Retail industry workers miss an average of 24 days of work due to injuries, according to a report released Thursday by AmTrust Financial Services Inc. The average loss due to injury paid to retail workers is $11,641 for men and $7,030 for women, according to New York-based AmTrust’s Retail Risk Report, which analyzed 20,000 workers compensation insurance claims from its…
Nonfatal occupational illnesses and injuries held steady in 2018, marking the first time since 2009 that they did not decline, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. Private employers reported 900,380 occupational injuries or illnesses that caused a worker to miss a day of work in 2018, and 2.8 instances of occupational illnesses or injuries per 100 full-time equivalent workers…
A worker claims his employment was terminated after he made a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Lyle Tonnon, who currently lives in Green Bay, Wisc., filed suit Sept. 30 against Belleville company Royalty Tech following his termination on Feb. 27, a week after he suffered a workplace injury. Tonnon is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, plus other amounts including…
Workers compensation benefits paid to injured workers continue to decline, although covered employment and wages have continued to rise, according to study released Thursday by the National Academy of Social Insurance. In 2017, $62 billion in workers compensation benefits were paid, but medical benefits declined nearly 20% between 2013 and 2017 and cash benefits declined just under 17% in this…
An employee of a St. Clair County company alleges he was fired unlawfully after being injured at work and applying for benefits. Arlando V. Lusk filed suit Sept. 26 against Cardinal Pump Company in St. Clair County Circuit Court, alleging violations of the Workers’ Compensation Act along and “willful and wanton” conduct. Cardinal Pump, which distributes pumps, did not immediately…
Medical payments for workers compensation claims grew in several states between 2012 and 2017, but legislative changes in some states have reduced comp payments, according to studies released Thursday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based WCRI examined trends in payments, prices and utilization of medical care for injured workers in 18 states, representing more than 60% of…
U.S. employers lost $96 billion in lost productivity costs between 2015 and 2018 due to the opioid epidemic, according to a study released Tuesday by the Society of Actuaries. The Schaumburg, Illinois-based association concluded that costs associated with absenteeism, reduced labor force participation, opioid-related incarceration and employer costs for workers compensation and disability benefits make up 15% of total costs…
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed changes to its current beryllium standards in the shipyard and construction industries, the agency announced this week. The proposed changes will ensure consistency with general industry standards based on the agency’s July 2017 final rule clarifying requirements for materials containing trace amounts of beryllium, according to an OSHA news release. The…
Harvest season is always hectic, but late spring planting this year will mean an especially busy time for farmers over the next few weeks. The Illinois Department of Labor urges farmers not to forsake safety as they race to bring in the 2019 crop. “Harvest season reminds us how important farmers are to Illinois’ economy and our way of life….
Worker safety is the primary mission of the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the Illinois Department of Labor. Documenting dangers is one way to avoid them in the future. With that in mind, Illinois OSHA is releasing the Top 5 safety violations Illinois fire departments received in fiscal year 2019. “We hope that by pointing…
