Safety/Health

Worker denied request for harness falls through roof

09/09/2015

A construction worker who had previously requested a safety harness while working on a ladder, fell 12 feet through a roof after the employer denied his request.

How should we respond to the Texas open-carry law that goes into effect next year?

07/29/2015

Q. I keep hearing about the new Texas open-carry law. Does this law apply to all offices? What steps should I take if the new legislation has a negative impact on my business?

California’s ‘Yes Means Yes’ law takes effect on campuses

07/17/2015

As of July 1, California colleges, universities and post-secondary schools are required to bolster their compliance with new state laws regarding policies concerning sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. This new law requires schools to enter into agreements with local law enforcement and report crime statistics.

What the new Texas ‘open carry’ law means for employers

07/15/2015

In March, the Texas Senate passed legislation allowing holders of concealed handgun licenses to carry holstered handguns in plain view. In April, the Texas House of Representatives passed H.B. 910, its version of the “open carry” law.

Many employees unsure what to do in an emergency

07/15/2015

Almost all workers—94%—say they feel safe at work, but 23% aren’t sure they would know what to do if they faced a physically dangerous emergency. That’s what the Harris Poll found this spring when it surveyed more than 3,000 workers from a cross-section of industries.

$38.5M in punitive damages to Philly shooting victims

06/29/2015

A Philadelphia jury has awarded $38.5 million in punitive damages to the families of two Kraft Food employees who were shot to death by a co-worker in 2010.

USPS fined for worker’s heat-related death

06/16/2015

Sweltering summer weather may be hard to remember when much of the country is in the grip of Arctic blasts, but heat-related illness is a significant work hazard.

Felony OSHA violations for Bumble Bee worker’s death

05/20/2015

Bumble Bee Tuna and two employees face felony OSHA violations after a maintenance worker was cooked alive inside a 35-foot oven at the company’s Santa Fe Springs facility.

Time to replace your old OSHA poster

05/19/2015

For the first time since 2007, OSHA has revised the “It’s the Law” poster that all employers must display. Take down your tattered old copy and replace it with the new one.

Reinstatement ordered for whistle-blower machinist

05/18/2015

OSHA has ruled that Union Pacific Railroad violated federal whistle-blower provisions when it suspended a machinist who recorded a safety inspection and then forwarded it to the Federal Railroad Administration.