Quote of the day
"When someone is exposed to either an overwhelming level of pain, or a prolonged period of pain, it changes that person's perspectives on everything, and makes one behave strangely."
William S. Edwards, injured California worker
Injured Worker Describes His Ordeal
In his anguished letter to the editor, a Vacaville man living in the bureaucratic hell of the California workers’ compensation system says he is an example of how the system neglects workers’ needs in order to make sure its reforms show improvement. By William S. Edwards via Vacaville Reporter
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Coingate Verdict: Noe Faces a Decade in the Slammer
A jury finds disgraced Republican fundraiser and coin dealer Tom Noe guilty of theft and forgery charges, including the chief charge that he engaged in a pattern of corruption in his management of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s $50 million rare coin fund. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison.
Go to the full story by Mike Wilkinson and Steve Eder, Toledo Blade
Go to the full story by John Seewer, AP via Dayton Daily News
Did Regulators Drop the Ball on BP Oversight?
What role did lax enforcement by government regulators play prior to the March 2005 BP Texas City refinery disaster that killed 15 workers and injured at least 170? The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, one of three federal agencies investigating the castrophe, contends Fed-OSHA may have taken a shortsighted approach to safety at the facility. By TJ Aulds, Galveston County Daily News
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Lawmakers Push Sept. 11 Recovery Workers to Apply to NYSWCB
Officials are urging current and former participants in the recovery efforts at the World Trade Center, Fresh Kills Landfill, New York City morgues or temporary morgues in Lower Manhattan between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 12, 2002 to register with the New York State Worker’s Compensation Board. By Kristine Haugsjaa, Long Island Press
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More Ohio: Former BWC Investment Chief Speaks
Terrence Gasper, erstwhile CFO of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, for the first time testifies that he used his power over investment decisions to make sure that two brokers made millions through bribes and favors. Gasper is testifying for federal prosecutors in their case against the brokers. By James Drew, Toledo Blade [With Photo] Go to the Full Story…
Editorial: Cleveland School System’s Lofty Goal
Cleveland schools new operations boss Dan Burns says the district spends at least double what it should pay for workers’ compensation and has warned employees and contractors that it’s targeting fraud in the system. Can Burns make it work? Cleveland Plain Dealer
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Hospital Violence in Scotland May Be Worse Than Numbers
In Scotland, statistics show that one patient or staff member is abused or attacked in an NHS hospital every hour. Union leaders believe the situation could be even worse because many health staff consider abuse, especially verbal, part of the job. By Stewart Paterson, Glasgow Herald
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Workers Take Virtual Vacations to Slash Stress
Australia workers’ compensation insurer Comcare estimates that mental stress claims in Australia accounted for 20 percent of its costs in 2005-06. Can a new device that creates tailor-made “virtual holidays” for employees cut into those costs? By Jane Lyons, Sydney Morning Herald
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