Report: Ga. Could Do More To Help Prevent Injuries, Deaths

The report grades states’ safety policies in three areas: on the road, in the home and community, and in the workplace. Georgia earned an overall score of D.

Georgia did well in road safety. But the report says it lacks some programs that could help reduce workplace injuries.

“Is it required for companies to have a safety and health program?” says senior Kathy Lane, director of public relations for the NSC. “In Georgia, that is not the case. Is there a state-level enhanced 911 program for employers so there’s a faster response time to emergencies? In Georgia, there is not.”

Lane says the report’s purpose is to help states come up with ways to prevent injuries and deaths. That’s why they were graded on programs they’ve enacted, and not the number of deaths that occurred.

No state earned an A on the report. Lane says that’s not a great sign.

“We’re at an all-time high for unintentional deaths,” she says. “We’ve been on the rise for some time, largely fueled by the opioid epidemic and also rising fatalities on our roadway. That’s why we felt this was the right time for this report. We’re headed in the wrong direction.”

Lane says the council will wait two years before issuing its next report. That way, states will have time to put preventive programs in place.