Every year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) makes certain adjustments to their workplace standards to ensure that employees in warehousing and manufacturing stay safe on the job. Not only does this improve worker satisfaction, but it also helps employers minimize costs in terms of insurance coverage and worker’s compensation. 

For employees, warehouses can be one of the most dangerous places to work. This is because individuals are often exposed to heavy materials and large machinery. Managers and warehouse operators must stay compliant with OSHA rulings or they could potentially pay out expensive penalties, not to mention the impact on their reputation as a company. 

At The Law Offices of Charles H. Leo, P.A. in Orlando, FL, we can help individuals who have been hurt on the job and negotiate a fair settlement. Learn more about essential warehouse safety standards in Central Florida by reading the following information. 

Warehouse Safety Standards 

These are just a few of the examples of workplace safety standards that should be met when operating a warehouse or similar place of work. 

• Personal protective gear: Employers should offer certain types of safety gear to workers upon hire, including hard hats, goggles, fire-resistant garments, earplugs, steel-toe boots, and work gloves. 
• Proper workplace techniques: OSHA has a set of standards for performing certain tasks in a warehouse setting, such as lifting heavy objects to prevent harm to your neck, back, and shoulders. 
• Emergency procedures: Managers and operators must provide information to warehouse employees about fire safety procedures, hazard communication, evacuation processes, and more. 
• Properly labeled defective equipment: There is often damaged or defective equipment in a warehouse. It is essential that these are tagged with a clearly marked “out of service” sign to prevent employees from using it. 
• Fall protection: Some equipment is designed to prevent an employee from free falling, such as guards, rails, harnesses, and warning lines. A warehouse should not operate this equipment without them. 

What to do in Case of Non-Compliance or Injury 

Under no circumstance should a warehouse worker attempt a task that they were not trained or licensed to do, especially in terms of vehicle operation. According to the OSHA handbook, a manager or colleague should never instruct an employee to perform a task they were not trained to do. If you have witnessed an operator, manager, or employee failing to follow proper protocol, even insignificant breaches, you can file a report to OSHA. In fact, if you have any reason to believe a warehouse or other workplace is not following OSHA standards, you can still request a professional inspection to correct this non-compliance. 

Whether you have a small cut or have experienced a major accident, it is always best to disclose any workplace incidents as soon as possible. Reporting injuries right away to management prevents other calamities in the future. If you have received an injury on the job, The Law Offices of Charles H. Leo has assisted many workers in the Orlando, Florida area. 

All businesses want to make their workplaces safer for employees. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. Even with hours of safety training and courses available from Human Resources departments, accidents still happen at work. Millions of people have suffered from injuries they received while on the job every year. 

When an accident occurs, employees have the right to claim reimbursement for any losses suffered during the event. This includes lost wages and medical expenses. For example, if you work in construction, you may not be able to return to the job site until you have been cleared by a doctor or medical professional. However, you still have bills to pay. With Workers’ Compensation in Orlando, you will still be able to pay rent, utilities, and other bills on time. 

Common Injuries in the Workplace 

Some workplace injuries are more severe than others. However, if you find that you’re unable to work because of back pain caused by lifting a heavy object, that’s reason enough of a reason to file for workers’ compensation. Other common workplace injuries include: 

• Slips, trips, and falls. These types of injuries actually account for most claims in the workplace. This is because a slip on an uneven surface cause head and back pain, broken bones, cuts, sprains, and more. 
• Injury from machinery. It is a dangerous safety hazard when machinery is not guarded or taken care of properly. Heavy machinery can even cause crushed or severed body parts 
• Headaches, back pain, or damage to your eyesight. Strain on the body is potentially due to long hours of sitting, standing, or staring at a screen. This happens often in standard office environments. However, even “small” injuries such as these should not be ignored. 
• Workplace violence. For example, if one or more employees start a fight in the workplace. There are a range of injuries that can be caused with a fight. 

What If I’m Injured at Work? 

Of course, missing work due to injury will cost you the compensation you need to live. And with medical bills being so expensive, you need to take action as soon as possible. You will want to apply for Workers’ Compensation so you can get a fair and maximum settlement. The Law Offices of Charles H. Leo, P.A. can help you file for Workers’ Compensation in Orlando. For more information and a free consultation for your claim, please give our team a call. We look forward to working with you.

In sunny Florida, we are lucky to experience warm weather almost year round. This includes boating out on the water. Whether you want to view the scenery from a sailboat, motorboat, or yacht, boating is common activity residents and vacationers alike enjoy.

However, there are risks that come with boating. If you are harmed in a boating accident, remember that you have rights. If you are seeking a boat accident attorney in Orlando, learn more about what you can expect from the process here.

Common Injuries Orlando Boaters Face

So what kind of dangers do boaters face? For instance, when a boat hits a large wake, passengers can get knocked down or even thrown overboard. These accidents depend on the size of the wake, the speed of the boat, and the general traffic surrounding the area, among other factors.

State and Federal laws require the proper safety regulations be put into place on board, even if the size of the boat is small. This includes having life jackets available for passengers, navigation lights, flares, and fire extinguishers. If these items are not present on board, this is a clear liability and can lead to a claim of negligence.

There are some things to understand about boating injuries, and one of them is the possibility that it was a result of a reckless or negligent person. If this is the case, you can seek financial compensation. This money can cover any relevant medical expenses you face, allowing you to get back on the road to recovery without worry. Here are some questions to ask if you’re unsure whether you are entitled to compensation:

• Was this person operating their vessel while intoxicated, or at unsafe speeds?
• Was this person’s boat properly maintained?
• Did this person keep the proper safety equipment on board?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, and your injury was caused as a direct result, the Law Offices of Charles H. Leo, P.A. may be able to help. As a boat accident attorney in Orlando, we have the experience needed to navigate cases such as these. Remember to contact an attorney as soon as you can to get the best possible outcome.

Contact a Boat Accident Attorney in Orlando

Last year, there have been hundreds of recorded boating accidents in Florida. We know all too well that the result of this can be costly. At the Law Offices of Charles H. Leo, P.A., we ensure that you get the compensation you require.

Our team evaluates your individual claim fully so you get the maximum fair settlement you deserve. We also keep you updated about the procedures and probable outcomes of your case. This is because, unfortunately, insurance companies can make the process confusing or irritating on purpose so you settle for less than what is owed. Our skilled attorneys know how to get past the “red tape” to reduce the stress.

Don’t be fooled, boating injuries can leave you with long-term costs and consequences. Contact us today for your free consultation.

Truck drivers have the strenuous job of transporting goods across the country. They make sure supplied are delivered on time, load and unload heavy cargo, and spend hours behind the wheel. Because of this, the trucking industry can be a dangerous one, especially when you consider the auto accidents that happen on the road every day. Not only that, truck drivers are on the road for hours at a time. Often this causes drivers to lose sleep throughout the night. At the Law Offices of Charles H. Leo, P.A., we are experts in high risk occupations. We understand there are hazards that come with truck driving that can leave you with injury, health concerns, or worse.

Whether or not your health concerns or injuries are due to negligence, above all else the safety of the workers should come first. Have you been injured on the job? You may qualify for Workers’ Compensation in Orlando, Florida. Find out more by reading below.

Injuries Truck Drivers Face

There are many different kinds of affliction a truck driver faces on the job. The most obvious injuries will come from collisions with cars or other trucks. In these cases you can suffer from broken bones, which may take weeks or months to heal fully. Concussions cause vision issues as well as sensitivity to light and noise. Shoulder injuries and other strains lead to serious consequences that negatively affect your quality of life. Even worse, they affect your ability to find work in the future.

Because of their grueling schedule, truck drivers may not take the time to stretch regularly. This leads to sore muscles and tissue injuries. Sleep-deprived employees are also more likely to fall asleep at the wheel and cause life-threatening accidents.

When you are involved in an auto accident, truck drivers may also face Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Those who have been subjected to a traumatic situation feel the consequences even long after the incident has happened.

Injured truck drivers can, and should, seek Workers’ Compensation by seeking help from an experienced attorney.  Jurisdiction is usually in the state where the accident occurred, and/or as stated in the contract. Here’s how to contact Leo Trial Group to get the process started today.

Seeking Workers’ Compensation for Truck Drivers

If you are a professional truck driver who has suffered due to injuries on the job, reach out and seek the services of the Law Offices of Charles H. Leo, P.A.. Charles Leo is a Workers’ Compensation attorney in Orlando who is Board Certified to help you with your case. We can negotiate a fair settlement specific to your situation.

Have you been put under pressure to meet a hard delivery deadline and drove dangerously on the highway, causing an unexpected accident? Injured workers can get paid for any medical treatments needed as well as lost wages.  We also handle negligently caused truck accidents.

It can get difficult and even complicated to understand what you are entitled to, including disability benefits or more. The Law Offices of Charles H. Leo, P.A. has helped thousands of workers seeking compensation in Orlando, Florida. Contact us today and we will help you get the benefits you deserve.

Workers compensation is an insurance that employers and business owners provide to their employees. It takes care of medical expenses, physical therapy and wages lost in the event of workers’ injury. Services of an Orlando workers’ compensation attorney will ensure the payment of these benefits in full, especially when the injured employee is in the dark about his or her rights.

This policy is absolutely necessary seeing as workplace accidents are inevitable no matter how well-equipped an organization is to avoid them. The severity and occurrence can only be minimized with proper care and safety measures but never completely eliminated due to the nature of some jobs and the nature of humans. However, safety measures at workplace go a long way at limiting the number of accidents and hazards at work.

Some industries, like the construction industry, are more prone to accidents than other industries. Such high-risk organizations need greater safety measures and compensation plans. On-the-job accidents and hazards can be as mild as a scratch or as severe as resulting in permanent damage, illness or even outright death. The advice of a worker’s compensation attorney in Orlando should be sought by workers in such industries.

Common Summer Workers’ Compensation Claims in Orlando

Most workplace accidents and consequent injuries and claims are higher during summer. Some of the common summer accidents occur in the construction industries including road and building construction, then boating, health and hospitality, farming, and landscaping industries.

Some of the common summer compensation claims by Orlando workers include:

• Slip and Fall Accidents. This can affect workers across many industries irrespective of whether it is an indoor or outdoor job. The injuries can be mild or severe resulting in broken bones, lacerations, internal and external injuries, including brain injury.
• Vehicle Accidents. Summer is often packed with tourists causing higher vehicular movement on land and sea.  At times, injuries from transportation accidents are fatal and most outdoor workers are exposed to it.
• Occupational illnesses are contracted in the course of the job due to the nature of the job. This is prevalent in chemical industries and hospitals.
• Heat and chemical burns can occur in thermal, chemical and electrical forms.

The Florida Workers Compensation Laws stipulate certain entitlements for workers who sustain an injury on the job. These include medical care and treatment, payment for lost wages, reimbursement of travel expenses incurred in the process of treatment, disability payments and benefits, and job retraining.  

If a worker in Orlando sustains an injury at work, there is Workers’ compensation designed to cater to the benefits of that injured worker. These benefits can take care of lost wages and medical bills. An Orlando workers’ compensation attorney will be in a better place to tackle these legal battles and ensure that the employer gets his/her full benefits.

There are workers’ compensation attorneys in Orlando that a worker can approach to help claim these benefits. But first of all, the injured employee must report the accident to the employer as soon as possible, definitely not more than 30 days after the accident.