Articles Posted in 2013

There have been some very significant changes made to Georgia’s workers’ compensation laws this year that may affect injured workers. The changes, which were contained in Georgia House Bill 154, go into effect on July 1. A major change to Georgia workers’ compensation law is an increase in the maximum workers’ compensation benefits paid to…

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is collaborating with a number of partner agencies to raise awareness about the dangers of fall accidents in the construction industry. Falls are one of the major causes of worker injuries across the country, and nowhere are workers at a greater risk of falls than in the construction industry.…

A new report on workplace safety calls for greater efforts to prevent on-the-job fatalities particularly among temporary and migrant workers across the country. The report, “Preventable Deaths: the Tragedy of Workplace Fatalities,” was released by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health to commemorate Workers Memorial Day. The report focuses on workers who lost…

Workers in Atlanta and elsewhere are frequently exposed to toxic chemicals, hazardous substances, fumes, gases and vapors that increase their risk of developing an occupational disease. The International Labor Organization, an agency of the United Nations, recently released a report that called on employers worldwide to reduce health-care costs and boost productivity by preventing occupational…

In the wake of recent workplace disasters that have injured and killed workers, many Americans support tighter workplace safety regulations. According to a new poll, many Americans also believe that the existing regulations if enforced strictly can also reduce the risk of injuries to workers. The poll, conducted by HuffPost/YouGov, found that 44 percent of…

Recently, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended new workplace safety standards for exposure to carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers. Carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers are materials visible only with very high-powered microscopes. Their size gives them properties that scientists have found to have useful industrial applications. For example, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers…

A new Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule will extend a 2010 standard for cranes and derricks to include underground demolition and underground construction. Under the new rule, the same standards that are currently used in other construction sectors will be applied to underground construction and demolition. The final standard goes into effect May 23.…

First responders such as firefighters and police officers who are new to their jobs may have a much higher risk than their more experienced co-workers of suffering mental disorders from repeated traumatic experiences, like witnessing deaths. According to research by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, firefighters, police officers and other first responders…

Lower back pain is one of the more common and frequent ailments affecting Atlanta workers, and a number of activities in the workplace contribute to these injuries. A new study focuses on the use of stem cells from the patient’s own body to treat lower back pain. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders…

A recently-published survey of construction contractors has both good and bad news. The survey found that many contractors make safety a specific requirement when they outsource to subcontractors. But it also found that many construction contractors don’t bother to have a pre-work meeting to remind employees of the need for safety. The survey included close…