Georgia workers depend upon their employers to maintain safety in the worksite to reduce the risk of on-the-job injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set minimum safety standards. OSHA inspectors are supposed to come to workplaces routinely to determine if safety procedures are being followed, but understaffing means this often does not happen. Still, inspections are conducted to identify violators of safety rules, especially when employees complain to OSHA or when reports of workplace injury and illness are made. When OSHA finds violations, the agency can impose fines and penalties upon employers.
Workers should be aware of whether their company has a good safety record, or whether their employer is a repeat violator of safety rules. While you can make an Atlanta workers’ compensation claim regardless of whether your employer is currently violating OSHA rules or has ever violated them in the past, knowing your employee’s safety record is still important. If your employer has a history of problems, you should be more vigilant in making sure that your health is not being put at risk by the employee cutting corners. An Atlanta work injury lawyer can help you if you get hurt on the job and want to make a claim for benefits, and can provide you with advice on what to do when you are endangered by workplace safety issues.
OSHA Publishes Info on Atlanta Workplaces Violating Safety Rules
To help keep workers and the public informed of companies that fail to do their jobs to keep workers safe, OSHA has now published a state-by-state list of companies that have received the largest fines for violating worker safety guidelines. The list includes the name of the companies that violate the rules, and additional details about the company including whether workers are unionized. The violation is listed that led to the citation, as well as the amount of the fines levied against the company. Finally, OSHA also specifies whether the violation that led to the fine has currently been corrected.
OSHA has assembled the list for 2015 only, which means all violators were fined this year for their failure to maintain adequate safety standards. There are 25 companies in the state of Georgia that are considered major violators. To be considered a major violator, the initial OSHA fine levied against the company must have been at least $40,000. The violator with the smallest fine on the list was assessed a penalty of $40,600 while the largest fine assessed against a Georgia company for a workplaces safety violation was $179,388.
These fines are intended to act as a deterrent and a penalty for companies that did not comply with the basic minimum protections to ensure workers do not suffer harm while performing their work tasks. The violators spanned a variety of industries, including retail and construction. No employee is safe from an employer who does not abide by the rules.
If your employer has violated safety standards or you believe you are being put at risk, you should consider contacting OSHA. If a work injury happened, regardless of any violations or employer negligence, you should speak with an attorney about your rights for obtaining compensation for your injuries.
Have You Been Injured On The Job?
If you’ve been injured at work you need to speak with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our office directly at (800) 234-9556 to schedule your free consultation.
