Atlanta Workers' Compensation Law Blog

When a worker is injured on the job in the state of Georgia, it is helpful for him or her to understand the type of injury they may be dealing with. One of the more common workplace injuries involves the lower back, an area of the body that is particularly susceptible to strains and sprains.

A strain occurs when something causes the muscle fibers to stretch too far or even tear. A sprain, on the other hand, involves tearing of the ligaments, or connective tissues that help hold bones in place. A severe sprain may cause a ligament to separate from a bone completely. Both types of injuries can result from lifting or carrying heavy items, thus stressing the muscles supporting the spine. Lower back, or lumbar, strains can also follow repetitive use of the lower back muscles, whether turning, bending, or lifting.

It is a substance that has featured prominently in reports to several presidents, and has been on OSHA's radar since the early 1970s. It is crystalline silica, and it can cause multiple types of workplace illness, from pulmonary tuberculosis to lung cancer. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a minimum of 1.7 million workers in the U.S. face exposure to crystalline silica. Just as alarming, the substance can create over 3,500 new cases of occupational illness each year.

Workers most at-risk are those who engage in the following activities: cutting, blasting, or grinding tough materials such as concrete, brick, or stone. In addition, laborers who routinely chip or saw these materials are exposed to the respirable form of crystalline silica. Sand-blasting, a common job task for many of Georgia's construction or construction-related workers, is also risky in this regard. The tiny silica particles, frequently breathed-in by workers, can tear at a person's lung tissue, producing small scars that build-up over time. Eventually, workers can find their lung capacity decreased if they inhale the particles on a routine basis.

Residents of Georgia are no strangers to the benefits of nuclear power. One of the country's most recent nuclear plant projects has begun right here in the state, possibly signaling a fresh start for the energy source's reputation in America. That reputation receives a jolt, though, every time a nuclear construction accident occurs. Several construction workers were injured on the job in a recent case out of Arkansas.

On Easter Sunday, an industrial accident occurred at a nuclear plant in Russellville. A local sheriff noted the case occurred early in the morning, and left multiple workers injured. The exact number of hurt employees has not been entirely determined, although authorities stressed that the accident did not lead to radiation or any adverse effects on the reactor itself. The Arkansas Department of Health emphasized the fact that the public was not at risk following the incident.

Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, the name behind one of the busiest airports in the country, is also the largest employer in Georgia. Over 58,000 people work as airline employees, ground transportation workers, security agents, federal government employees, concession operators, and employees of the city of Atlanta. With such staggering employment statistics, it's no surprise that a workplace accident will happen every now and then.

One such accident occurred recently in the airport itself, when an electrical fire broke out between the C and D concourses. The fire led to the temporary closure of a train and moving sidewalk inside the international airport. Around 7:30 in the evening the fire erupted, although employees were fortunately able to quickly put out the flames. Firefighters later arrived to aid in the efforts to make the area safe again.