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 during the holidays because that’s when most retailers make their biggest profits of the year.” Case in point, in 2008, a seasonal worker at Walmart was crushed to death by a crowd of Black Friday shoppers.

This year OSHA posted a crowd control fact sheet on its website warning stores to keep an eye on safety during the holiday season. Despite measures like this, seasonal workers with little experience are often asked to operate scanning equipment, forklifts, and other large pieces of machinery, or to lift heavy items. There are going to be accidents.

For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman in New Jersey have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses. Jon is a prolific author, public speaker and educator on the topic of workers’ compensation law.

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