The Georgia Department of Labor and the federal government regulate child labor. These laws help to make sure that our teenagers are protected from accidents on the job and that they have enough time to complete their school work and other obligations as well.

Parents are urged to sit down with the teen worker in their life to make sure that they're aware of the rights that they have on the job. Oftentimes, because of their inexperience, teen workers are likely to overlook or ignore work-related dangers that could cause a potentially fatal work accident in Atlanta or elsewhere. For this reason, parents should talk to teens about what is required of them and what is required of their employer to help to ensure their safety on the job.

Our Atlanta workers' compensation lawyers understand that there were more than 17 million workers across the United States who were under the age of 24-years-old in 2010. These workers only represented about 13 percent of the workforce but accounted for some of the highest counts of work-related accidents.

One common cause for their high injury rate has to do with the positions that they hold, like those in restaurant where there are knives, slippery floors and dangerous equipment present.

Knowledge about job requirements and expectations can help to reduce the risks for an accident.

Workers age 16- and 17-years-old:

-Can only work 4 hours on a school day.

-Can only work 8 hours on a non-school day.

-Can only work 40 hours during a non-school week.

-May not work before 6:00 a.m.

-May not work after 9:00 p.m.

-May not work during school hours.

-Are to be properly trained by employees regarding the tasks that need to be completed on the job.

-Are to be provided with the proper safety equipment to perform the job.

-Should be treated without any form of discrimination.

-Should be encouraged to speak up about any on-the-job dangers.

There were nearly 400 employees under the age of 24 who were killed in work-related accidents in 2009. More than 25 of these fatalities happened to workers who were under the age of 18. In addition to these fatal accidents, there were nearly 1,000,000 injuries resulting from work accidents during the same year. The injury rate for these young workers is about two times higher than the rate among workers who are over the age of 24.

Our Atlanta workers' compensation attorneys understand that roadside workers face some of the highest risks for work-related accidents. This stand down is used to address this very real problem and to help to highlight the importance of work zone safety. Through the stand down, officials hope to not only raise awareness about the risks for these kinds of accidents but the ability for workers and employees to recognize and eliminate these kinds of hazards.

Employees and employers are urged to check out the campaign's toolbox and informational flyers, available in both Spanish and English, to help kick off these efforts.

OSHA strongly believes that by committing 30 minutes to an hour of our workers' day to safety training can help to significantly increase employee safety morale.

Would you or your company like to participate? All you have to do to register your company is shoot an email to Cherri Watson.

Georgia Branch, AGC is now participating in its third year as a part of the OSHA Struck By Alliance for three years.

Involved in the stand down:

-National Safety Council - Georgia Chapter

-Pike Electric

-Georgia Power

-The Surveying and Mapping Society of Georgia

-Lamar Signs

-Georgia Tech Research Institute

-The Association County Commissioners of Georgia

-The Federal Highway Administration's Georgia Division

-Georgia's Department of Transportation

-3M Visibility & Insulations Solutions

-The Associated General Contractors of America Georgia Branch

According to statistics of 2010 from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were nearly 5,000 work-related fatalities in the U.S. Construction workers face some of the highest risks for fatal work-related accidents. Alliances and work-safety programs continue on in the effort to help to reduce the risks of these kinds of accidents and to help keep workers safe nationwide. Remember to keep safety as a number one priority in your workplace!

Our Georgia workers' compensation attorneys do know that natural disasters can't be prevented. If a tornado has a mind to rip through your neighborhood, there's nothing that can be done to stop it.

However, what can be done - and what the Occupational Health & Safety Administration is promoting - is having adequate preparation for such an event, as well as a planned response.

The first thing businesses can do is work on an emergency plan. This is going to include everything workers need to know about where they can take shelter, how to make sure everyone is accounted for and how to approach any hazardous materials they may encounter during or after the disaster. It's also typically recommended that companies develop an action plan for workers' families as well.

With regard to identifying the best shelter from a tornado, employers should first identify whether there is an underground space available. If not, find a small space in an interior hallway or room on the lowest floor available. Steer clear of doors, windows and walls. Staying in the center of the room - as opposed to the corners - can help you avoid getting caught in debris. If possible, find a room that is reinforced with concrete that has no windows and a heavy roof system overhead.

If your workers are caught outside, this could be a deadly scenario. The best option would be to find shelter in a sturdy basement or building. If you can't locate one that workers could easily walk to, instruct workers to get in a vehicle and drive to the nearest shelter. If it's too late, either stay in the vehicle, seat belt on, cover your head with your arms and stay below the windows. Or, employees could get out, lie in a ditch or other low area with hands covering head.

Back inside the office, you'll want to have a system already in place to figure out who is accounted for and who might be missing.

Offer emergency supply kits that would be easily accessible in the shelter.

Whatever plan is developed, it's important that workers are kept updated on it. They should be trained to know how to handle such an emergency. Make sure everyone knows the difference between a tornado watch (conditions are ripe for such a storm) and a tornado warning (a tornado has been spotted - get to shelter immediately).

Other signs that a tornado is approaching include: very dark, sometimes green clouds; a cloud of debris; sizable hail; a funnel cloud; roaring noise.

In the immediate aftermath of a tornado, make sure your employees watch out for things like:

• Dangerous driving conditions;


• Objects that are liable to fall, such as poles or tree limbs;


• Sharp objects, particularly broken glass or nails;


• Fire due to equipment failure;


• Exhaustion spurred by working longer shifts;


• Dehydration.

Most recently, an employee lost a hand after alleged negligence at one of the locations.

Our Atlanta workers compensation attorneys understand that due to a host of violations at various stores across the country (including in Georgia), the grocery chain has been placed on the Severe Violator Enforcement Program with the U.S. Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration. That's according to the Financial News & Daily Record.

Media reports indicate that this latest incident happened at a distribution center in Jacksonville on West Beaver Street. The employee had been cleaning equipment when his hand was sliced off.

OSHA has said that the incident would not have occurred had Publix taken certain precautions. Publix officials disagree, and say they plan to fight the government agency's decision.

While it is true that some accidents may not be foreseeable or preventable, oftentimes a company is aware of certain safety risks, yet chooses not to address them because to do so would require time and money they do not wish to spend.

In this case, the complaint was first made in September.

OSHA's Jacksonville-area director, Brian Sturtecky, said that Public officials knew about the risks to which its cleaning crew was being exposed. And yet, it didn't take any action to keep its employees safe from harm, which could have been as simple as implementing controls on the conveyor equipment's source of energy.

Sturtecky said opening up the possibility of having a limb amputated is absolutely unacceptable, and further, that action has to be taken immediately.

OSHA said one of the grocery chain's violations was "willful," which essentially means that the company broke the rules knowingly, and with a total disregard for the law. That is going to cost them a penalty of about $70,000.

Additionally, the store had two repeat violations. Those could result in a fine of about $66,000. Those include a failure to use or even have a procedure for lockout-/tagout and the failure to conduct a yearly inspection of the energy control procedures. The store was cited for the exact same offense in Georgia four years ago.

Another six violations are considered serious, and could result in fines of nearly $40,000 for not properly training employees on a number of safety issues. Another six violations, which include things like improper documentation and paperwork, could bring a fine of nearly $7,000.

The store has half a month from the time it received these notices to comply with the federal agency's request to either pay the fines or fight back on the allegations.
A company spokesman told the Daily Record that the store does maintain a safe working environment, and it plans to appeal the findings. He added, however, that the store intends to address any issues that could have been a contributing factor in the instance where an employee lost his hand, which he called "an unfortunate incident."

Our Atlanta workers compensation attorneys understand that the AirTran employee was let go from his pilot position back in August 2007, pending an investigative hearing into the sudden increase in the number of reports from the employee regarding a number of mechanical problems he claimed to observe. The investigative hearing was held on September 6, 2007. This hearing lasted for only about 15 minutes. Just a week later, the pilot was let go from the company, saying he didn't adequately answer the company's questions on standards regarding the spike in concerns. Investigations from OSHA determined that the pilot didn't refuse to answer any of the questions and that the answers he provided were appropriate and that the dismissal of the pilot was retaliatory.

Those who raise safety concerns in the workplace are to be protected under workers' rights.

A whistleblower provision is enforced by OSHA. Within this provision OSHA has a number of ways to protect those who raise concerns regarding workplace safety. OSHA pushes 20 addition statutes to help to protect employees who speak out about trucking, health, nuclear, environmental, maritime, consumer, food, securities, safety, pipelines, rail, health care and product safety laws.

Retaliation from an employer can include:

-Getting fired.

-Being blacklisted.

-Being demoted.

-Being held back from receiving overtime or a deserved promotion.

-Unnecessary disciplining.

-Failing to receive deserved benefits.

-Failing to be hired to rehired.

-Being purposely intimidated.

-Receiving workplace threats.

-Cutting deserved pay or scheduled hours.

Workers who feel an employer has retaliated against them for raising safety concerns are asked to file a complaint with the secretary of labor to induce an investigation from OSHA officials. Call OSHA's regional office in Atlanta at (678) 237-0400 to report your concerns and seek support from an Atlanta workers compensation lawyer to help to ensure that you're properly compensated.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are a common hazard in any and all occupational settings. A work-related fall accident can happen during the simple task of climbing or walking a ladder to change a light bulb, as well as more dangerous circumstances like working in complex conditions like those that iron workers endure.

Most commonly, fatal fall accidents on the job happen to who work within the construction industry, which has the highest rate for fatal work-related fall accidents. Additionally, the healthcare industry and the those who work in the wholesale and retail industries experience the most fall accidents in which an injury results.

Common conditions that lead to on-the-job fall accidents:

-Slippery or wet floors.

-Cluttered areas.

-Unstable walkways.

-Unprotected edges.

-Floor holes.

-Ladders that are positioned improperly.

-Inadequate fall protection.

-Wall openings.

The federal government provides workers and employees with specific standards and recommendations that must be used to help to prevent these types of accidents. When work sites are not kept in a safe condition for employees, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) will step in to reprimand employers and to establish safer working conditions.

Every year, these types of accidents cost the country nearly $100 billion.

Our Georgia workers compensation lawyers are asking all employers and employees to work together to help to reduce the risks for fall accidents in 2012. While these accident have decreased with each passing year, there are still far too many workers injured and killed in these preventable accidents. If you think you're facing risks for a fall accident on the job, be sure to voice those concerns to a supervisor or the owner of the company. Fall accidents are completely preventable if everyone takes the proper safety precautions. Make 2012 the safest year yet!

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration recently released guidelines for employers in the retail industry to follow in order to reduce the risk of work-related injuries during sales events or throughout the holiday shopping season. Employers should tackle crowd control management to induce a safe work environment in three phases: planning, set-up and day of event.

Planning
-Hire trained security or police officers for large crowd events.

-Assign workers to a specific area of the store and make sure you have plenty of staff on hand for the event.

-Provide a training seminar to employees so they know how to handle large crowds and can ask questions regarding safety or how to prevent injuries.

-Obtain needed permits or licenses from fire code inspectors as well as alert emergency services of the event.

-Place signage in visible areas that help customers know where to go or what store hours are.

-Prepare an emergency plan in case a dangerous situation arises during the event.

-Advise staff of the emergency plan and make sure they are aware of crowd management procedures.

Event Setup:

-Make sure barricades or rope lines are setup securely before the doors open.

-Keep barricades away from store entrances so that bunching does not occur in sales lines where customers are trying to enter the building.

-Have enough staff available to help with directions and guidance to certain lines.

-"Hot" sales items should be advertised as online sales only to prevent a mad rush of customers getting to the desired sale.

-Keep shopping carts gathered in one location rather than spread out all over the parking lot.

-Prepare pamphlets or flyers indicating where entrances, exits, and special sales items are located.

-Provide staff with communicative devices such as radios or cell phones to relay emergency situations.

Day of Sales Event:

-Have crowd control personnel in place before the doors open.

-Never place crowd control managers in the center of where crowds are entering. Position them along both sides of the line.

-If the store has reached maximum capacity, barricade or rope off the line until customers have left and there is more space available.

-Allow people with disabilities to enter a different location.

-Remind staff to be in constant communication with customers, as well as, other co-workers.

Retail employers have a responsibility to keep workers and consumers safe during large crowd events. Preparedness with crowd control management helps employers to reduce the risk of injury and provide a safe environment for everyone.

ROC-United, founded in 2008, has over 7,500 members and is a national organization focused on improving work conditions in the restaurant industry. The Alliance with OSHA will be geared towards presenting case studies so that employers and workers in the industry can learn lessons from previous dangerous situations. Fact sheets, health and safety booklets and suggestions for proper training will be provided to workers and employers to create awareness about burns, falls, cuts and other potential injuries.

It isn't abnormal for parents to fear when their child goes out into the workforce, especially at a young age. Up to this point the power to keep children safe has been in the hands of the parents but now you are relying on someone else. Employers have an obligation to provide a safe work environment for your child but the more knowledge your child can gain the better it will be for their own safety.

OSHA has developed an online tool to help parents and teens gain more knowledge about the dangers leading to severe injury or illness while working in the restaurant industry. Young workers are exposed regularly to electrocution, violence, strains or sprains, toxic chemicals among other hazards. A teen may take a job serving, working the drive-thru window, preparing food or in clean-up but what they need to be aware of is there are dangers in every facet of the job.

The following are potential dangers associated with specific job responsibilities in the restaurant industry:

Serving
-Strains or sprains from carrying heavy dishes or trays stacked full of food orders.
-Trips or falls from not seeing an object in your path or slipping on ice dispersed from a bin.
-Burns from touching hot plates or spilling hot drinks.
-Workplace violence exhibited by customers or employers making vocal complaints or belligerent comments.

Drive-thru window
-Hearing loss initiated by loud background noise from headsets.
-Inhalation of dangerous fumes from a car's exhaust system.
-Back and foot pain from standing on feet for prolong periods of time.

Cooking
-Eye or face injuries caused by oil splashes from scalding fryers.
-Fire hazards from working around open flames or grease traps that aren't emptied.
-Heat exhaustion or heat illness from working in extreme hot temperatures for long periods of time.

Clean-up
-Slip and fall injuries from walking in freshly mopped wet areas or grease spills left on the floor.
-Electrocution from open wires or worn electrical cords.
-Exposure to hazardous chemicals often found in cleaning products like ammonia, detergents, or soaps.

Young workers are at risk of so many potentially dangerous injuries so help keep them safe by teaching them to be responsible and ensuring their employer trains them properly.

Our Workers' Compensation attorneys in Atlanta can't help but wonder how many workplace injuries or illnesses go unreported because an employee is either scared to report, thinks an injury is minor and doesn't need reporting, or employers try to cover up an illness or injury so they can continue to exhibit an impeccable record. We urge workers to always report or get medical attention for work injuries, no matter how insignificant they may seem. You never know what can come from these health issues weeks, months or even years down the road.

We find these key findings worth mentioning:

-In 2009, the incidence rate of cases per 100 full-time equivalent employees was 3.6. In 2010, there was a slight improvement to 3.5 cases per 100 workers.

-Total recordable cases with regard to incidence rates combining illness and injuries for private industry job sites declined significantly.

-Healthcare and social assistance employees recorded a rate of 5.2 cases per 100 full-time employees for illnesses and injuries in 2010. This was a slight improvement from the 2009 rate of cases, which was 5.4. Interestingly, we note health care and social assistance was the only private industry sector that reported more job growth and hours worked in 2010 than in 2009.

-The manufacturing industry reported 4.3 cases per 100 full-time employees in 2009. In 2010, the rate of cases increased to 4.4. The manufacturing industry was the only private industry sector to show an increase in incidence rates from one year to the next when reporting illness and injuries. This likely is a result of fewer hours worked rather than fewer illness and injury cases being reported.

-There was a 7 percent decrease in total recordable cases in the private construction industry sector in 2010. The incident rate changed from 4.0 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers in 2010 from 4.3 in 2009. Specialty trade laborers showed a similar decrease reporting 4.3 cases in 2010, which was a .3 decrease from the previous year. We surmise that the decrease in specialty trade contractors had much to do with the overall decrease in the private construction industry.

-State and federal government workers reported incidence rates of 5.7 cases of illness and injuries per 100 full-time equivalent employees. There are over 18 million workers in the national public sector.

-The incidence rate for illness cases overall showed minimal change from 2009 to last year but poisoning was one category that reported an increase. There were 3 reported cases of poisoning for every 10,000 full-time employees in 2010.

Our Atlanta workers compensation lawyers hope that this new guidance will help employers make some much needed changes to help to ensure the safety of all employees. Nail gun-related injuries are preventable. Employers are asked to take all of the proper safety precautions to keep workers safe on the job. Accidents can happen when we let our guard down. It's important for employers to stay one step ahead of the game and to remove all potential hazards before they're able to harm workers.

Many construction workers, especially those working within residential construction, use nail guns daily. These tools are vital on many work sites. While they're extremely easy to use and speed up productivity on every site, we have seen numerous reports of both internal and external bodily injuries from these devices.

Common causes of nail gun-related injuries:

-Unintended nail discharge.

-Ricocheting nails that bounce off hard surfaces.

-Missing work pieces altogether and being shot into the air.

-Disabling a nail gun's safety feature.

A recent study concluded that roughly two out of five residential carpenter apprentices have experienced at least one nail gun-related injury in the last four years. Many times, when these types of accidents happen, they are not reported or given the proper medical treatment.

Research has concluded that the risk of an injury from a multi-shot contact trigger is twice as high as when a worker is using a single-shot sequential trigger nailer.

All supervisors, builders, subcontractors and construction contractors are urged to review the new guidance to help reduce the risks of these types of accidents.

Consider these six practical steps that can help all contractors to avoid a nail gun-related accident:

-Be sure to use full sequential trigger nail guns.

-Make sure all workers are provided with the proper training.

-Make sure that all work sites and work crews understand nail gun procedures.

-Make sure all workers have personal protective equipment (PPE).

-Set up a system to ensure injuries, accidents and close calls are reported.

-Be sure that all injuries are treated with first aid care or medical treatment.

Since the Occupational Safety and Health Act was enacted in 1970, employers have been held responsible for making sure that all work sites are healthful and safe for employees. Some of the most routine and simple activities can turn deadly if simple safety steps are not taken.

A Doraville-based masonry contractor received several citations and fines of more than $164,000 for safety violations at several work sites in Conyers and Sugar Hill. Of these violations, four were received for repeat issues. These included failing to provide platforms and guardrails to prevent workers from falling; lack of toe boards; lack of ladders; lack of face and eye protection; and exposing workers to dangerous mixer blades.

They were also issued numerous violations for failing to enact a hazard communications program, for not keeping copies of safety information sheets and for failing to discuss hazardous chemicals with workers. Lastly, they were given an other-than-serious citation for neglecting to make sure that all industrial truck operators were trained and certified.

This concrete producer in Gainesville was handed nearly 20 health and safety violations that totaled more than $120,000 for failing to protect employees from a work-related accident. One willful safety violation was issued because the company made employees perform maintenance on vehicles and equipment within three feet of an open and unguarded pit. OSHA felt that these conditions made their risks of a fall accident extremely high. They were also handed six repeat violations for neglecting to properly mark the signs at the facility's fire exit doors; neglecting to remove equipment that was blocking exit routes; failing to provide proper tagout/lockout training to workers who perform maintenance on equipment and machinery; failing to block off an unused opening in an electrical panel; and for not properly protecting workers from various electrical shock hazards.

The company's Tifton construction site was cited 14 times and fined more than $55,000 because the company failed to protect workers from various fall hazards; failed to use ladders that extended more than 36 inches past the upper landing surface of a roof; used an extension ladder that was cracked and had missing and broken parts; and failed to require employees to wear eye protection when needed. These were all repeat violations. It was also handed a number of serious violations for exposing workers to fall hazards; letting forklift workers go without a lanyard and a body belt; and didn't require employees to use head protection in hazardous areas.

Employers are required to take all of the proper safety precautions to help prevent work-related accidents that could injure or kill anyone on a work site. If a company fails to take any of these precautions, it will be cited by OSHA and the company will be required to pay the consequences.

Our Georgia workers compensation attorneys understand that OSHA decided to withdraw from its commitment to update these provisions because it required more resources and more public outreach than they had originally anticipated. They stated that the administration was going to have to do a little bit more research on work-related noise hazards and prevention strategies before it was able to make any changes to the provision.

Now, OSHA released a statement saying it was going to hold an informal OSHA stakeholder meeting to encourage suggestions and comments about work-related, hearing-loss prevention tactics. OSHA is asking stakeholders to share their thoughts and ideas for potential hearing conservation programs, which could include engineering controls and advances in personal protective equipment. The stakeholder meeting will be held Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

It is estimated that nearly 25,000 workers lose their hearing because of work-related incidents every year. To help to prevent these types of accidents, OSHA is asking for input from public health professionals, noise control experts, workers and employers.

Meeting Information:

Location: Frances Perkins Building, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-4437 A/B/C/D
Address: 200 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C.
Contact: You can Register online. Or call (781) 674-7374 or send a fax to (781) 674-7200.
Fax Cover Letter: "Attention: OSHA Preventing Occupational Hearing Loss Stakeholder Meeting." Be sure to include the stakeholder's name, contact information and the affiliated company or organization.

All participants must complete the registration information before Oct. 27.

OSHA pulled the interpretation's proposal back in January, but said it would continue to:

-Thoroughly review all of the comments and concerns that are submitted in response to the Federal Register notice.

-Hold the stakeholders meeting.

-Work closely with experts from the National Academy of Engineering and the National Institute for Occupational Safety for more research on the topic.

-Continue to research and enforce current regulations in an effort to make sure that the guidance and information regarding controls for dangerous noise levels are effective and inexpensive for employers and employees.

Hearing-related work accidents are very serious and can change a workers life forever. If you've experienced an accident on the job, it is critical for you to contact an experienced attorney to help you to fight for the compensation you deserve.

The carnival accident happened back in May at the Greensboro carnival. According to the Greensboro News & Record, Event Coordinators Inc., which is located in Augusta, has been issued a dozen citations from the North Carolina Department of Labor. The company was also issued one non-serious violation for violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina. Each fine ranges between $900 and $3,500. The company has 15 days to either appeal the citations or to pay the fines.

Companies are required to provide safe equipment and material for customers, but in doing so its required to keep workers safe and to prevent work accidents in Georgia and elsewhere. Federal law requires that all of the proper safety precautions are taken to avoid such accidents. If an injury results from a work hazard, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration will step in to investigate the scene. If hazards were failed to be addressed, companies and employers can face a number of serious violations, citations and fines.

Our Atlanta workers compensation lawyers report that the man who was killed after falling off of this Ferris wheel at the Greensboro Youth Council's yearly carnival was a 42-year-old employee from Columbus, Georgia. The carnival was held this year at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Carnival workers are used to working under time restrictions, but must be cautious and careful when assembling and taking down equipment as this is the time when the most accidents occur.

The man was killed as he was taking apart the Ferris wheel as the carnival was packing up. A second worker was injured during the incident. According to local officials, one of the fittings on the wheel's wire cable that is used to disassemble the ride failed.

Reports indicate that the Columbus worker fell more than 40 feet to the paved ground after a portion of the wheel came free and hit a nearby walkway. The other worker who was injured in the incident reportedly fell nearly 30 feet after the loose part struck an elevated basket on the wheel.

"The penalties are in no way designed to make up for loss of life," said a spokesman for the Labor Department, Neal O'Briant, Labor Department Spokesman. He reports that the money collected from the fines will be given to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund, which provides funds to public schools in the area.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employees and representatives have the legal right to file a complaint and request that OSHA look into complaints and conduct an inspection of the work site. A complaint may be filed if an employee feels that there is a serious hazard that an employer may be neglecting to recognize or address. Under the Act, the name of the person who filed the complaint is not released to help protect their identity from employers and to encourage more people to step up and address these concerns.

Employees should not fear voicing concerns regarding a work-related hazard. It is against federal law for an employer to take any retaliating action again an employee who speaks out. Employers are prohibited from demoting, transferring, firing or discriminating against any employees who files a complaint.

Visit OSHA's complaint web page to fill out a form regarding a work-related hazard that you've witnessed. Your concern can help to prevent an injury or to save a life.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) reports that in 2010, more than 4,500 people died because of fatal workplace injuries. More than 500 of these deaths were workplace homicides. Homicide is the number one cause of death for females in the workplace.

No one should be subjected to violent acts in the workplace and there can be compensation that can be provided to those who have been the victim of violent workplace injuries in Atlanta and elsewhere.

Our Georgia workers compensation attorneys understand how common these types of work injuries are. As a matter of fact, workplace violence is one of the top four causes of all workplace fatalities in the last 15 years. More than 3,000 workers have died from on-the-job homicide from the just 2006 to 2010. Another 15,000 workers were injured during this time because of workplace violence.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently released a new directive on its Enforcement Procedures for Investigating or Inspecting Incidents of Workplace Violence. Under the new directive, OSHA members will have to follow a new set of rules pertaining to the investigation of workplace violence reports. They will also have to conduct more frequent and more thorough inspections on industries in which workplace violence is more prominent. Some of these industries include social service and healthcare settings, and late-night retail establishments, such as convenience stores and 24-hour sit-in restaurants.

One of the most recent cases of workplace violence came after an OSHA inspection of a psychiatric hospital in Maine. The inspections revealed on-duty workers were assaulted more than 90 times by patients. These reports were collected from 2008 to 2010.

That Maine hospital has been cited for not providing those workers with efficient and adequate protection against the workplace violence. The hospital must now pay approximately $6,000 in fines. The Administration has handed over similar citations to facilities in Massachusetts and in New York where workers were killed as the result or workplace assaults.

"These incidents and others like them can be avoided or decreased if employers take appropriate precautions to protect their workers," said Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health."

How to help prevent the risks of workplace violence:

• Enact a zero-tolerance policy. Make sure that all employees, clients, patients, contractors, visitors, etc. are covered under the policy. This policy should ensure that an employer will take the proper actions if a violent act or threat is reported.


• Frequently assess worksites. Create a written Workplace Violence Prevention Program. The program should include administrative and engineering controls along with a form of training so that everyone can better understand and recognize workplace violence.


• Let all employees know about their legal right to prosecute perpetrators in the event of becoming the victim of workplace violence.


• Ensure that employees understand how to report a violent act and who to report it to. Ensure that everyone knows that these reports will be taken seriously and all of them will be both investigated and remedied immediately.


• Make sure that no employee who reports a violent act in the workplace faces reprisals.

A Site-Specific Targeting program warranted the investigation of the facility back in April. This program, operated by OSHA, aims to direct its enforcement efforts to businesses of work sites that have a history of high rates of illnesses and work-related injuries in Atlanta and elsewhere.

Our Atlanta workers' compensation attorneys continue to follow issues combustible dust in the workplace -- which has led to a number of plant explosions in recent years. A company can be fined and sued for deserved compensation if they do not take the proper safety precautions to protect employees. Excelso Coffee and Tea Co. received nearly $47,000 in proposed fines.

The company received fourteen citations for violating a number of safety regulations. These violations were for:

-Failing to keep steel beams and floors at the facility free of tea and coffee dust.

-Failing to have insulation devices to help prevent explosions and fires near the dust collector.

-Failing to have an emergency plan.

-Employees were not trained on how to properly use fire extinguishers.

-Not properly storing wiring in an electrical panel.

-Not having machine guards on equipment on the packaging lines.

-Not properly training employees on the operations of a forklift.

-Stairs lacked standard railings and guardrails.

-Using flexible cords as permanent wiring.

-Improperly adjusting bench grinders.

-Not using the air compressor properly to clean equipment.

-The facility did not have a station for employees to wash their eyes of harmful debris.

-Employees were not given protection to keep their hands safe from heat and sharp objects.

The company received a number of less-serious violations, including:

-Failing to keep track of injuries that occurred from 2007 to 2009.

-Failing to properly mark "exit" signs at the facility.

-Failing to provide employees that require a respirator with a proper medical evaluation.

-Blocking the facility's electrical panels.

"Fixing these violations now is a lot easier than recovering from a fire or explosion that can result in injuries or even loss of life," says William Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office.

The coffee company has 15 business days to deal with the violations. They have the option of paying the fines, contesting the fines or requesting a meeting with their local OSHA office.

If you observe unsafe working conditions at your place of employment or at any other work facility, you can report your findings to OSHA by calling 800-321-OSHA (6742).

If you are injured on the job, it is important for you to contact an experienced lawyer to help you fight for the proper compensation. Injuries and sufferings can include medical bills and work-loss costs. You should not be responsible for these costs, especially if the hazard could have been prevented by your employer.