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Safety/Health

You don’t have to put up with disruptive behavior

02/01/2008

Have you tiptoed around an employee’s poor behavior because he belongs to a protected class? You don’t have to tolerate rudeness, threats or other disruptive acts. Just make sure you have clear rules in place and enforce them equally against everyone who breaks them. And remember: You have an obligation to provide a workplace free of violence …

Despite ERISA workers’ comp plan, employee can still sue for negligence

02/01/2008

Texas employers that opt out of the state workers’ compensation system often adopt separate insurance plans to cover employees’ on-the-job injuries. Those plans usually provide no-fault benefits and are governed by ERISA. That doesn’t mean, however, that employees can’t sue under other state laws …

Tests to determine whether BP equipment caused fatal accident

02/01/2008

The attorney for the family of a worker who was fatally injured at BP’s Texas City refinery recently stated that he will have a metallurgist test equipment to determine whether its age and condition were factors in the accident …

OSHA safety reporting requirements

02/01/2008

Q. What information must be included in an OSHA Log 300 and when must it be posted? …

Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act

02/01/2008
Colorado’s workers’ compensation system protects employees who are injured on the job by replacing lost wages while they recover. The state’s Division of Workers’ Compensation (www.coworkforce.com/DWC) administers the law …

Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Law

02/01/2008
Minnesota’s workers’ compensation system protects employees who are injured on the job by replacing lost wages while they recover. The Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry administers the law. The system works as a no-fault guarantee …

Protect your work force from drug-Resistant superbugs

01/01/2008

“Medical crisis.” “New staph strain raises red flags.” “Superbug taking great toll.” These headlines, and more like them, shook up the country during the fall—and prompted HR pros to take precautions in their workplaces …

Safety violations cost Cintas $3 million in 3 months

01/01/2008

Cincinnati-based Cintas Corp. was hit with another $196,000 in fines for safety violations at its Mobile, AL, location, bringing its total OSHA fines to more than $3 million in just three months …

EEOC called after MRSA scare costs Miami man his job

01/01/2008

A South Florida man may be the first U.S. employee to lose his job over methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—a highly contagious and potentially lethal, drug-resistant bacterial infection also known as MRSA …

If new employee clearly isn’t working out, fire and move on

01/01/2008

Sometimes it becomes painfully obvious you’ve made a hiring mistake shortly after the new employee clocks in on day one. If, during initial training or on the first assignment, you know the employee will not meet your legitimate expectations—and you can substantiate your impression—it may be best to admit the mistake and discharge the new employee …