, according to OSHA.

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 Posted on July 05, 2013 in Firm News

Midwest farmers are keenly aware of the risks inherent with farming. Safety on farms around equipment from tractors to grain bins to combines and more is a must. The life of every farmer depends upon proper safety procedures and awareness and every farm owner or manager has the responsibility to provide the safest working conditions possible.

As testament to the importance of safety, one local organization is focusing efforts to help reduce accidents related to grain bins. Grain bin explosions or other accidents have a high rate of fatality and to help combat that, the Jasper County Farm Bureau in Indiana is providing special tubes to protect farm workers trapped in a grain bin to local volunteer fire departments. The tubes are part of a more comprehensive grain safety education program designed to help keep local Midwest farmers safe from farm accidents while on the job. 

The special products are known as “Liberty Rescue Tubes” and work by being pushed into the grain bin to shield a trapped worker until emergency personnel or other farm employees can open the bin to release the farmer inside. The ability to gain additional minutes to free a farmer from inside a grain bin can not only reduce any potential injury but literally can mean the difference between life and death for that worker.

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 Posted on June 28, 2013 in Firm News

The decision to move a family member into a nursing home is never easy. Concern for their well-being of is strong. That concern involves basic care to ensuring that staff members treat residents caringly and provide a good environment in which they can live well, free from neglect or abuse. Nursing homes in rural areas, such as in Central Illinois, may not be close to where family members can visit daily, making abuse harder to notice.

Nursing home abuse can be mistreatment on the part of staff members, abuse from other residents or either coupled with a cover-up by staff or administration. The family of one resident at the Pomeroy Care Center in Iowa is suing the nursing home for alleged sexual abuse by another resident, a known sex offender. The family alleges that the nursing home admitted a known sex offender without providing proper protection for other residents. They also claim that the Iowa Department of Human Services, knowing that the alleged abuser was being placed in the home, did not proactively take the steps necessary to ensure other residents would be safe from nursing home abuse. 

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 Posted on June 18, 2013 in Firm News

Motorists in Illinois farming communities need to be alert not just to other cars or trucks on the road but also to tractors at all times. Similarly, tractor drivers must remain constantly aware of their own safety while operating tractors on local and state roads. Injuries resulting from a tractor accident, tractor trailer accident or tractor-motor vehicle accident can be serious, even deadly.

Unfortunately, such was the case recently in Cumberland County when a truck rear-ended a tractor near the intersection of U.S. 45 and Illinois 121. A female passenger in the truck was killed as a result of the collision. The truck driver was treated at a local hospital but later released. It was not indicated if the tractor driver suffered any injuries. The amount of damage to either vehicle was also not noted.

The accident occurred at night and further illustrates again the need for vigilance when driving on rural Illinois roads. A truck accident such as this can occur in a flash and, sadly, result in the loss of life. Law enforcement authorities report that the truck driver received a citation for both his failure to reduce speed in an effort to prevent or avoid an accident as well as for driving under the influence.

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 Posted on June 10, 2013 in Firm News

Many people in rural Illinois work in agriculture but working on a commercial or private farm is not without risk. These farms often store a number of fuel barrels, chemicals, fertilizers and heavy equipment which can pose a serious threat when a farm accident occurs, especially in the event of a fire since these substances are quite flammable.  Therefore, it is important for first responders to know where hazards may be on the farm.

Whether responding to tractor accidents, combine accidents, grain bin explosions or more, firefighters often have only seconds to respond in order to save a life or minimize the risk of long-term injury. However, a pilot program involving the firefighters, researchers and farmers shows that an online database which stores the locations of dangerous substances on farms could be of great benefit to farm workers when an accident happens.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that during an eight year period, between 430 and 560 farm workers were involved in fatal on-the-job farm accidents on commercial and large private farms. The pilot program creates a map to help first responders quickly locate where water and power controls are on the farm that can be accessed with a simple scan of a hand-held device like a tablet. With such information, the chance of reaching injured workers is improved. However, plans to expand the program are on hold due to budget issues.  

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 Posted on June 03, 2013 in Firm News

Agriculture is ranked as one of the most hazardous industries in our country today. Illionois agricultural workers are at risk every day of tractor accidents, combine accidents, grain bin explosions and more. Due to the involvement of machinery, resulting injuries can result in the loss of limbs or even life. The ability to be aware of an accident and respond as quickly as possible is one component to ideally minimize the severity of injuries or save lives. Many farm accidents happen in a second and leave the victim unable to call for, or otherwise obtain help.

Given that tractors are often utilized on parts of a commercial farm with little to no other structures or roads nearby, accidents frequently leave the operator alone. It is estimated that about 10 percent of tractor operators will be involved in a rollover at least once in their working years. 

However, commercial farms may soon be able to utilize mobile technology to get help in the event of tractor accidents resulting in rollovers.  An app designed to automatically send both phone and email messages in the event of a detected tractor rollover is in the final phase of research now. If approved, the app would be available for download to any smartphone or tablet device and installed on the actual tractor for maximum accuracy.

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 Posted on May 31, 2013 in Articles

According to state-by-state statistics compiled by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Illinois ranks right in the middle of the states when it comes to the percentage of total motor vehicle fatalities caused by drunk driving. Statistics, though, cannot capture the personal impact of each DUI accident.

Illinois numbers

In 2010, the latest year of complete statistics in MADD's report, 278 people died in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents on Illinois roads. This figure represents 30 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in the state that year. While the proportion of alcohol-related fatalities declined by 4.8 percent from 2009, the number is still striking.

Statistics on repeat DUI are not encouraging. Close to 50,000 drivers were charged with third-time DUI offenses in Illinois in 2010, and over 5,600 were charged with a fifth offense. A survey of alcohol use included in the MADD report does not inspire hope for improvement, as teens and even pre-teens report consuming alcoholic beverages. Among young people aged 12 to 20, 28.1 percent reported that they had used alcohol recently, within the past month; and nearly one fifth of those in this age group, 19.4 percent, reported binge drinking in the past month.

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 Posted on May 30, 2013 in Firm News

The exact impact of vehicular speed in crashes varies, based on many factors, but there is nonetheless a connection between higher speeds and more severe accident outcomes, including brain injuries, amputations, and spinal cord injuries. In a truck accident, for example, one reason may be the increased impact that naturally occurs as the rate of movement climbs. Another might be the decreased time for driver response when travelling faster.

A recent opinion expressed concern about increased risks of collisions if a new bill is successful in raising the speed limit in Illinois from 65 to 70 miles per hour. The opinion points out that the enactment of such a law would result in more deaths and uses findings from studies to back up their argument. While supporters of the bill point out that the speed increase could be friendly for businesses in the state, the opinion says that traveling at higher speeds will create more accidents because people will fail to increase their distance from other vehicles.

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 Posted on May 20, 2013 in Firm News

Car accidents continue to kill drivers in the U.S. every day. Despite safety efforts to reduce fatal car accidents, a new report found that fatal car accidents have increased during the last year. A total of 34.080 deaths due to traffic fatalities were reported in 2012, which is a 5.3 percent increase. 

Traffic safety experts say that this is the first time traffic fatalities have increased in the U.S. during the last seven years. Due to the significant increase in fatalities in just one year, experts are trying to figure out why more people are being killed in car accidents. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that traffic fatalities increased in every category they analyzed. They reported that fatal accidents increased in every season as well as in every region in the U.S.

In addition to fatal car accidents increasing last year, the report also noted that more bicyclists and pedestrians were killed in accidents last year too. The NHTSA reported that fatal bicycle accidents increased by nine percent last year, and fatal pedestrian accidents increased by four percent.

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 Posted on May 16, 2013 in Articles

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distraction is a factor in approximately one in five car crashes that result in injury. Most distraction related crashes are completely preventable, and Illinois lawmakers have already taken steps to reduce the number of injuries and deaths caused by electronic distraction behind the wheel. But could more be done?

Currently, all drivers in Illinois are prohibited from texting, and cellphone use is banned completely in school zones and highway construction zones. Yet, there is evidence that even just talking on the phone behind the wheel can be dangerous. If ultimately passed, a new measure in the Illinois Senate could prohibit all handheld cellphone use by drivers.

Texting major danger for drivers, but talking on a cellphone also distracting

A Virginia Tech study commissioned by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that mobile electronic devices are the number one source of driver distraction. Texting behind the wheel is a particularly dangerous use of a wireless device behind the wheel, because it involves all three major forms of distraction: cognitive (taking your mind off the road), manual (taking your hands off the wheel) and visual (looking away from the road).

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