Georgia Injury Attorney Blog

A 21-year-old sanitation worker was recently injured as he was riding on the back of a garbage truck when an SUV slammed into that back of it on just north of Thomson Road on South Houston Lake Road, according to The Sun News. The young worker was pinned between the two vehicles and emergency responders amputated his leg on scene. The sanitation worker and the driver of that SUV were transported to The Medical Center of Central Georgia. The truck was owned by Centerville Sanitation, which is a private company that is employed by the city of Centerville.

The Georgia work accident happened shortly after 6:00 a.m. Officials are still investigating that crash.

Our workers compensation attorneys understand that garbage truck workers are at an extremely high risk for accidents. As a matter of fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the solid waste collection industry continues to have the 5th highest fatality rate in the United States. These jobs have not only increased in numbers, but have increased in the levels of danger as well. It's estimated that roughly 60 employees die in this occupation every year.

In the U.S., the general public does not often appreciate the important role that these workers play in our everyday lives. These jobs are not only necessary, but they're demanding, difficult and dangerous as well. Unfortunately, they're also thankless most of the time, too. Car accidents are already responsible for more than half of all work-related accidents in the United States. Sanitation workers should consult an experienced workers' compensation firm if involved in an accident.

These workers have to work early hours in dangerous conditions. They're required to maneuver large vehicles, lift heavy loads, operate the dangerous compacting machinery and handle dangerous waste materials. The risk of an accident with a motor vehicle is always present. The accidents these workers face are high in number and commonly catastrophic in nature.

To help avoid injuries, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers and employers take the following steps:

-All drivers and collectors must be trained to remain aware of the hazardous areas around a refuse-collection vehicle.

-Workers whose responsibility is to the pick up the garbage should ride inside the cab of the vehicle when traveling to or between collection routes rather than on the side steps of the truck.

-Workers should only ride on the steps when moving forward for a short distance and when traveling under 10 miles per hour.

-Drivers should keep on-foot workers in sight at all times.

-All workers should wear safety equipment, including slip-resistant footwear, protective eye wear and highly visible colored clothing.

"It's vital that Americans become aware of the dangers that such situations cause to the men and women working on and around the nearly 135,000 garbage trucks operating on U.S. streets. We must prevent the resulting accidents and injuries," said NSWMA Safety Director David Biderman.

A Georgia company has been fined after a work accident claimed the life of a Ferris wheel employee this spring. The News-Record reports Event Coordinators Inc, of Augusta, Ga., has been cited for 12 safety violations and fined $27,100.

A 42-year-old worker was killed after falling from the ride; another worker was injured as employees were taking the ride apart at the end of the festival. A cable failed while the ride was being disassembled. One employee fell 44 feet, while the other plummeted 28 feet. The department of labor noted a total of four employees, including both victims, were working without protective railings, eye protection or hard hats.

Workers' compensation lawyers throughout North Georgia understand falls continue to be a leading cause of work injury.

New statistics released by the U.S. Department of Labor show falls caused 635 of the nation's 4,547 fatal work accidents last year. In Georgia, fall accidents at work claimed the lives of 15 employees.

The recession has resulted in fewer work accidents in Alpharetta and elsewhere. However, only 4 fewer employees died on the job last year, compared to 2009. Hours worked increased last year, after declines in both 2008 and 2009.

Leading cause of fatal work accidents:

-Transportation: 1,766 (18 in Georgia).

-Assault/Violence: 808 (23 in Georgia).

-Contact with Object: 732 (16 in Georgia).

-Falls: 635 (15 in Georgia).

-Exposure to harmful chemicals/environments: 409 (6 in Georgia).

-Fires or Explosion: 187 (4 in Georgia).

The Deepwater Horizon explosion and the tragedy at the Upper Big Branch Mine led to a 74 percent increase in mining fatalities; however, fatalities in private construction dropped another 10 percent.

Fatal falls dropped 2 percent (from 645 to 635). Falls have declined 25 percent since reaching a high of 847 in 2007. Again, the downward trend is primarily a result of less construction. Construction falls are down 42 percent.

Meanwhile, fatal work accidents in transportation and warehousing resulted in 631 deaths, virtually unchanged from 2009. Professional and business services saw a 16 percent decline in fatalities while fatalities among government workers increased by 3 percent last year.

Accidents involving jobs in farming and agriculture continue to increase, up 9 percent last year. A total of 156 farm, fishery and forestry workers died on the job.

Thousands of workers are injured or killed on the job each year. Injured employees have the right to collect workers' compensation in most cases -- regardless of who was at fault in the accident. The benefits pay for medical care and lost wages. In other cases, a third-party liability suit may be brought against a property owner or negligent subcontractor. Such a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit may recover damages above and beyond what's covered under Georgia workers' compensation law.

A construction worker died after falling from a ladder in a Georgia construction accident. The Glynn County coroner reports that the fall may have been caused by an electrical shock. After the fall, the worker was transported to Southeast Georgia Health System's Brunswick hospital where he was later pronounced dead, according to Florida Wires.

A preliminary investigation into the accident has so far only concluded that the subcontractor was on the ladder to turn on a piece of machinery. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be looking into the fatal work accident.

Our Georgia workers compensation lawyers understand that on the job ladder accidents most often result from noncompliance with existing Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards. For this reason, employers need to abide by safety regulations set forth by OSHA in an attempt to protect workers that use ladders on the job. Safety training and preventative measures need to be enforced at each job sit to reduce the number of fatal accidents.

According to OSHA, nearly 40 workers die because of falls from stairways and ladders used in construction each year. Another 25,000 people are injured from these types of accidents. The government also estimates that nearly 12,000 workdays are lost because of these injuries. Another 13,000 non-lost workday injuries result from falls from stairways and ladders used in construction. A number of these injuries could have been prevented if the proper safety measures were in place.

Here are some ladder safety tips, from Health and Safety Executive, to help keep you safe on the job:

-Assess the job before you determine which type of equipment should be used. Only use ladders for low risk situations, for short durations. Ladders are not to be used for tasks that could be done more safely and more quickly from equipment such as a cherry picker or a scaffold.

-Before you climb a ladder, make sure that it is secure and that it won't slip. Have someone hold it at the base, or use a suitable stability device, to prevent it from slipping.

-Make sure the ladder is on a stable, firm surface.

-Set the ladder at the correct angle. The ladder should be angled out one measure for every four up (75 degrees).

-Always adjust a ladder to the proper length. You should not work from the top three rungs of the ladder.

-Be sure to check the ladder for defects before you use it.

-Make sure that it is only used by people and workers who know how to use it correctly.

-Never step on the top step, bucket shelf or attempt to climb or stand on the rear section of a stepladder.

-Never leave a raised ladder unattended.