​Storm Season Puts Low-wage Workers at Risk

While Hurricane Henri brought a near miss to Massachusetts, hurricane season runs through November 30, and its important workers mobilized to clean up after storms, our “second responders,” know about the potential hazards on the job and their rights. To that end, MassCOSH is making its “Muck and Gut” training available to keep the workers who play an invaluable role in post-storm cleanup safe on the job. 

OSHA states that cleanup and recovery activities involve hazards that can cause serious injuries or death. Like many other risky jobs, workers who are mobilized to clean up after storms are often low-wage, Spanish-speaking immigrant workers who may not be trained on the many dangers they will encounter on the job.  

MassCOSH’s “Muck and Gut” training can be conducted in English or Spanish and goes in-depth into the hazards storm cleanup workers can encounter on the job, including mold, electrocution injuries, exposure to asbestos-contaminated materials, being struck or crushed by falling tree limbs, injuries from equipment, such as chain saws and chippers, and strains and sprains from lifting debris. 

MassCOSH’s interactive demonstrations ensure workers know about and can apply the appropriate personal protective equipment to protect themselves from hazards and the effects of chemicals used to restore buildings back into habitable condition. MassCOSH makes sure each worker understands their rights on the job no matter what their immigration status, including wage and hour laws and their right to benefits under Workers’ Compensation. Please contact MassCOSH at info@masscosh.org if you’d like to schedule a training on this topic.