When a Montana oil field worker is injured on the job, workers’ compensation is usually the primary source of compensation. Workers’ compensation benefits can compensate an injured worker for lost wages, permanent disability and medical benefits. This post will provide an overview of the medical benefits that are available under Montana’s workers’ compensation system. If you are injured on the…Read More
Accidents in the oil fields can result in serious injury, permanent disability and even death. Those who work in these hazardous jobs have the right to compensation if they are injured on the job. Workers’ compensation covers medical expenses, lost wages, disability and retraining benefits for Montana workers. Death benefits are available when a worker is killed on the job.…Read More
Montana law requires that most employers carry workers’ compensation insurance. When an employee is injured on the job, they are generally entitled to collect workers’ compensation benefits. Readers who are dealing with a work-related injury or illness may be interested in this overview of the claim process and the available benefits. The first step in the process is to report…Read More
Mining has long been one of the most hazardous occupations in America. Coal mining in Montana is unfortunately no exception. One of the hazards is the heavy equipment used in open-pit mines, including the giant trucks used to haul the coal. One of those trucks, weighing 230 tons, was involved in an accident at a coal mine in southeastern Montana…Read More
Working in a grain elevator is a hazardous occupation. In fact OSHA has made the industry an area of emphasis on a national basis, according to the agency’s director for the Billings area. The director says it is not unusual for grain elevators to be found in noncompliance with OSHA safety regulations. The hazards of the grain milling industry were…Read More
The oil fields of Montana and North Dakota rely on the process of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, to extract oil and gas from deep underground. The process has revolutionized the oil and gas extraction industry and has pushed production levels to all-time highs. But the process has also raised concerns about worker health and environmental risks. Now the…Read More
This blog has noted on a number of occasions that the oil fields of Montana and North Dakota are hazardous places to work. Now statistics released by the Associated Press show the extent of the danger: North Dakota had more workplace fatalities than any other state in 2011. Ten workers were killed in North Dakota between October 2013 and September…Read More
Construction work can be very hazardous. Statistically, falls are the leading cause of fatal accidents in the construction industry. Roofing workers are among the most at risk. Recently the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it would issue a citation to a Missoula roofing and remodeling contractor for not reporting a fatal fall at a worksite within eight hours,…Read More
Employers have a legal duty to provide a safe workplace. The federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration is charged with enforcing workplace safety regulations to minimize worker injuries and deaths. The usual penalty for an OSHA violation is a fine and an order to remedy the unsafe condition. But one Montana woman wants more justice than that after the death…Read More
Over the past few years quite a few Montana workers have found good-paying jobs in the oil fields. Unfortunately, the work is hazardous and some workers have paid for those jobs with their lives. Another such tragedy took place recently when a 32-year-old North Dakota man was killed at a drilling site near Killdeer. The man was working on a…Read More