Safety/Health

Study: Wellness programs don’t improve wellness

01/30/2018

Workplace wellness is big business, with employers spending nearly $8 billion per year to improve the health of some 50 million workers. Too bad there’s scant evidence that wellness works.

Amish builder nailed for OT and child labor violations

01/26/2018

Stoltzfus Structures—an Amish-owned light construction company in Chester County—will pay $188,572 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 47 employees.

‘Body cams’ for managers & employees: Is it time?

01/25/2018

Body cams are now common among police, but some employers see them as a way to monitor performance and sort out he-said/she-said arguments.

Cal/OSHA issuing more first-aid kit citations

01/23/2018

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health—known as Cal/OSHA—is issuing more citations to employers that violate a General Industry Safety Order requiring employers’ first-aid materials to be approved by a consulting physician.

Influenza outbreak could cost employers $9.4 billion

01/23/2018

The aggressive strain of flu currently making its way across the country is prompting experts to urge workers to stay out of the workplace if they get sick. This is excellent advice, but it is likely to lead to millions of lost workdays and billions of dollars in lost productivity.

Pass along flu prevention tips to employees

01/17/2018

This year’s flu season is suddenly shaping up to be worse than public health officials expected. To keep your employees healthy and keep your business running smoothly despite the influenza outbreak, it pays to launch an impromptu flu awareness campaign.

OSHA whistleblower awarded more than $173,000

01/09/2018

An employee who was fired for reporting improper asbestos removal procedures at a Gloverville, N.Y. school worksite in 2010 has been awarded $173,794 in damages.

Beware firing safety whistleblowers

01/02/2018

The Trump administration’s Department of Labor is aggressively going after employers that fire workers who report alleged workplace safety violations. It’s one reason to seek expert legal advice before disciplining any potential whistleblower—even for behavior or poor work performance that seems unrelated to any safety report.

Trade Fair Supermarkets owe $500k for safety violations

12/13/2017

OSHA is proposing a $505,929 fine against Trade Fair Supermarkets after investigators discovered workers had been exposed to health and safety hazards at three grocery stores in Queens.

Acme Parts agrees to get the lead out in Brooklyn