Safety/Health

Worker makes threats? That’s a firing offense

01/06/2012

Some employees are simply difficult to manage. They start arguments and may see harassment or discrimination everywhere. But sometimes they cross a line, implying they could get violent. How you handle their complaints can spell the difference between winning and losing a lawsuit.

2012 enforcement trends in employment law: hiring and safety

01/05/2012

We’re now well into the first quarter of the year and already a few trends are becoming apparent in the way the federal government will enforce labor and employment laws in 2012. Two significant emphases will be hiring discrimination and workplace safety.

Settlement reached in deaths at Mount Carroll grain elevator

12/21/2011

The operator of a Mount Carroll grain elevator has settled U.S. Department of Labor charges it that broke federal child labor laws when it allowed a 14-year-old to work in a hazardous job that proved fatal.

Your dollars at risk: Protect yourself from personal liability

12/13/2011

HR pros spend a lot of their time ensuring that their companies comply with the law so they don’t wind up in court and lose big bucks to a jury verdict. But more and more, they find themselves defending not their employers’ bottom lines, but their own bank accounts. Here’s how to protect your personal funds.

The top 10 safety and health violations of 2011

12/12/2011

OSHA just released its list of the most frequently cited workplace safety and health violations for fiscal year 2011. Topping the list: fall protection in construction, scaffolding in construction, hazard communication, respiratory protection, lockout/tagout, electrical wiring methods, powered industry trucks, ladders in construction ,,,

Proving the ROI of wellness programs just got easier

11/24/2011

Every employer seems to be jumping on the wellness bandwagon in an effort to curb health care costs. But it’s always been hard for HR to prove its wellness investment is worth it. Reason: the inability to nail down a return on investment (ROI) on wellness programs. Now, a host of new approaches and tools have come to the rescue.

Death puts Marietta company on OSHA watch list

11/07/2011

A horrific accident that killed a worker in March 2011 has led to $186,300 in fines for Refuse Recycling, based in Marietta. Inspectors from OSHA were called to the plant after an employee was found dead inside a rotating drum that screens recyclables from other refuse.

Employer’s decision to lock doors on night shift leads to $62,000 fine

11/04/2011

OSHA standards require that employees be able to open an exit route door from inside at all times, without keys, tools or special knowledge. Last month OSHA slapped a supermarket with more than $62,000 in fines for locking all five exit doors during the night shift.

No exit in Brooklyn: Locked doors mean OSHA fine

11/01/2011

Fine Fare Supermarkets faces $62,000 in fines after OSHA inspectors found that all five emergency exits at a store in Brooklyn were kept locked during the night shift. OSHA standards require employees to be able to open an exit route door from inside at all times, without keys, tools or special knowledge.

OSHA issues new rules on investigating workplace violence

10/31/2011

OSHA has issued enforcement instructions regarding incidents of workplace violence. Officials will use the directive to decide whether allegations of workplace violence warrant an investigation. It also details methods employers can use to minimize the possibility of workplace violence.