Tulsa Oklahoma Legal Blog

Commercial trucking accidents are some of the most devastating collisions on the road. The sheer size and mass of these vehicles can easily crush most over vehicles and cause serious injury or death to anyone involved.

That was the tragic circumstance in Ninnekah, a small town near Oklahama City, recently. According to state trooper reports, Michael Allen Jenkins was walking along U.S. 277 early Friday morning when a tractor-trailer struck and killed him. In addition to their grief, Jenkins’ loved ones could now be facing funeral costs, lost wages and many other serious costs that accompany the loss.

There are many consequences you could encounter after being involved in a rear end collision. You may be faced with financial decisions to make or legal aftermath.

One effect you may be feeling concerns your physical health. Being in an accident can have a severe impact on you. You may have suffered an injury after your accident.

Silica dust can be hazardous to people in Oklahoma or anywhere else who breathe it in. Some of the health hazards include scarred lung tissue, silicosis and the possibility of dying from prolonged exposure. While a new OSHA rule limited the amount of silica to which a worker could be exposed by 80 percent, the construction industry is still figuring out ways to comply with the mandate.

There are many ways in which construction companies can keep exposure to appropriate levels. For instance, it may be possible to vacuum dust to make sure that it doesn't fly away or use water to prevent it from getting into the air. Depending on the conditions at a job site, employees are allowed to use respirators if changing tools or tactics doesn't help mitigate silica exposure hazards.

Laboratories around the country employ more than 550,000 people according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and these workers face a wide variety of airborne hazards ranging from toxic fumes to deadly pathogens. Exposure to these dangers can cause a variety of debilitating health problems and may even be life-threatening, but the perils of this type of work can be greatly reduced by sophisticated air monitoring and ventilation systems.

Monitoring the air in laboratories is crucial because even inert gases like nitrogen and argon can displace oxygen in sealed areas and asphyxiate workers. Other airborne dangers such as reactive, poisonous, flammable and biological substances pose more immediate threats to worker safety. Research facilities have traditionally relied on variable air volume boxes to manage air flow and regulate air pressure, but Venturi valves have become more common for highly specialized applications.