NY Workplace Accident Lawyer Victor Pasternack Comments on Report about Potentially Hazardous Working Conditions for New York City Airport Workers
New York, NY (PRWEB) October 17, 2014 -- Workers at JFK Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York face a risk of being exposed to hazardous chemicals, blood borne pathogens and deadly diseases like Ebola, according to a recent report by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. New York City workplace accident lawyer Victor Pasternack of Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano L.L.P. said the report illustrates the need to step up efforts to protect the airport workers.
Pasternack expressed his comments in response to an article about the report published by the New York-based union, 32BJ SEIU, on its website. (SEIU32BJ.org, “NYCOSH Report: NY Airport Workers Face Serious Health and Safety Hazards; Implications for Passengers,” Oct. 3, 2014)
“Airport workers in New York City face serious, life-threatening risks every day on the job,” Pasternack said. “And those risks include exposure to hazardous chemicals and potentially deadly diseases. Heightened fears about Ebola and other highly contagious diseases entering our country through our nation’s airports are legitimate concerns. Flights from around the world arrive at JFK Airport every single day. This report by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health clearly indicates that many airports are not doing enough to protect workers. We can’t sit back and idly hope that everything will be fine. We need to take action to protect airport workers. If not, everyone’s lives could be at risk.”
The SEIU’s website describes the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) report detailing the hazards New York City airport workers face. According to the SEIU article, the report “details ‘pervasive,’ hazardous working conditions for contracted airport workers that put them at possible risk of exposure to infectious diseases, injury or death on the job.”
More than 8,000 subcontracted service employees work at JFK and LaGuardia Airports, according to the SEIU article. Some of the concerns raised in the NYCOSH report include:
“Wheelchair attendants at JFK and LaGuardia say they are required to clean up the blood, urine, feces, and vomit of sick passengers” and do not have “the proper cleaning materials or protective equipment,” according to the SEIU website.
“Aircraft cabin cleaners report being supplied with unlabeled chemical cleaning products with harsh odors and various adverse effects,” according to the SEIU website.
“Baggage handlers say they face many hazards at work including routine exposure to diesel emissions, harsh hot and cold weather and repetitive strain injuries,” according to the SEIU website.
As for Ebola, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to add additional CDC staffers to screen people for Ebola at four airports nationwide, including JFK airport in New York, according to NBC News’ website. (NBC, “Obama Ready to Ramp Up Ebola Airport Screening,” Oct. 7, 2014)
But more clearly needs to be done to protect all New York City airport workers from a wide range of risks at work, according to New York workplace accident lawyer Victor Pasternack of Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano L.L.P. “Government officials and airlines can’t simply protect workers long term by responding to short-term crises,” Pasternack said. “Officials need to develop a long-range plan to protect workers from a wide range of potentially hazardous chemicals and diseases. Safety measures need to be radically improved to protect the health and well-being of workers. We take workplace injuries very seriously at our law firm. That’s because we know the devastating effects these injuries can have on workers and their families. Companies need to be held accountable for their actions. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we work so hard every single day.”
For more information about workplace accidents in New York and the legal rights available to New York workplace injury victims, call (800) 692-3717 or go to: http://www.workerslaw.com/contact-us/
About Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano L.L.P.
Victor Pasternack, the managing partner of Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano L.L.P. has over 38 years’ experience in the field of workers’ compensation law. He was named to the Super Lawyers list in the area of workers’ compensation for 2014, the sixth time he has been so recognized. No more than five percent of the lawyers in New York are selected by the research team to receive this honor.
Mr. Pasternack also has lectured widely on workers’ compensation topics, particularly before groups of trial lawyers and labor unions.
With 80 years of experience hearing over 100,000 cases, Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano L.L.P. has obtained settlements totaling over a billion dollars for New Yorkers. With 100 legal professionals on staff, the law firm has won numerous accolades for providing its clients with strong, reliable legal representation and has a well-earned reputation as one of the top law firms for cases involving workplace accidents and cases involving workers compensation and Social Security disability.
For more information about what to do after you or your loved one has been hurt in the New York City area, call (800) 692-3717 for a free case evaluation.
Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano L.L.P. has 11 locations across the five boroughs, southern New York, and Long Island. Visit http://www.workerslaw.com/
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Jacob M Del Hagen, Big Voodoo Interactive, http://www.bigvoodoo.com, +1 (413) 650-0593, [email protected]
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