Woodland Interiors Inc. was recently cited by officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for putting its workers at risk for fall-related work accidents in Hiram.
Safety officials witnessed these hazards when workers were putting insulation into the exterior walls of a new Aldi grocery store. Employers were working at dangerous heights and were not provided with the proper fall protection. Employers are required to take care of the proper safety precautions to keep all workers safe on the job. Failure to do so can result in serious accidents, injuries and even fatalities.The safety inspection into the company and its work practices was all a part of OSHA’s Local Emphasis Program and National Emphasis Program on falls in the construction industry. The violations came with a proposed penalty of more than $43,000.
Our Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyers understand that fall-related accidents are some of the most common accidents for workers nationwide. This is especially true for those who are employed in the construction industry. In the construction industry and all others, employee safety should be the number one concern of employers. When it’s not, companies get cited and fined, accidents result and employees can be seriously injured.
The company was handed close to $39,000 in willful violations for letting its workers perform their duties from an aerial lift that was close to 20 feet in the air without providing them with the proper fall protection. A company gets a willful violation when officials conclude that the employer knowingly or voluntarily disregarded law requirements and disregarded employee’s safety and health.
The company was also slapped with nearly $5,000 in serious violations for not giving its workers the proper fall protection while installing siding that was more than 15 feet off the ground. A company gets a serious violation when officials conclude that there is substantial probability that serious injury or even death could result from a work-related hazard that an employer knew about or should have known about.
“Falls are a leading cause of workplace fatalities, and employers need to ensure workers are protected,” said director of OSHA’s local Office, Andre Richards.
Earlier this year, the Administration launched a new campaign to help to protect workers from fall-related accidents pertaining to working on roofs, scaffolds and ladders. There were more than 10,000 workers in the construction industry who were injured in fall-related accidents in just 2010. In addition to these injuries, there were nearly 300 workers who were killed in these kinds of accidents. Employees and employers are urged to check out OSHA’s information web page about beneficial ways to help to prevent fall-related work accidents.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a fall-related work accident in Atlanta or in any of the surrounding areas, contact the Georgia Worker’s Compensation Lawyers at J. Franklin Burns, P.C. to schedule a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 404-920-4708 .
