Haverhill is a city along the Merrimack River in the Essex County of Massachusetts. It was originally named Pentucket, but was renamed Haverhill after being purchased in 1642. In the years to follow, Haverhill became an industrial powerhouse. One tenth of the shoes produced in the United States were made in Haverhill in the early 1900s, hence the nicknames “The Shoe City” and “Queen Slipper City.” Today, Haverhill has become more of a residential area. At the time of the 2010 US Census, the population was 60,879, and according to the American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate, it had grown to 61,769 by 2014.
Haverhill Workers Face Risks
In Haverhill and the surrounding towns and cities in the division, there are 63,450 employed workers. Of the 63,450 employed workers in the division that includes Haverhill, 8,450 are employed in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. This sector includes occupations such as:
- Waiters and waitresses (1,180 employed workers)
- Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food detail (1,710 employed workers)
- Cooks?short order, restaurant, and cafeteria (940 employed workers)
A news release by The Bureau Of Labor Statistics reported that there were 76,450 incidents, with an incidence rate of 96.9 of workplace injuries or illness that resulted in time away from work.
Another large sector in the Haverhill area is Sales and Related Occupations, which employs 7,410 workers. This sector includes occupations such as:
- Cashiers (2,240 employed workers)
- Retail salespersons (2,460 employed workers)
- First-line supervisors of retail sales workers (800 employed workers)
The same news release reported 55,900 incidents involving a worker being injured or falling ill while working and, therefore, missing time at work.
Were You Hurt At Work?
In occupations such as food preparation and retail, injuries are all too common. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overexertion and bodily reaction were the most common cause of injury in the workplace in 2014 with 384,260 cases accounting for 33% of total cases. The 2014 incidence rate for overexertion or bodily reaction was 35.6 cases per 10,000 full-time workers. Lifting is often a job requirement for cooks when receiving deliveries, or servers when taking inventory or stocking workstations, as well as for retail salespeople when organizing stockrooms and bringing out new merchandise. Another common cause for workplace injuries, falls, slips, and/or trips, accounted for an additional 27 percent of the total in 2014, with 316,650 injuries that resulted in time away from work at an incidence rate of 29.3. It is not uncommon for spills to happen in kitchens and dining rooms at restaurants, and cooks, servers, and other food preparation workers can easily slip and fall. Just as often, retail and sales workers can trip over merchandise that has fallen off of a display, or slip in a spill that went unreported by a customer. Suddenly, a worker can find themselves out of work for days, weeks, or even months. This can cause serious stress for an individual with bills to pay, including, medical bills for their injury.
A Haverhill Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help
If a workplace injury has caused you to miss time at work, you may have questions about your rights. A workers’ compensation attorney can help to answer your questions, and fight for you so you can get the care and compensation you deserve. You and your attorney can begin the process of getting your benefits right away; don’t hesitate to call as soon as you are injured.
If you’ve been hurt at work, schedule your free consultation with a Keches Law Group attorney today. Call us at 617-898-0808, or visit our website and chat with us online.