Every day, first responders put their lives in danger to help those in need. Because their jobs require them to be near hazardous circumstances, it is possible for first responders to sustain injuries, both physical and mental. If you have suffered physical injuries or developed a harmful psychological condition like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to events witnessed while working, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.

PTSD And Other Injuries Suffered By First Responders

First responders including firefighters, police officers, and other professionals who provide emergency medical services regularly face dangerous situations while on the job. First responders commonly sustain injuries due to hazards they experience while working including repetitive stress injuries and injuries resulting from exposure to harmful substances, slip and fall accidents, and workplace violence. Other threats frequently faced by first responders include:

• Vehicle crash injuries

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Two workers were killed and another 42 injured in a work accident after a chemical leak at a plant in La Porte, Texas, earlier this week. According to information released by the company, LyondellBasell, approximately 100,000 pounds of a chemical mixture that included acetic acid was released in the leak. Other chemicals released included hydrogen iodide, methyl acetate, and methyl iodide.

Plant officials say 30 of the workers injured were hospitalized, some with critical injuries. One victim suffered burns, while the 29 others suffered respiratory issues.

What Is Acetic Acid?

Acetic acid is an organic, flammable liquid that can cause serious eye damage and severe skin burns to exposed victims. The acid also produces a hazardous vapor and is very corrosive to metals and tissues. Acetic acid is used to make other chemicals. It is also used as a food additive in extremely diluted amounts.

When a worker is injured in the course of their job or develops a medical condition or illness that is work-related, Colorado law says they are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits through their employer. Depending on the severity of the injuries, workers’ comp can provide a variety of different benefits. Recent changes to the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act will affect how those benefits are administered in the coming months and years.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Colorado

Under the Colorado Workers' Compensation Act, if an employer has three or more employees, they are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. When an employee is injured on the job, they must report the injury to their employer in writing within four days of the injury in order to qualify for those benefits.

An injured worker is entitled to have all their medical expenses paid for, as long as the provider(s) they see have been authorized by the insurance company. If a worker is temporarily disabled because of their injury, they are entitled to two-thirds of their lost weekly wages until they can return to work at full capacity. If a worker is permanently disabled and unable to return to work because of their injury, they may be entitled to weekly benefits for a longer time period or the rest of their life.

The construction industry has been labeled one of the most dangerous industries to work in by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In fact, according to national statistics, at least two construction workers die from work-related injuries each day. While there are many different types of construction site accidents, one of the most dangerous is trench collapses.

Trench Collapses

Trenches are dug for a number of reasons on construction sites. Trenches are also used in the agricultural industry, as well as for installing utilities and pipelines. Employees who are working around and in trenches are at a high risk of becoming injured or killed in trench collapses, side-wall collapses, and cave-ins. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that approximately 25 workers are killed each year in trench accidents. The most frequent cause is cave-ins, which kill three out of every four victims. The other fatalities are caused by electrocutions and struck-by accidents.

Local Worker Killed

Fatal trench accidents can also occur from drowning, which happened in a recent tragic accident on a job site in Larimar County that resulted in the death of a 50-year-old worker.

One of the essential tools on a construction site is a ladder, but it can also be one of the most dangerous. In fact, ladder falls are one of the leading causes of death for construction workers, with the majority of fatal falls occurring at 10 feet or less. In the past 10 years, the number of victims who have died from ladder falls has tripled. Ladder falls kill more than 300 people in the U.S. each year. Another 164,000 people end up at emergency rooms with injuries.

Victims often suffer serious physical injuries that can have long-lasting or permanent effects, but a recent study found that victims of ladder falls often deal with long-lasting emotional problems as well.

Ladder Fall Study

The study looked at victims who had suffered falls from ladders and were treated at two different hospitals. More than half of the victims were males, and some of the accidents had occurred while the victim was doing chores at their own home and not on a job site. The average hospital stay for these victims was five days. Some of the most common injuries these victims had suffered included: