Safety Tips

Chicago — Opioid-related overdoses claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 Midwest construction workers in 2015 – part of an opioid crisis that cost the region’s industry more than $5 billion in health care expenses and lost time and production, according to a recent report from the Midwest Economic Policy Institute.

Retail workers experienced a combined injury and illness rate higher than the construction industry in 2016. Experts say top-down commitment is needed to prevent a work environment that values inventory over safety.

If you have arthritis, you’re not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 23 percent of all adults in the United States – roughly 54 million people – have arthritis, a term that refers to more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect the joints.

A pinch point is “any point at which it is possible for a person or part of a person’s body to be caught between moving parts of a machine, or between the moving and stationary parts of a machine, or between material and any part of the machine,” states the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

A 47-year-old maintenance mechanic died after the equipment he was in came in contact with a power line.

Philadelphia — Seeking to gain insights on how an injury to one part of the body potentially can lead to other injuries, University of Pennsylvania and Haverford College researchers have developed a mathematical model for all human muscles and bones.

For millions of workers, riding in an elevator is an everyday occurrence.

Woodworking machines – with their moving parts and sharp blades – can be extremely dangerous if not used correctly. Amputations, blindness and lacerations are common injuries related to working with these machines.

A 49-year-old carpenter died after falling from an extension ladder.