OSHA Investigating La Grange Manufacturing Plant Following Worker’s Untimely Death
The nation’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is currently investigating the working conditions at an automotive parts manufacturing plant in La Grange. According to reports, OSHA initiated the investigation after a Sewon American employee died in May. Additionally, at least one worker reportedly filed a formal complaint with the agency regarding excessive heat and inadequate air conditioning at the plant.
At this time, the exact cause for the worker’s death has not been released. The deceased employee apparently told co-workers and others that she was having difficulty breathing before she died. A former Sewon American employee, Kim Ray, stated she was forced to go to the hospital after becoming dehydrated while working. According to Ray, air conditioners in the plant are never used. Other employees reportedly said that access to water during working hours is too limited. Although OSHA’s rules mandate that employers provide workers with a safe working environment, no specific rules regarding temperature are currently in place.
A spokesperson for the company stated the worker’s untimely death was not related to her job. The company also claims that fans are placed at employee stations and water is readily available for employee use. Still, Sewon American has purportedly incurred numerous health and safety violations at the manufacturing plant since it opened in 2009. In addition, the current federal investigation is allegedly the eighth in only four years. OSHA Administrator Ben Ross said the company was previously cited for willfully ignoring issues that could have a detrimental effect upon employee health and safety.
Dangerous working conditions hurt or kill thousands of employees across Georgia each year. OSHA was established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 in order to reduce or eliminate preventable workplace injuries and deaths throughout the United States. The act requires employers to obey a number of federal health and safety requirements like providing employees with access information about potential workplace hazards and safety training. If you were injured or a close family member died as a result of unsafe conditions at a Georgia workplace, you should contact a quality work injury lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your rights.
Give the hardworking attorneys at Stokes & Kopitsky, P.A. a call toll free at (800) 700-5050 if you were hurt or someone you love was killed at work in Georgia. Our caring Atlanta work injury lawyers have more than 30 years of experience helping people who were hurt as a result of unsafe working conditions. At Stokes & Kopitsky, our committed attorneys will help you recover the damages you deserve based upon the severity of your harm. Our capable lawyers are ready and willing to explain your rights and help you file your work injury claim. To schedule a free confidential case evaluation with a dedicated advocate, please contact attorneys Greg Stokes and Neil Kopitsky through our website.
More Blogs:
One Child Killed, Several Others Ejected in Negligent Henry County Traffic Crash, The Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney’s Blog, July 8, 2013
One Killed, Two Hurt in Suburban Atlanta Head-On Collision, The Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney’s Blog, June 3, 2013
Additional Resources:
Feds probing worker safety at Ga. auto parts maker, by The Associated Press, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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