Georgia Worker Killed on Atlanta Construction Site

A contractor working on construction of the Forsyth County, Georgia water treatment facility was killed in a Georgia workplace accident last week. The worker was trapped under a piece of machinery which had rolled over onto him. According to published reports, the worker was trapped under a forklift type device and was “completely under” the machine when he was found.

The safety of contractors and sub-contractors on a construction project or in an industrial setting is often overlooked. Contractors should be included in the daily tailgate safety meetings, weekly safety meetings, and should be given a contractor safety manual when they begin work. They should always wear clothing that signifies their contractor status on the property, and, ideally, should enter and exit through a separate “contractor gate.” Unfortunately, contractors are usually just allowed on the property and instructed on their specific scope of work—-and nothing else. They are generally not brief in special safety issues, and not provided any site specific training. This is a serious problem in work place safety which leads to workers’ compensation claims and construction construction injuries.