A trade show contractor faces $91,000 in OSHA fines after a forklift accident at the McCormick Place Convention Center last fall. Federal officials say that one of the convention center’s employees was severely injured when an employee of Global Experience Specialists drove over his foot with a forklift. The company allegedly failed to train or>> Read More

OSHA officials are recommending $196,000 in fines against a Chicago-based masonry company that allowed its workers to be exposed to excessive amounts of lead during sandblasting operations. The fines follow an inspection of American Masonry Inc.’s sandblasting work at a commercial building that houses art studios. “When employers such as American Masonry knowingly ignore health>> Read More

Construction safety rules are intended to protect workers from unnecessary and avoidable risks. Unfortunately, they are often ignored in the field by those responsible for planning and scheduling work until the tragic moment when someone gets seriously hurt. Adding to the tragedy, these construction safety rules are then used to blame the worker for performing the>> Read More

A Chicago man was injured in a Burnside construction accident last Monday. The Chicago Tribune reports that the injured construction worker was performing demolition work at a home when the front porch’s roof collapsed on him. The 60-year-old worker was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with neck and back injuries. He was reportedly in stable>> Read More

A growing controversy is swirling around the naming of a span of I-70 that connects Illinois and Missouri in the St. Louis area. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin recently announced proposed legislation to name the Interstate 70 bridge after baseball star Stan Musial, but many believe that the bridge should be named after a carpenter who>> Read More

An Elk Grove Village-based contractor was recently cited by federal officials for exposing its workers to serious construction site injuries. OSHA officials say that Mike Neri Sewer & Water Contractor Inc. exposed its workers to cave-in hazards at a Des Plaines construction site. “This is not the first time this contractor has exposed vulnerable workers>> Read More

Federal investigators have found that the death of an Illinois construction worker was due to lax safety procedures at a mine construction site. A report issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration says that the fatal construction accident happened on May 15, 2012 when the worker was knocked over by an overloaded hose. The>> Read More