Injuries can happen when working from home
- About 12% of full-time employees in the country work remotely, while 34% work a hybrid remote-office schedule, and 54% work only onsite, according to WFH Research, a scholarly policy institute.
- The National Council on Compensation Insurance said that any long-term effects of the expansion of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020 are yet to be realized.
- The use of office equipment and home office space along with ergonomic differences, such as electrical cords, distractions, and makeshift office arrangements, concern workers’ compensation insurers, according to the NCCI.
- These factors potentially could lead to work-related slips and falls and repetitive-motion claims under workers’ compensation policies.
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Pennsylvania changes rules for workers’ comp and prescription medications
- The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled to set aside the long-utilized “Red Book” standard for repricing prescription medications in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation claims.
- The court directed the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to identify and publish in its place a nationally recognized repricing schedule that accurately reflects the actual average wholesale price of prescription drugs.
- The court recognized how far the Red Book AWP has strayed from the actual AWP of prescription drugs, according to Jason Hanford, co-counsel for Federated, Chartwell Law.
- This decision will result in significant cost savings for prescription drugs, which benefits those paying for the drugs in Pennsylvania and the injured workers who need them.
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Massachusetts revokes construction supervisor’s license
- The Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards revoked William Trahant’s construction supervisor’s license for at least two years as the result of a complaint filed by OSHA.
- The agency issued seven separate citations to his company since 2014 for violating federal fall safety regulations, as well as his continued failure to pay more than $300,000 in related penalties.
- The department’s Regional Solicitor’s Office and Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Boston presented evidence against Trahant — the owner of William Trahant Jr. Construction Inc. — before the board’s hearing officer and obtained a favorable decision on Nov. 17, 2023, which revoked his license.
- The hearing officer ordered Trahant to return his license and cease any work on active building permits he holds until a successor license holder is substituted or Trahant regains his license.
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Investigation into firefighter’s death completed
- Safety officials completed the investigation into the death of a 26-year-old Burlington firefighter who suffered a medical emergency while fighting a fire in New Hartford in 2021.
- Colin McFadden suffered a medical emergency while fighting a fire at the historic New Hartford House and he was later rushed to John Dempsey Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.
- Fire officials had said that doctors discovered McFadden had an undiagnosed form of leukemia.
- A report from NIOSH confirmed that McFadden died from complications from “right heart failure” due to acute promyelocytic leukemia.
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New contractor rule could impact the economy
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- The Biden administration is expected to release a final rule that will make it more difficult for companies to treat workers as independent contractors rather than employees that typically cost a company more.
- The U.S. Department of Labor rule is likely to face legal challenges and will require that workers be considered employees entitled to more benefits and legal protections.
- The rule could have the biggest impact on app-based services that rely heavily on contract workers has garnered the most attention.
- The proposal also will likely decrease flexibility for workers, resulting in lost opportunities to earn money.
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