OSHA

A young man was hospitalized with undisclosed injuries recently after getting his hand caught in a machine at an Orlando bakery. Details about the workplace accident are still sketchy, but police say the young man was working at around 12:30 a. m. one recent morning when his hand got caught in the auger of a machine at Aladdin Food and Bakery at 655 S. Golden Rod Road in the Rio Plaza. Firefighters arrived shortly after the accident and worked for around an hour to free the young man’s hand from the machine. They say he was preparing a large batch of bread dough when his hand got caught in the auger. Although they did not disclose the extent of the victim’s injuries, firefighters said that the teen’s fingers were intact when they extracted his hand from the machine. They said that after they freed him from the machine, they wrapped his injured hand in gauze and transported him to Arnold Palmer Hospital for treatment.

Any job involving heavy machinery can be dangerous whether the person is working in a bakery, a construction site, a machine shop or any other workplace. However, strict safety guidelines issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration over the last several decades have made workplaces much safer for workers. Regrettably, not all employers adhere to these safety standards and put profits before the health and safety of their workers. It is not yet known whether or not the Aladdin Food and Bakery removed safety equipment to increase productivity, but, if they did, they can be held liable for damages that their negligence and disregard for safety caused this young worker.

If you or a family member has been injured on the job, it is a very good idea to consult with an experienced Orlando personal injury lawyer such as James O. Cunningham. An attorney can explain the laws that apply to your situation, investigate the accident, negotiate with the employer, insurance companies, workers’ compensation officials and others and work hard to help you receive the best possible outcome for your case. If you’ve been hurt at work and have questions about your legal options, call Mr. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to get an Orlando personal injury attorney with a proven record of success in these matters on your side.

The investigation into the workplace accident is still underway, but authorities say that a worker got his leg caught in a conveyor at a Pepsi-Cola plant in Tampa and was critically injured. Employees at the plant called 911 around 11:30 a.m. on August 28 and told the operator that the man’s leg had been caught in a conveyor rail system at the plant. Accident investigators say the man had been cleaning the equipment when co-workers heard him start screaming. The machinery crushed his leg, and workers said it took Tampa Fire Rescue’s heavy equipment team nearly 90 minutes to free the man so he could be taken to Tampa General Hospital.

This is the third serious accident at the plant in the last six months. Last March, a worker was killed and another seriously injured when a lift in the plant’s warehouse failed. There are many important details about this workplace accident that investigators have yet to discover, but if this is the third serious accident at the plant in the last six months, it’s fair to assume that this is a very dangerous place to work. Despite advances in safety awareness, OSHA safety guidelines, training protocols and other advances in workplace safety, thousands of people are seriously injured while on the job every year in this country.

In many cases, accident investigators find that an employer has cut corners, removed safety equipment, failed to properly maintain equipment and failed to properly train employees near dangerous equipment. These and other acts of negligence endanger workers’ lives and livelihoods and seriously impair their quality of life. If this worker’s leg was crushed so severely that it took trained personnel nearly 90 minutes to remove him from the machine, at worst, he will lose that leg. At best, he will have to undergo multiple surgeries, endure incredibly painful physical rehabilitation, have reduced mobility for the rest of his life and suffer other hardships.

Have you been injured in a workplace accident? If so, you may be entitled to damages to help pay medical bills, provide for your family while you can’t work and compensate you for pain and suffering and other damages. Before you sign anything offered by your employer or their insurance company, call Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000. Mr. Cunningham has a proven record of success helping injured workers receive the fair and just compensation they deserve from negligent employers and has the resources and experience to help you and your family. Call him today, and let an experienced, aggressive Orlando personal injury lawyer deal with the details while you focus on healing.

An Orlando SeaWorld trainer died in an accident while handling one of the park’s trained killer whales on Feb. 24. According to official reports, 40-year-old Dawn Brancheau was standing in knee-deep water, interacting with the performing whale known as Tilikum, when she was pulled into the water and subsequently drowned. Brancheau was an experienced trainer, and officials are still looking at exactly how the tragic incident unfolded. Witnesses reported that staff could not assist Brancheau immediately because the animal could not be effectively controlled.

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An article published recently in the Orlando Sentinel reported that Walt Disney World has been cited for multiple workplace safety violations and faces fines up to $44,000 after a July monorail accident. The accident claimed the life of a 21-year-old Disney World employee on July 5 of last year and resulted in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration citing Disney for one “serious” safety violation. Officials say the accident occurred when a monorail train was moving in reverse during a track switch and backed into another train, killing the driver of the train.
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a $3,750 fine against Universal Orlando for an employee injury last summer. OSHA said that the worker was injured when he was struck by one of the cars on the Dueling Dragons roller coaster, one of the Orlando theme park’s most popular rides. The accident resulted in the worker suffering serious injuries in the Islands of Adventure area of the theme park, a part of Universal Orlando that will become part of the new Wizard World of Harry Potter area of the theme park.

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