April 28 is Worker Memorial Day, honoring the workers killed and maimed in American workplaces. It is observed by the federal government and civilized state and local governments.
An OSHA Establishment Search records reveal a fine of $29,004 to Silverleaf contractor J.B. COXWELL for a workplace death that violated OSHA construction industry standards.
Investigation Summary
At 8:30 a.m. on July 21, 2022, an employee was driving a bulldozer, when he was ejected from the cab over a steep drop. The employee was killed and suffered a crushed skull, brain injury, chest trauma, crushed pelvis, amputated leg, and dislocated limbs.
Later that night, Silverleaf's devious developer, State Senator TRAVIS JAMES HUTSON, was allegedly observed partying heartily at Casa Monica, seemingly unmoved by a preventable workplace death.
But in fast-growing St. Johns County where a worker was killed in developer-Senator TRAVIS JAMES HUTSON's Silverleaf construction site, developer-Senator HUTSON's cat's paw, then County Commission Chairman JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER, unilaterally used his Philistine's veto to halt a proclamation for Worker Memorial Day, as wells as proclamations for LGBQT Pride and School Choice. Feckless fellow Commissioners let him get away with it, fearing adverse reactions from fascists, knowing that without a Democrat on Commission, there's no downside to being afraid, very afraid.
We, the People, defeated bumptious bigoted blockhead bully BLOCKER, expecting change.
But our St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners is still all Republican.
It is still unencumbered by any dedicated legislative staff. Everyone you see on GTV works for County Administrator, Dull Republican Lord of All He Surveys, thrice duked into the job without considering any other candidates, without a background investigation of federal court bribery allegations.
It still lacks a working committee system, an Ombudsman, or an independent Inspector General.
Its tiresome tedious worship of wealthy Dull Republicans affords developer hucksters unlimited time to drone on in favor of clearcutting projects, while not swearing in witnesses under oath.
All County Commission employees are under the suzerainty of an unctuous, unqualified political appointee, HUNTER SINCLAIR CONRAD. Employees who do their jobs "too well" are subjected to the Capital Punishment of the Workplace. Exhibit A: August 2022 forced resignation of Cultural Resources Coordinator Trey Alexander Asner, still not addressed or remedied by the ineffectual BoCC.
Our St. Johns County Executive Branch has some 1200 employees.
Our legislative branch, our Commission, have no staff reporting to them.
Our St. Johns County Commissioners once had dedicated legislative staff reporting to them, but it was eliminated during the twelve-year reign of error of County Administrator MICHAEL DAVID WANCHICK.
We have three branches of government -- executive, legislative and judicial. The County Commission is truly the sapless branch. FYI: I've filed to run for County Commission in 2024.
Pray for these people, 40% of who (SJC BoCC Chairman CHRISTIAN WHITEHURST and Vice Chair SARAH ARNOLD, center), never matriculated (and it shows).
Here's more on Worker Memorial Day from our National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health:
Workers’ Memorial Day 2023: Statement by NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D.
by
Each year, NIOSH pauses on April 28th, Workers’ Memorial Day, to honor those who were killed or injured on the job. While tremendous progress has been made since Congress enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act on this day in 1970, much still needs to be done. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2021 more than 5,100 workers were killed and 2.6 million more were injured on the job. The societal costs—not just economic, but the toll on families and loved ones—is untenable. Several opportunities and resources are available to support the occupational safety and health of workers and raise awareness within several industries.
Dangerous occupations still exist. Commercial fishing, for example, remains one of the most dangerous in the U.S., particularly when vessels are miles away from harbor, characterized by hazardous working conditions, strenuous labor, long work hours and harsh weather conditions. The hazards fishermen face varies widely by type of fishing vessel and fishery, including the associated gear used to catch our seafood. Safety research and training grants are available to address what works best in a specific fleet and/or region and is critical to help prevent injury, or death among U.S. fishermen.
Mining is an age-old occupation, and often runs in families. Coal mine dust causes a range of serious but preventable lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, commonly called black lung, and lung function impairment. New research finds that coal miners are at an increased risk of death from several of these diseases, including lung cancer. The NIOSH Coal Worker’s Health Surveillance Program offers free, confidential black lung screenings to coal miners through its mobile unit, with this spring’s screenings offered in Indiana and Texas. In recent years, the mining industry has made efforts to increase workforce diversity through the recruitment and retention of women miners. It is critically important to identify occupational safety and health concerns unique to populations that have been understudied to meet the needs of a diverse workforce.
Numerous studies show that firefighters’ exposure to smoke and hazardous chemicals released from burning materials may increase the risk of certain types of cancer, but we do not fully understand how firefighters’ cancer risk has changed or will change over time. Just this month, NIOSH launched the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer online enrollment system for firefighters across the nation, the largest effort undertaken by the nation to help scientists better understand the link between cancer and firefighting to ultimately improve firefighter health. All U.S. firefighters are encouraged to enroll.
In the construction industry, falls remain the leading cause of death, accounting for almost 40% of all construction fatalities. Next week, NIOSH and several partners, along with thousands of construction companies and workers, will participate in the tenth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, a chance to collectively take a break during the workday to focus on fall prevention through safety demonstrations, talks, and trainings. Plan, participate, and send in a success story.
Recently, a blastomycosis outbreak occurred among workers at a paper mill in Escanaba, Michigan. NIOSH was asked by management to conduct a health hazard evaluation of the worksite. The goal of these evaluations is to learn whether workers are exposed to health or safety hazards on the job and to make recommendations to workplaces to prevent work-related injury and illness by controlling hazards. Employees, employee representatives (unions), or employers can ask NIOSH to determine if health hazards are present in their workplace.
Finally, we cannot forget that workplace violence can happen in any workplace. Even public health workers, who are shepherds of community health and safety, can themselves experience an increase in violence, and physical and mental stress. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and NIOSH is actively working to help address the risk millions of U.S. health workers face for mental health problems through its new Health Worker Mental Health Initiative. It is also important to acknowledge that employers, supervisors, and managers can play a vital role in suicide prevention within all industries. NIOSH continues to strive to protect against both visible and invisible workplace injury and illnesses.
We must each do what we can to protect those who show up to work each day to provide goods and services to our Nation and continue to ensure safe and healthful working environments for every worker. The challenge of generating new research, recommendations, and interventions to protect the safety and health of workers is one that NIOSH staff meet every day. This has been NIOSH’s mission since the Institute was created and will continue until every worker comes home each day safe and healthy.
1 comment:
Tea Party website labels workers day as marxist and communist... meanwhile the hogs grift them to a husk and they barely have a pot to piss in. This is the depth of human stupidity.
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