Paducah Legal Issues Blog

Every year in Kentucky and other states, farmers are seriously injured or even killed when tractors roll over. In order to reduce injuries and deaths, OSHA has released a guide that's designed to both help prevent these rollovers and reduce harm when they do occur. The guide advises that all tractors be equipped with a roll bar or a cage frame for the tractor operator. OSHA says that these protective features greatly reduce the incidence of injury and death.

In addition to protective features, OSHA advises all tractor operators to follow a few safety rules to reduce the chances of injury and death. First, operators should always fasten seat belts securely and avoid transporting any passengers. When approaching ditches, steep grades or sharp turns, operators should slow down significantly. Tractors that are stopped should have their brakes set and locked if there is a lock available.

When Kentucky surgeons face stress on the job, the potential consequences may be troubling for their patients. According to a study conducted by researchers at Columbia University, surgeons make up to 66 percent more errors during stressful moments. The researchers used a technology to track the electrical activity of a surgeon's heart while performing procedures in the operating room. During periods of stress, surgeons were more likely to make errors. Some of these mistakes may cause tears to tissue, burns or bleeding in the patient.

The stress involved does not need to be major in order to lead to increased surgical errors, researchers found. Some of the issues could be as simple as negative thoughts or loud noises in the operating room. Every year, between 250,000 and 440,000 people lose their lives due to medical mistakes across the country. Some of the most significant errors can occur during surgery, and the consequences of these mistakes can be significant and long-lasting. Improved strategies to manage surgical stress could help to save lives and prevent injuries to patients.

According to one researcher, there are 13 million misdemeanor cases each year that pass through U.S. courts. With so many cases to deal with, judges and prosecutors put pressure on public defenders to resolve them as soon as possible. In many cases, the defendants are black or poor. Statistics show that white people are 75 percent more likely to have charges that could result in jail time dismissed or reduced.

The justice system can be expensive for those who don't have a lot of money. For instance, it may be necessary to pay for drug tests, supervision or DNA tests. Defendants may also be unable to make bail, which results in waiting several days in jail before being able to see a judge. Fines and other costs could also be difficult to pay.

Employees in Kentucky may be pleased to learn that even as the overall workforce grew in 2017, workplace deaths actually went down. Overall, the fatal workplace injury rate fell to 3.5 percent in 2017 from 3.6 percent in 2016, according to a report released by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Responding to the report, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration official praised the progress but emphasized that workplace fatalities are still a serious concern. He also said that OSHA is committed to protecting workplace safety through educational efforts for employers and workers as well as enforcement and compliance efforts.

In addition to the decline in workplace fatalities, several particular types of serious accidents also declined in 2017. The year saw the fewest number of deaths associated with crane-related workplace accidents since these statistics were first issued in 1992. However, there were serious concerns in other industries. More workers lost their lives on the job in the mining, quarrying and oil and gas industries. In addition, more workers aged 65 and older died on the job in 2017, and additional employees lost their lives due to slip-and-fall accidents.