New York Personal Injury Attorneys BlogOur partner Stephen Mackauf and John E. Hall Jr. from Hall Booth Smith, P.C. will co chair the 12th Annual Advanced Forum of the American Conference Institute on Obstetric Malpractice Claims on June 26th-27 2013 in Philadelphia. For more iinformation see our prior post here.
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Personal Injury Prevention: OSHA’s popular Heat Safety App calculates Heat Index for worksite and displays risk level to outdoor workers
Every year outdoor workers exposed to hot and humid conditions are at risk of heat related illness and personal injury ranging from heat rash and heat cramps to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Both air temperature and humidity affect working conditions. OSHA Heat Index takes these two factors into account. The higher the heat index, the hotter the weather feels, since sweat does not readily evaporate and cool the skin.
With the OSHA App “Heat Safety Tools” workers and their supervisors can calculate the heat Index for their worksite and the risk level associated to the Index. The app also lists protective measures that should be taken at the related risk level.
The Heat Index is a very popular tool among outdoor workers and it has already been downloaded 72,000 times since its launch in 2011.
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Product Liability – Infant recliners recalled after 5 deaths and multiple incidents of infants hanging or falling over the side of the recliner or being restrained in the product harness
Nap Nanny and Chill recliners create a substantial product hazard. The products have design defects, as a result of which their use presents a risk of personal injury to infants. Further, the instructions and warnings are inadequate according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The recall is part of settlement of an administrative complaint filed in 2012 by CPSC against Baby Matters LLC of Berwyn, Pa., which sought a recall of of the Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill infant recliners affter the death of five infants. CPSC staff and Baby Matters LLC reached a settlement agreement that includes the recall and ends the legal proceeding against the company.
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Car Accident Prevention: Speed Cameras in New York City school zones may prevent dangerous speeding
Dangerous speeding in the vicinity of New York schools put members of communities at risk of a car accident . Even five miles per hour can make a difference between life and death for a child. To fight this danger, Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) has introduced legislation to authorize the use of speed cameras in New York City school zones where dangerous speeding is most prevalent.
After the New York City’s Department of Transportation released a traffic safety reportindicating that 96% of the vehicles were speeding while driving in the PS 81 school district in the Bronx, Senator Klein commissioned a follow-up study at PS 81. Results presented last Friday by Senator Klein and NYC Department of Traffic Commissioner Sadik-Khan confirmed a pattern of dangerous speeding near the Riverdale elementary school.
To fight dangerous speeding in school zones, the Senator and the New York City Traffic Commissioner are both pushing to pass legislation that would authorize speed cameras near NYC public schools.
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New York Crane Accident Prevention: team that responded to damaged tower crane at 157 West 57th street received the 2013 Advancing Public Safety Award
During Hurricane Sandy, a tower crane at One57 construction site snapped backward during the 80-mile-per-hour winds and the 150-foot boom stayed tied to the mast, dangling dangerously nearly 1,000 feet high in the air over midtown Manhattan. The team of inspectors and engineers that responded to this crane accident and helped secure the collapsed boom recently received the Advancing Public Safety Award at the 2013 Commissioner’s Awards for Excellence, the New York City Department of Buildings annual ceremony held at Cooper Union in Manhattan.
After the collapse, Assistant New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Michael Alacha, P.E., and Acting Assistant Commissioner Timothy Lynch, P.E., climbed to the top of 74-story unenclosed building to inspect the boom. In the following days multiple inspections of the crane, the hoist and the surrounding buildings were conducted and the two men as well as Executive Director of Cranes and Derricks Division Faisal Muhammed, P.E., Chief Inspector Frank Damiani and other engineers worked with the contractor and developer to devise a plan to secure the equipment. The entire operation lasted 5 days including 36 hours to slowly turn the crane mast sideways so the boom could then be secured.
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Motorcycle Accident: Crashing without a Helmet significantly increases Risk of Head and Neck Injuries
Motorcyclists who don’t wear a helmet have a much higher risk to suffer concussion or other serious skull or brain injury in a crash. A crash-test dummy shows that crashing without a helmet exposes the head to accelerations and forces up to 9.5 times stronger than with a helmet according to a recent study from the University of New South Wales and published in the Journal Traffic Injury Prevention
The test replicated the oblique impact on the head and on the neck after falling from a bike at different speeds and heights and compared the results of the impact on a helmeted and an unhelmeted head.
The results showed that a good helmet with tightly adjusted restraints can protect motorcyclists head from serious injuries even during the most severe impacts.
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34,080 people died in motor vehicle crashes last year
Fatal motor vehicle accidents increased by 5.3% in 2012 compared to 2011 according to the projections recently published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If theses projections are confirmed it would be the first year to year increase in fatalities since 2005.
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Why you should attend the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s National Session this summer?
As we previously posted on our blog, our managing partner , New York Personal Injury Lawyer Ben Rubinowitz, will be the co-director of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s National Session this summer at the NITA Education Center in Boulder, CO from July 24th to August 1st, 2013.
In this video, participants and faculty members including Ben Rubinowitz, explain why lawyers should attend this prestigious training program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE_g_PRCXa4
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Crane Accident Prevention: Digger Derricks used in telecommunication work exempted from having to follow the requirements of Subpart CC of the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard
OSHA recently issued a final rule to expand the exemption for digger derricks in its construction standard for cranes and derricks used in the electric-utility industry to telecommunications work. Digger derricks drill holes for utility poles. They are used by telecommunication companies to place poles inside holes and attach transformers and other items to the poles. The rule is effective June 28, 2013.
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Car Accident Prevention – Drunk Driving: should Designated Drivers abstain from drinking completely?
18% of Designated Drivers (DDs) are driving while impaired exposing themselves and their drunken passengers to a higher risk of a car accident reveals a recent study conducted during week-ends in in a southeastern college community restaurant and bar district.
65% of DDs tested abstained from drinking alcohol completely, 17% had a Blood Alcohol Content between 0.02 and 0.049 and 18% had a BAC above 0.05. according to the study conducted by the Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida and published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
The study also screened participants for Alcohol Use Disorders and results showed that participants with Alcohol Use Disorders were more likely to serve as DD and have a blood alcohol concentration that significantly impaired driving ability and psychomotor function.
