Canton, Ohio, Workers' Compensation Blog

Many Ohio residents enjoy getting manicures and pedicures. In response to that demand, most cities and towns have at least one nail salon. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that approximately 375,000 people work in nail salons across the country.

People who don't spend their days in these establishments don't understand the hazards as much as you do. It's more than just filing and painting nails. In fact, you could suffer numerous injuries and illnesses from a variety of sources.

Unfortunately, we all get ill from time to time. In most cases, it is a minor situation that is easily resolved with over-the-counter remedies and some rest. Unfortunately, workers in Ohio and elsewhere suffer illnesses from a wide range of situations, including conditions in their workplace. This could cause the worker to lose time from work as he or she recovers. While many are aware of some well-documented occupational diseases such as lung disease, there are other serious workplace illnesses that do not get as much attention, including mental illnesses.

According to the World Health Organization, work is good for mental health. However, they also reported that a negative working environment could cause physical and mental health problems. Depression and anxiety are two major mental illnesses that occur in the workplace, and they can have a significant economic impact world-wide. With regards to lost productivity, they cause an estimated global economy loss of $1 trillion per year.

When we think of illnesses related to the workplace, we tend to think of illnesses related to exposures to chemicals or minerals, such as asbestos and coal. However, there are other types of workplace illnesses that some individuals in Ohio and elsewhere do not automatically associate with the workplace. For example, depression and anxiety can be serious mental health problems, and the work environment could cause them.

Everyone has a bad day from time to time; however, when there are more bad days than good or they are consistently bad, this can be a concerning situation. Workplace depression can be serious, and it is a growing area of concern. When an employee is depressed, his or her productivity and happiness is impacted. In addition to this, a depressed employee has the ability to impact those around them. Their depression can change the mood of the entire workplace, impacting their productivity as well. Finally, a depressed worker may find it difficult or even impossible to go to work.

Construction sites are often busy. This is not just because workers are working against a timetable to complete the project. The fact of the matter is that construction sites often have various heavy machinery, tools and workers. Additionally, they are busy sites because each worker is tasked with a different project that needs to be completed in order for the entire project to be completed. In some cases, this means having large equipment, such as a crane, on site. While this is very useful in the construction industry, it is also a piece of machinery that could cause serious injuries or even death to construction workers.

How often do crane accidents happen? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were a total of 220 crane-related deaths from 2011 to 2015. This averages about 44 deaths per year. Those most impacted by these incidents are construction workers. When mishaps happen with cranes, this is best described as a catapult. There needs to be enough counter-weight to balance the machine. If the machine is off balance, this could cause the machine to tip over and catapult the objects or people being lifted by the crane.