On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Workplace Injuries on Friday, May 18, 2012
Researchers have found a link between nonfatal and fatal work-related injuries. The interesting study was conducted by a nonprofit research organization and published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine last month.
The study revealed Georgia was among the states with the lowest number of nonfatal accidents but the highest number of fatalities. Other similarities among states with similar discrepancies were lower wages, less unionization and lower workers' compensation benefits. In addition to this, the states with these statistics were concentrated in the South.
On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Workplace Injuries on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Georgia residents have heard of the saying "no shoes, no shirt, no service." But they may not be aware of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's federal rules on wearing shoes in the workplace. The truth of the matter is that there are only a few instances in which footwear is required in the workplace, and OSHA has outlined the circumstances.
The major reason behind requiring employee footwear is to protect against workplace injury. However, any employer restrictions on dress codes must be in conjunction with a valid business purpose. These purposes could be related to worker injury and safety or even to create a professional environment.
On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Workplace Injuries on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The release of a Department of Labor report showing a rise in fatal workplace injuries in 2010 has come right before Workers Memorial Day, an international event to pay homage to workers who have died on the job. Georgia residents may not realize that 4,690 American workers died on the job in 2010, a 3 percent increase from the previous year.
A number of disasters in 2010 can partially explain the increase, such as explosions in a coal mine, an oil refinery and in BP's Deepwater Horizon. The number of construction accident-related deaths saw a decrease, largely because of a weak housing market.
On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Workplace Safety on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Georgia employees may be surprised to learn that it takes the country's primary agency for workplace safety approximately eight years to implement new safety regulations. The number of work-related injuries due to construction cranes that took place in the 10 years it took the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue guidelines on cranes is an example of the ramifications of delays.
According to auditors, OSHA takes twice as long as the Department of Transportation and around 50 percent longer than the Environmental Protection Agency to approve new rules.
On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday, April 19, 2012
The digital age is helping the State Board of Workers' Compensation uncover businesses that are not covering their employees against workplace injuries in Georgia. State inspectors relying on their new tools have already discovered 538 businesses without workers' compensation insurance since January. Fines of $480,000 have already been levied and $1.2 million in premiums paid to cover 2,700 employees.
There are only four inspectors and four compliance officers around the state monitoring businesses. Previously, the agency would either conduct random inspections, checking whether employers covered their employees, or follow up on complaints. They relied on experience, checking on small construction-trades companies, restaurants and stores where employees were not insured and declared independent contractors.
On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Workers' Compensation on Friday, April 13, 2012
For residents of Georgia who are injured on the job, making sure to apply for workers' compensation benefits is essential. Collecting compensation that is owed to an injured worker can mean the difference between making it through that time successfully and having difficulty.
Some people might think that if they were to lose their job as the result of an injury or illness, they could simply get by on unemployment benefits. However, for workers in Georgia, this is going to be even more difficult starting later this year. New legislation will kick in that will make the duration of Georgia's unemployment benefits among the shortest in the United States.
On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Construction Workers' Accidents on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Georgia employees and employers may be aware that when a workplace accident occurs, it usually is followed by an investigation into the matter by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to look into the safety of the site. Usually, all agencies involved cooperate with one another to determine the cause of the accident and work toward ensuring it does not take place again.
This procedure was being followed as a result of a workplace injury recently where a worker was serious injured when he became trapped between a concrete slab and a backhoe. The accident occurred at a transit center that is under construction. It will eventually contain a bus depot, parking deck and retail space.
On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Workers' Compensation on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Georgia employees who suffered workplace injuries and received treatment at hospitals should check their bills carefully to make sure they are not billed for services that are covered under workers' compensation.
A complaint was recently filed in another state in regard to a hospital's improper billing procedure. The provider billed the injured worker rather than her employer even though the bill should have been paid by workers' compensation insurance.
On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Workplace Injuries on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Some Cherokee County residents have riskier jobs than others, where the chances of workplace accidents are higher than others. Some employees must take time off from their employment due to an injury suffered on the job. As a result of this, they may face financial difficulties due to rising medical bills and lost income.
Employees returning to the job should keep in mind a few issues that could ease their transition. If a worker suffers from an injury on the job, it is possible he or she is entitled to workers' compensation. An employee should not fear a retaliatory claim from an employer: it is an injured worker's right to file a claim without fear of discrimination or loss of employment.
On behalf of The Mason Law Firm, LLC posted in Workplace Accidents on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Georgia workers may be saddened to learn of a recent workplace accident that claimed a worker's life. Details regarding the exact nature of the accident were not disclosed, but this tragic death comes only months after the company, ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA, lost another contractor in a separate fatal accident.
The previous fatal accident occurred in November 2011 when a crane operator died after being pinned between two stainless steel coils in the steel plant's finishing area. The recent death occurred on a construction site that was part of a multi-year project to build an on-site melt shop.
