An employee of an electric company suffered serious burn injuries in Dublin, Georgia this week, while working on electrical wiring at Oconee Fall Line Technical College. McAfee Electric was reportedly contracted to install emergency LED lighting on the campus, and the worker was injured while attempting to connect new wiring to existing wiring that was still powered. If you have suffered injuries in an on-the-job accident in Atlanta, Marietta, or elsewhere in Georgia, consult our skilled lawyers at Rechtman & Spevak today for legal help. Our law firm is located in Atlanta, and our attorneys have years of experience protecting the rights of injured workers throughout Georgia.
Workplace Safety Violations in GA
Following the on-the-job electrical accident, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched an investigation into the cause of the incident, and ultimately cited McAfee Electric with one willful and one serious violation, with a total proposed fine equal to $51,000. “This incident could have been avoided if the employer had followed established OSHA safety guidelines, including providing workers with protective equipment and ensuring workers were not exposed to live wiring,” said the director of OSHA’s Savannah-Area Office, Robert Vazzi. “Employers must ensure that live wiring is de-energized prior to work, as failure to do so can lead to death or serious injury.”
Failing to Protect Worker Safety
As a result of the on-the-job accident, OSHA issued a willful citation against the electric company for allowing employees to work close to live electrical circuits without the proper personal protective equipment. According to OSHA, a willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health. OSHA also cited McAfee Electric with one serious violation for failing to provide workers with eye protection, which is required to use power tools for cutting sheetrock. A serious violation occurs when there is considerable probability that death or serious injury could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Contact Our Workers’ Comp Attorneys For Help
Workplace injuries and deaths are becoming a major problem in Georgia and on job sites throughout the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, fatal workplace accidents in Georgia alone accounted for 70 of the 4,405 on-the-job fatalities reported across the country in 2013. If you have been injured in a Georgia workplace accident, or if you lost a loved one in a fatal on-the-job accident, contact our workers’ compensation lawyers at Rechtman & Spevak today. You may be entitled to medical, disability or death benefits for your losses, which our knowledgeable attorneys can help you pursue.
