Disability Law

New Letter of Interpretation Released by OSHA Requires Workers to Wear Safety Apparel

By Jack E. Clay

As a workers' compensation attorney in Georgia, I have handled numerous on-the-job injury cases in which a construction worker has been involved in some sort of disabling accident while out in the field, whether it be on a job site or as a road worker. I try to stay updated on changes in the law and revisions to previous standards in work comp so that I can apply this knowledge to cases and better serve the Atlanta area.

Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that is responsible for developing the safe working conditions for workers by enforcing standards, procedures, training, and education to employers, issued a new letter stating that all highway and road construction workers must wear high-visibility apparel, such as reflective vests, while on the job. In 2004, OSHA initially issued a letter of interpretation that conveyed workers were only required to wear such garments when the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices mandated their use. The current letter revises the requirement following a sobering statistic calculated in recent years: there were 425 construction zone fatalities between 2003 and 2007.

My Douglasville injury law firm offers free consultations. If you or a loved one have been hurt at work or in a serious accident, please contact us. We are located across the street from the Douglas County Courthouse and serve all of the West Georgia area, including Douglasville, Carrollton, Hiram, Dallas, Winston, Paulding County, Carroll County, Bremen, Temple, and Villa Rica.

Full post as published by Georgia Law Blog on October 28, 2009 (boomark / email).