The holidays are a time of reflection. For many, it’s an opportunity to get with family and friends to recount stories of the past and to share hopes and dreams for the future. It’s also a time...

With the start of every new year, it’s common to take a fresh look at the current way of doing things and consider a new approach. This year, consider reviewing the safety culture at your company...

OSHA recently appealed on an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ruling that severely limited OSHA’s Multi-Employer Worksite Doctrine. This is a significant change to the interpretation and enforcement...

Calendar year 2018 was a relatively uneventful year for jurisprudence under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). Although there are several important issues that still need...

It is well known that the shipyard industry is a highly hazardous work environment. One of the most recognized hazards is employee exposure to “fire events." OSHA has written the standard “Fire...

I recently assessed the leadership capabilities of four supervisors who were responsible for a production line in a plant which had experienced several serious injuries over an 18-month period. The...

Many shipyards, marine cargo handling facilities, and marine construction environments have successfully implemented ergonomic solutions that not only reduced the costs of workplace injuries but...

When an employee experiences an on-the-job injury, depending on the severity of the injury, sometimes employers will question whether they should file a claim with their insurance provider. This...

In a past blog post, we discussed the dinner cruise operator’s liability for on-the-job injuries to employees. This time, let’s get more ambitious and consider ocean-going cruise lines. Ocean-going...

The percentage of claim costs attributed to medical benefits has progressively increased in recent years. Many of the same health risk factors that adversely affect healthcare in general...

Workplace strain injuries are among the costliest for maritime employers. In 2017 alone, overexertion injuries cost employers $13.8 billion1. Understanding how the body gets injured provides insight...

So much has been written about generational differences in the workplace. And maybe you feel like you’ve read half of it already. People will argue every possible side of the issue — that...

Over the years, we’ve discussed numerous times on our blog the concepts of “situs” and “status” and the statutory coverage exclusions. Questions about these concepts arise every day. Here are a few...

When an employee is involved in an industrial accident, it can be a trying situation both for the employee and the employer. Other employees may also experience a wide array of emotions, from deep...

A safe work environment is a reasonable expectation that employees have of their employers. Employees want their employers to protect them from job hazards, but it’s important that employees realize...

Section 2(12) of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (33 U.S.C. section 902(12)) (“the Act”) defines “compensation” as “the money allowance payable to an employee or to his dependents...

On several prior occasions we have discussed the problematic coverage issues that arise where the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (the Longshore Act) overlap in the...

It's no secret that being a leader can be a challenge. While it comes naturally to some people, others advance to positions in their career that require leadership, and they lack some of the core...

Are employees of a dinner cruise operation covered by the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (the Act) for on the job injuries? Or are they excluded from coverage by virtue of Section...

Some cases that arise under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (“the Act”), while not landmarks in the development of jurisprudence, are interesting nonetheless as useful...