Monthly Archives: December 2011

Turn Your Home Into A Safe Winter Wonderland!

This holiday, decorate your home safely.

While many of you have probably already put up your tree, for those of you doing some last minute holiday decorating, we wanted to share a few tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commisssion (CPSC) to help you make the season bright safely.

CHRISTMAS TREES

  • When purchasing an artificial Christmas tree, check for a “fire resistant” label. While this doesn’t mean that the tree certainly won’t catch fire, it does mean the tree is resistant to burning.
  • When purchasing a fresh Christmas tree, check for freshness. Fresh trees are green, with firm needles that won’t bend or break between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and fresh trees shouldn’t lose many needles when tapped on the ground.
  • Place your tree away from fireplaces, vents, and radiators.
  • Heated rooms dry out fresh trees quickly, so make sure to keep the stand you’re your tree is in filled with water and check water levels daily.

HOLIDAY LIGHTING

  • When purchasing holiday lights, make sure only to use lights purchased by a nationally recognized testing agency such as UL or ETL
  • Use newer lights that have thicker wiring and safety fuses to prevent overheating.
  • Check new or old lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw away damaged sets.
  • Only use lights certified for outdoor use outside. Only plug Continue reading →

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The Hidden Dangers Of Holiday Employment

Crowds of last minute shoppers make dangerous conditions for workers.

Our post for today comes to us from our colleague Jon Gelman. Seasonal employment can provide welcome income during the holidays, but it can bring dangerous working conditions along with it.

This holiday season, more than in the past, there will be a serious challenge to workers who are taking on temporary jobs. As the economy continues to be in the ditch, more people are being hired for jobs for which they are untrained and unfamiliar. Injuries will result.

Temporary employees who are injured at work are not accustomed to the procedural requirements to give their employers notice of the injury, and the correct manner and method to seek approved medical treatment. Additionally, benefits paid to seasonal workers are notoriously low and paid sporadically so the computation of rate benefits becomes an issue.

As Eve Tahmincioglu recently pointed out, “employees who end up in retail stores often face grueling conditions Continue reading →

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Monday Q & A: Help – I forgot to keep track of the days I lost!

Failure to keep a list of lost work days won't harm your claim.

QUESTION: WHEN I GOT INJURED I DIDN’T KEEP A LIST OF THE DAYS I LOST. DOES THAT MEAN I CAN’T PUT IN A CLAIM FOR WORKERS’ COMPENSATION?

ANSWER: THE EMPLOYER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPORTING TO THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD ANY DAYS LOST TO INJURY.

Joe had been out with that broken leg from the scaffolding accident for more than a month but less than three. That much he knew. However, he had misplaced his date book, and just wasn’t quite sure when he had returned to work. It was all hazy which might have to do with the mild concussion he had gotten from his fall. Joe was worried that if he didn’t have the exact dates his claim, his Workers’ Comp application wouldn’t be accepted. He began to think it was pointless to Continue reading →

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What Expecting Parents Need To Know About Topamax


Topamax has been linked to an increased risk of birth defects

Topamax, also known as topiramate, was originally approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of seizures in epileptic patients. However, it is often prescribed “off-label” for weight loss, chronic pain, headaches, alcoholism, bulimia, and psychiatric conditions. Off-label use of medications is controversial, but not illegal. A drug company is only permitted to market its drugs for uses that are part of the warning label and for indications for which the FDA has approved the drug after reviewing available safety data. Many pharmaceutical manufacturers, however, have faced civil and criminal penalties over the last decade for also promoting their drugs for uses for which they have not been approved by the FDA and for which they have failed to provide adequate safety information. Many physicians are unaware of the lack of safety data to support a number of off-label uses of medications, which has resulted in harm to patients.

Recently, Topamax has been linked to birth defects in children. Continue reading →

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The Most Dangerous Toys of 2011

The Power Rangers Samurai Mega Blade is made to poke an eye out.

Giving a gift to a child is meant to end in a smile, not a trip to the hospital. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, in 2009 there were approximately 250,000 toy-related trips to the emergency room. The non-profit World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) is looking to reduce that number. They have compiled their annual list of the 10 most dangerous toys. While none are as dangerous as the Radioactive Science Kit sold in the 1950’s, the toys on WATCH’s list pose risks for choking, electrocution, puncture wounds and a host of other injuries. We urge you to avoid purchasing these toys or allowing your children to play with them.

1. Twist ‘n Sort
The toy has already been recalled once because its small pegs can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Even after the recall, this problem has not been fixed.
TWIST ‘n SORT
2. Power Rangers Samurai Mega Blade
This is not a toy, it is a 2 foot long sword. The first few warnings on the package should be enough to scare off any concerned parent: “Do not: (1) aim toy at anyone, (2) hit anyone with toy, (3) poke anyone with toy, (4) swing toy at anyone.” Used correctly, this toy is dangerous. Used safely, this toy is useless.

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Drug Watch: Propecia Causes Permanent Sexual Dysfunction

Taking Propecia may have dangerous and permanent side effects.

Propecia, a popular drug also known as the generic finasteride, has been used to treat male hair loss. Propecia is manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc. Although there is no cure for hair loss, Propecia can temporarily stop hair loss and regrow hair.

Propecia belongs to the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor (5-ARI) class of drugs, which can reduce hair loss by blocking a hormone known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Propecia decreases DHT levels, which can help to stop hair loss and regrow hair. Propecia comes in tablet form and is taken daily. It is often used by young men who have experienced premature loss of their hair. Proscar is a stronger version of finasteride which is generally prescribed to older women who have enlarged prostates, but has also been used by patients who were seeking to save and money and chose to cut up the Proscar pills in order to ingest the equivalent of the lower dose of finasteride contained in Propecia in order to treat their baldness.

The label revision is based on the FDA’s review of two studies, which showed that the drug boosts the chances of developing “high-grade” prostate cancer.

Earlier this year, Continue reading →

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Monday Workers’ Compensation Q&A: Am I eligible for workers’ comp and unemployment?

You may be eligible for both workers' comp and unemployment.

QUESTION: I AM OUT OF WORK ON A WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INJURY. AM I ALLOWED TO FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS?

ANSWER: YOU MAY FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, AS YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR BOTH BENEFITS.

Joe was recovering from that bad fall off the scaffolding. He was receiving Workers’ Compensation Benefits. But facing months ahead out of work and on his back he didn’t know if he could survive on workers’ compensation benefits alone. He was curious if he could also file for Unemployment Benefits. He called Mike, his best friend on the job and asked what he should do. What did his friend Mike say? Continue reading →

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Drug Watch: Safety Concerns Over Multaq Continue to Rise

MultaqMultaq (also known as dronedarone) was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”) in July of 2009 as an anti-arrhythmic drug for use in heart patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, which is the most common cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), or paroxysmal (irregular heart rhythm). The drug is manufactured and marketed by Sanofi-Aventis. Multaq carries a “black box warning” which is the strongest level of warning on a prescription drug. The warning informs physicians that Multaq should not be prescribed for patients with severe congestive heart failure due to concerns that use of the drug might worsen patients’ heart failure symptoms or increase their chance of dying.

In the few short years that Multaq has been sold by Sanofi-Aventis, the heart drug has been in the news quite a bit, but not because of its wonderful benefits for patients. Instead, there is growing evidence that the drug is dangerous which has led to a great deal of fear for patients and apprehension among prescribing physicians:

• Early 2010 – The FDA warned of possible problems with the development of congestive heart failure in patients taking Multaq.

• Spring 2010 – The FDA warned of a possible link between Multaq and a potentially fatal Continue reading →

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