Legal industry busy with new, ongoing cases
- Workers’ compensation cases have kept the legal industry and the courthouses busy over the past few years.
- The United States v. Washington resulted in the Supreme Court overturning one law aiming to protect nuclear workers in the state.
- The rate of injury while working has increased due to the nature of covid and also due to the fact that home working is now considered part of the work environment.
- Businesses must ensure they are fully covered with workers’ compensation in light of these latest cases.
Ammonia leak sends four to hospital
- Ammonia at a food plant in North Carolina forced employees to evacuate and sent four workers to the hospital.
- The gas, which is potentially dangerous, was released into the plant hours before a worker was found passed out in its parking lot.
- That employee died, but it was unrelated to the ammonia release, according to Smithfield Foods.
- A freezer malfunctioned, releasing ammonia into a refrigerated part of the building.
Employers must submit the required 2022 injury and illness data
- OSHA is reminding employers that the agency is collecting the calendar year 2022 Form 300A data.
- Employers must submit the form electronically by March 2, 2023.
- Establishments under Federal OSHA jurisdiction can use the ITA Coverage Application to determine if they are required to electronically report their injury and illness information to OSHA.
- Establishments under State Plan jurisdiction should contact their state plan and must connect their Injury Tracking Account to a Login.gov account to submit their 2022 workplace injury and illness data.
Workers comp can extend to weight loss
- The Washington Department of Labor and Industries may cover weight loss treatment if obesity is the result of an injury.
- A worker must meet certain criteria for L&I to allow weight loss treatment with those claimants being “severely obese” with a BMI of 35 or more.
- Obesity can prevent the worker from making progress on their L&I claim accepted conditions.
- It’s also covered if weight loss is necessary to allow further treatment, surgery, physical rehabilitation, or return to work.