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Safety/Health

Transportation Companies Face New Drug-Testing Requirements, Starting on Aug. 25

08/12/2008
Starting Aug. 25, organizations that must comply with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) drug-testing regulations face some new requirements. Specifically, drug testers must directly observe any follow-up urine tests. The goal: prevent employees from cheating the drug test.

Workers’ comp may cover injury that occurs on vacation

08/11/2008
If you require certain employees to stay in good physical shape and pass regular fitness tests, a recent court ruling raises this key question: Could your organization be on the hook for workers’ compensation bneefits if the employee gets hurt while working out during a vacation?

Judge upholds gun law as companies duck and cover

08/11/2008
Florida employees may keep guns locked in their cars at work, but customers do not have the same right, Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled in July. Hinkle upheld most of Florida’s new “guns at work” law, which went into effect July 1, but said it is so poorly written that it’s “stupid.” 

Plutonium taints workers; NIST vows better procedures

08/05/2008
Employees at the Boulder campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were contaminated when a vial containing about a quarter gram of plutonium-laced powder cracked on June 9, spilling a few particles …

Judge Upholds ‘Guns-at-Work’ Law; Companies Duck and Cover

08/05/2008
A Florida judge has upheld that state’s new "guns-at-work" law that allows employees to keep firearms locked in their cars on company parking lots. But many employers are aggressively looking for ways to keep the weapons off their premises, using special exemptions built into the law. With two other states recently enacting legislation similar to Florida’s (and more poised to consider the issue next year), this is an issue HR needs to monitor.

Rep. Green asks for investigation into fatal Goodyear explosion

08/04/2008
U.S. Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, in a letter to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), called for an investigation into the fatal explosion that occurred June 11 at a Houston Goodyear facility that makes synthetic rubber for tires …

Can we ban guns in the workplace?

08/04/2008
Q. May an employer prohibit employees who are licensed by the state of Texas to carry a concealed firearm from bringing firearms onto the employer’s property? …

Successful weight watchers attend program at no cost

08/01/2008
Weight watchers at Sheboygan, Wis.-based Acuity can lose weight free if they meet their program goals. Employees who sign up for the Weight Watchers program pay $100 for 17 weekly meetings, and the insurance company reimburses them if they meet their program-established weight-loss goals.

You must protect customers—Even from off-Duty workers

07/29/2008
If you think your employment law risk for each employee disappears the moment the person walks out your door each night, think again. An important court ruling shows how your organization can be liable even for off-duty employees who loiter near the workplace—and in some cases, even when they’re driving home!

Cadbury sued for poor taste

07/28/2008
Three former taste testers for Parsippany-based Cadbury Adams USA are suing the company for injuries sustained when they tasted an experimental sweetener. They were sampling flavorings for products such as Trident gum and Certs mints when they tried a substance that burned their mouths and lips and made their hearts race …