A lot of New Yorkers make their living working blue-collar jobs. These people are at high risk for occupational illness because they can be exposed to various dangers that may lead to long-term medical care.
A worker from a recycling facility in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn suddenly collapsed and died while working on a conveyor line. The cause of death was exposure to excessive heat. This prompted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate the company, which led them to find out that the company was actually violating not just one, but eight health and safety violations. Furthermore, OSHA also found out that workers were not properly trained and protected when working in extremely hot environments, making them more vulnerable to serious illnesses such as heat stroke. Aside from temperature-related violations, workers risked exposure to falls, lacerations and electrocution hazards.
All of these hazards can result in long-term medical care that will certainly cause a huge amount of medical expenses to pile up. Adding financial burden to health problems will only make the situation worse.
As a worker employed in New York, you should make sure that your safety and health is given the importance it deserves in the workplace. Workplace illness should not be taken lightly, and employees would be well advised to make themselves aware of workers’ compensation laws that govern their area. If you become ill due to factors within your workplace environment, you should seek justice and financial compensation for the physical toll on your most valuable asset, your health.
Source: NYDailyNews.com, “Williamsburg recycling facility fined $40K in ‘heat-related death’ of employee,” Natalie Musumeci, Jan. 31, 2014
