Posted on December 07, 2012 in Firm News

Older farmers have a higher risk of being injured, especially if they spend a lot of time operating heavy machinery, according to a new study by the University of Alberta.

The study found that farm workers ages 45 to 64 spent six or eight more days per year operating tractors and other farming machinery compared to farmers 20 years younger than them. The study says that this behavior puts older farm workers at a higher risk of being in a farm accident.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health showed that 551 workers in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry suffered fatal work injuries in 2009. Of those deaths, 278 occurred in crop production.

The CDC found that farm tractors are the most dangerous for older farm workers. Farm tractor accidents accounted for 2, 156 fatal occupational injuries during 1992 to 2001. They were also the leading cause of death in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry, according to the CDC. The CDC report also found that during 1992 to 1997, farm machinery accidents resulted in 1,021 fatal injuries.

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 Posted on November 28, 2012 in Car Accidents

The number of car collisions with deer declined in 2011, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The DOT announcement was good news since as the number of fatal crashes, injuries and motorists killed by car accidents involving deer has decreased.

Fatal car accidents involving deer resulted in six fatalities in Illinois during 2011. This was a decrease from the 10 reported fatalities in 2010. The number of injuries caused by deer-car collisions also declined from 634 in 2010 to 613 in 2011.

While the number of fatal car accidents involving deer has declined, the state DOT is still reminding motorists to pay attention while driving and be on the lookout for deer along the road, especially in more rural areas of the state.

The fall and winter months are the most common time for deer-car collisions to occur in Illinois. The DOT reminded drivers to slow down, drive defensively, obey speed limits and be alert for wildlife when driving at night. The DOT said that while the decrease in fatal deer-car collisions is a step in the right direction, more awareness and safety precautions need to be made.

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 Posted on November 19, 2012 in Car Accidents

Last week we discussed the dangers of drowsy driving and that teenagers are more likely to be involved in a drowsy driving accident. It is clear that drowsy driving has become a significant safety issue throughout the country but how many people can actually spot the signs of drowsy driving?

Drowsy driving can be caused by several factors and affect all different types of drivers. Roughly 60 percent of Americans have driven while feeling sleepy, according to the National Sleep Foundation. What's worse is that 37 percent of drivers have admitted to actually falling asleep behind the wheel during the last year.

Many people don't know the warning signs of drowsy driving. Drivers involved in drowsy driving accidents often were not aware that they were that tired or that they were falling asleep behind the wheel.

To fully understand the danger of drowsy driving, it is vital to know the warning signs. Here are several signs of drowsy driving that all drivers should be aware of:

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 Posted on November 16, 2012 in Car Accidents

The dangers of drowsy driving have not been covered as often by the media despite the fatal risks they pose to all drivers. The AAA foundation has named drowsy driving as the number one unrecognized traffic-safety issue in the U.S.

While drowsy driving is known to be dangerous, a new report emphasizes just how risky it is and how often it happens. Drivers age 16 to 24 are more likely to drive drowsy compared to any other age group, according to a new survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The survey found that one in seven drivers in this age group admitted to nodding off while they were driving at least once during the past year.

The AAA said that younger drivers have the highest risk of driving drowsy because they underestimate the risks. They also overestimate their driving experience and ability to deal with drowsy driving issues.

Despite drowsy driving not being discussed as often as distracted driving, it appears to be just as dangerous. Statistics by the AAA show that drowsy driving contributes to one in six fatal car accidents in the U.S. Drowsy driving also contributes to one in eight car accidents that require hospitalization.

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 Posted on November 07, 2012 in Firm News

Workplace accidents remain a threat for workers throughout the country, especially for farm workers. While the rate of workplace injuries and fatalities has slowly declined, the number of farm workers dying in grain bin and silo accidents remains steady.

The yearly number of silo and grain bin accidents has actually increased during the past decade, with 26 reported deaths in 2010. Farm safety advocates are baffled as to why silo and grain bin accidents continue to happen while overall farm accidents have declined, claiming that these types of accidents are very easy to prevent.

Why exactly are silos and grain bins dangerous to farm workers? Silo and grain bin accidents usually happen after the silos and grain bins become full of corn, wheat or soy bean grains. The grains then begin to build up on the sides of the silo. To get the grains off the side of the silo, workers go into the building to scrape off the built up grains.

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 Posted on September 28, 2012 in Firm News

Earlier this month an Illinois truck driver was involved in a tragic truck accident that resulted in multiple fatalities. It is believed the tractor-trailer driver failed to slow down when a prior accident caused a back-up on the interstate.

The crash occurred earlier this month in Nebraska on Interstate 80. A previous accident that occurred between two other tractor-trailers caused traffic to back up. Witnesses reported that the oncoming trucker appeared not to slow down to compensate for the slow moving traffic ahead.

The semi hit a Ford Mustang driven by a 30-year-old man. The Mustang then hit a Toyota Corolla driven by the wife of the man driving the Mustang. The man's wife also had the couple's two children in the car. All the vehicles went up in flames. Tragically, the entire family died at the scene of the accident.

The driver of the truck, now facing felony charges, was a driver for AKI Trucking which lists its physical address as Romeoville, Illinois. Although the cause of the accident is still being investigated, one possibility is driver fatigue. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), AKI Trucking has scores for fatigued driving which exceed guidelines and warrant intervention. Sadly, if driver fatigue played a factor in this crash, such an intervention comes too late.

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 Posted on August 28, 2012 in Firm News

A farm employee, who injured himself in a fall caused by a gust of wind, was recently awarded workers' compensation benefits following a decision by the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission (IWCC). The Torres v. Golden Oak Farms ruling may have implications for other agricultural employees and those who work outdoors.

The case involved a farm worker who was picking up trash outside, and placing the items in a garbage container. It was very windy outside, and while he was holding the garbage container a large gust of wind made him lose his balance. He lost grip of the container, and fell backwards onto his left arm. He injured both his shoulder and lumbar spine as a result of the fall.

The arbitrator did not agree with the farm's argument that the worker was not at any greater risk for injury than the general public. Since the worker was required to be outside and could not seek shelter away from the wind, the arbitrator found that the worker was subjected to a greater risk of injury than the general public. The Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission reviewed the arbitrator's decision and affirmed it.

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 Posted on August 23, 2012 in Articles

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 13.5 percent more fatal traffic accidents in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2012 than during the same time frame in 2011. The number of fatalities jumped from 6,720 to 7,630 nationwide during Q1 of 2012. First quarter motor vehicle accident fatalities had been declining nationally since 2006, when there were 9,558 traffic deaths during the first three months of that year.

Illinois was no exception to the unfortunate upward trend. The Chicago Sun-Times reports a nine percent increase in Illinois traffic fatalities from the first quarter of 2011 to the first quarter of 2012. While the number of deaths in Illinois and across the nation is easy to ascertain, the reason for the increase is not quite so clear.

Potential Causes

While there are many theories attempting to explain the increase, none pinpoint a single cause for the uptick. The most widely held view is that though winter weather usually keeps first-quarter accidents low, warmer weather in January, February and March of 2012 enabled more drivers to get out on the road. Others speculate that the increase of cars on the road is a result of an improving economy. Either way, more cars on the road will inevitably result in more traffic accidents.

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 Posted on August 01, 2012 in Car Accidents

Several new laws may make Illinois roads safer. Four bills targeting traffic accidents were recently signed into law by Governor Quinn. The goal of the new laws is to reduce Illinois auto accidents caused by speeding and distracted driving.

"Julie's Law" prohibits judges from giving speeding offenders court supervision if they go in excess of 25 mph of the speed limit on local roads or 30 mph on highways. Court supervision permits speeders to avoid having violations listed on their record by paying a fine and sometimes also attending traffic school. Current law only prohibits court supervisions in cases where the driver exceeded the limit by 40 mph.

The law was named for a 17-year-old girl who was killed in a collision allegedly caused by a driver going 76 mph in a 40 mph zone. According to reports, the speeding driver had seven previous court supervisions due to excessive speeding.

The other three bills all place further restrictions on the use of cellphones while driving. Current law bans the use of cellphones in school and work zones. The new laws expand the restriction to roadwork zones and accident scenes. With regard to the accident scene prohibition, it bans drivers from using their cellphones within 500 feet of the scene of an accident where the flashing lights of emergency vehicles are displayed.

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 Posted on June 15, 2012 in Firm News

In a news release yesterday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Flex-N-Gate Corp, operating in Urbana as Guardian West, with multiple health and safety violations for failing to properly monitor workers' chemical exposure. Workers were exposed to various chemicals, including hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and nickel, working on electroplating tanks used at the company's facility for manufacturing bumpers.

Of the nine violations, four relate to failing to provide proper medical surveillance for those workers exposed to chromium and chromic acid while doing decorative plating. The other violations include: failing to monitor the time each employee was exposed to chromium, not providing adequate training relating to hazardous chemicals, failing maintain chromium free surfaces and not providing the information needed for proper medical exams. If the chemical exposure workers' experienced resulted in workplace injury or illness the workers may be eligible for workers compensation benefits.

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