Georgia Sawmill Fined over $250,000 in Connection with Death of Worker Who Suffered Horrific Wood Chipper Accident
A Georgia sawmill employer has been fined more than $250,000 in connection with a horrific workplace accident that took one sawmill worker’s life. According to Insurancejournal.com, the worker that suffered the fatal workplace accident at Georgia sawmill employer Thompson Hardwoods last year was only 24 years old, and the accident that took his young life could have been prevented, per Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators. The fatal workplace accident that happened at Thompson Hardwood back in 2023 all began when the 24-year-old worker (whose identity has not been released to the public yet) was tasked with clearing a log jam in a wood chipper at the employer’s place of business. When the 24-year-old worker was clearing the log jam, the machine was turned on, and he was fatally killed. OSHA investigators later concluded that Thompson Hardwood had failed to properly train its employees on proper “lockout/tagout” procedures that can prevent such hazardous accidents from happening by making sure equipment does not become “energized” unintentionally or “at the wrong time.” OSHA has, accordingly, levied $267,300 in fines against Thompson Hardwood, for the “willful, repeat, and serious violations of safety regulations.”
Importantly, sawmill employers are considered to be some of the most dangerous employers in Georgia and in the United States. OSHA Acting Area Director Audrey Windham said of the fatal workplace accident that claimed the 24-year-old worker’s life, “We learned that Thompson Hardwoods added new equipment to increase production but did not mitigate potential hazards before allowing workers to service and maintain the new equipment” and “Workers handling any machinery may be seriously or fatally injured when all sources of energy are not removed”.
Legal Rights and Options for Decatur Workers under Georgia Workers’ Compensation Laws
Decatur workers who have been injured on the job and who have been rendered unable to work should know about their rights and options to important workers’ compensation benefits under Georgia workers’ compensation laws. Under Georgia workers’ compensation laws, victims of workplace accidents in Decatur may be entitled to money compensation for their work-related injuries. In order to determine whether you may be entitled to important workers’ compensation benefits in Decatur for your workplace injury, it is best to speak with an experienced Decatur workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible about your rights and options.
A Decatur Law Firm that is Here to Help Injured Workers Get Workers’ Compensation Benefits Due to Them
If you were injured in a workplace accident in Decatur, it is important to speak with an experienced Decatur workers’ compensation lawyer to learn about your rights to Georgia workers’ compensation benefits. The experienced Decatur workers’ compensation lawyers at the O’Connell Law Firm are here to help Decatur workers get workers’ compensation benefits due to them for their workplace injuries. Do not hesitate to learn about your entitlement to important Georgia workers’ compensation benefits now. Contact the experienced Decatur workers’ compensation lawyers at the O’Connell Law Firm and speak to a lawyer about your rights and options now.
Source:
insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2024/07/05/782612.htm
