Federal safety authorities organized and sponsored a stand-down hour this month in an effort to raise awareness of Georgia construction accidents caused by employees being struck by foreign objects.
Our Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyers know that being struck by an object, or coming into contact with heavy equipment, is a common cause of construction accidents in Atlanta and throughout Georgia. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 1 in 6 fatal accidents last year was caused by an employee coming into contact with an object or equipment, accounting for 788 of the 4,340 fatal workplace accidents nationwide. Such accidents killed 11 employees in Georgia.The event on Tuesday Nov. 9 stopped work for an hour so safety officials could conduct work zone safety training at Georgia construction sites, aimed at preventing injuries resulting from employees being struck by objects or vehicles. Such accidents are a leading cause of construction-related deaths and about 75 percent involve heavy equipment, such as trucks or cranes.
“The one-hour stand down will heighten employees’ awareness and their ability to identify and eliminate work-related hazards in the construction community,” said Cindy Coe, OSHA’s regional administrator for the Southeast. “This alliance has taken the initiative and shown leadership with organizing and conducting this safety stand-down industry-wide as well as throughout Georgia to emphasize the importance of employees’ safety in work zones.”
The Georgia Struck-By Alliance consists of OSHA, Associated General Contractors of America Georgia Branch, 3M Visibility and Insulations Solutions, Georgia’s Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration Georgia Division, Georgia Highways Contractors Association, Georgia Utility Contractors Association, Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Lamar Signs, Surveying and Mapping Society of Georgia and Georgia Power.
Other Georgia work safety programs put on by the organization include:
-Safety Stand Down on Crane Safety
-Safety Stand Down on Fall Safety
-Safety Stand Down on Trenching & Excavation
-Safety Stand Down on Electric Safety
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.