A work-safety summit this month sought to find ways to improve safety for Latino workers and reduce the risk of Georgia work accidents and on-the-job injuries elsewhere in the United States.
Our Georgia workers’ compensation lawyers know there are many reasons that Latinos face higher risks of work accidents, including immigration status, language barriers, discrimination, and a willingness to accept dangerous jobs in construction and other industries.OSHA reports that Latino workers continue to have the highest rates of injuries in the United States.
“Our focus at this summit is ensuring that all workers understand they have a right to a safe workplace, that they know what hazards they might face on the job, and that they have a clear sense of how a safe workplace is supposed to look,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis . “Workers have a right to talk to their employers about unsafe conditions and, if necessary, to call OSHA.”
Solis notes workers also have a right to:
-Get safety equipment that is required by law and paid for by the employer.
-Be trained in a language and in a way they understand.
-Be able to exercise their rights without fear of retaliation.
“And finally, every worker needs to know that he or she has the right to come home alive at the end of the day.” Solis said.
Immigration status may be one issue that works against Latino workers when it comes to asserting their workplace rights. The Pew Hispanic Center recently reported Georgia’s estimated 425,000 undocumented immigrants rank it seventh in the nation.
“Far too many Latino workers have needlessly lost their lives just trying to earn a living, and it must stop,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “This summit will shine a spotlight on the hazards and challenges faced by this vulnerable sector of the nation’s workforce so we can begin crafting new, badly needed strategies to prevent thousands of injuries and deaths every year.”
The Atlanta work accident lawyers at the Law Offices of J. Franklin Burns, P.C., have the knowledge and experience to help clients obtain all of the benefits to which they are entitled under the Georgia workers’ compensation program. Our experienced staff will also carefully review the facts and circumstances of your accident to determine whether additional claims can be filed against someone other than your employer. For a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights, call 678-298-0323.
