Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney

Slip and fall accidents are a common cause of workplace injuries in Georgia and around the country according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and a study conducted by a leading industrial absorbent company suggests that property owners and building managers are not doing nearly enough to protect their workers and visitors. The New Pig report also claims that some of the steps commonly taken by businesses to reduce slip and fall accidents and injuries are actually making the problem worse rather than better.

New Pig's Walk Zone Safety Report was based on data compiled during interviews with safety, maintenance, health and facilities management experts in several industry segments. Almost half of those polled severely underestimated the number of risk zones in their buildings according to the report, and less than a third of them said that they placed floor mats in customer walkways. Accidents in these areas account for about one in four slip and fall injuries.

According to research, a procedure that is commonly used to repair water pipes in Georgia and around the country may not be as safe for workers as previously thought. It is called the cured-in-place method and involves placing a resin-impregnated fabric tube into the damaged pipe and curing it. The curing part of the method usually involves pressurized steam, hot water or ultraviolet light.

Air tests were completed at seven different locations. Researchers determined that this water pipe repair method released chemical plumes that contained some organic compounds and vapors that were known carcinogens. It has previously been assumed that the plumes released during the curing process were just made of harmless steam. Because there are no known studies that determines what exposure limits to workers, the public and the environment are safe, additional research will be needed.

Even though a Georgia worker might be employed at a company that is listed in the Corporate Knights' Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations, that company might lack a standardized set of reporting rules for workplaces illnesses, injuries and death. The Center for Safety and Health Sustainability released a study on Aug. 1 that was a followup to a 2013 study and found that there had not been much improvement in terms of safety and health reporting.

The United Kingdom's Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the American Society of Safety Engineers comprise the CSHS. The chair of the organization's board of directors called on sustainability reporting groups to work for more collaboration to improve workplace safety.

Georgia employees who regularly work in confined spaces on residential construction projects may not realize just how dangerous this work can be. As such, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued an updated fact sheet to residential construction companies keep their employees safe when they are working in attics, crawl spaces, basements and other confined spaces.

OSHA defines confined spaces as a space that is large enough for a construction worker to enter and that has a restricted or limited means of entry. Additionally, confined spaces are also not designed for continued occupancy. A finished basement designed for continuous occupancy would not be considered a confined space. Some confined spaces that have certain hazardous conditions present may require permits. For example, permit-required confined spaces are those that potentially have a hazardous atmosphere, contains a material that engulf or bury a person in the space, has asphyxiation hazards due to a lack of oxygen or contains a recognized health or safety hazard.