Safety/Health

Are employers required to ban texting while driving?

12/31/2010

The legal wall against texting while driving is building. In 2009, an executive order prohibited federal employees from doing it. In 2010, federal regulations made it illegal for commercial truck and bus drivers to do it. And laws in at least 30 states make it unlawful for all drivers to text in the driver’s seat. But what about drivers who aren’t covered under any of those laws?

L.A. postal facility gets shocking message from OSHA

12/21/2010

OSHA delivered a harsh message to the U.S. Postal Service’s International Service Center in Los Angeles in the form of 18 citations for unsafe working conditions. The problem: Mail processing equipment could cause fatal electrical shocks.

Highland County settles whistle-blower retaliation suit

12/13/2010

A Highland County government employee who was fired after complaining about unsafe working conditions and wage-and-hour violations is $18,000 richer, following a settlement with the county.

GINA’s effect on wellness programs

12/09/2010

To help you better understand your obligations under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA), we’ve assembled these resources:

How Leandra’s Law could affect your company-vehicle policy

12/02/2010

Leandra’s Law (the Child Passenger Protection Act) requires anyone convicted of driving while intoxicated in New York to install and maintain an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he or she owns or operates. That’s a condition of the person’s probation or conditional discharge. Leandra’s Law has several important provisions that apply to employers of people who have been convicted of DWI.

Harlem nonprofit sued for firing OSHA whistle-blower

12/02/2010

OSHA is suing the East Harlem Council for Community Improvement for allegedly retaliating against an employee who complained about unsafe working conditions.

After 40 years, OSHA enforcement about to get much tougher

11/24/2010

Get ready for much tougher enforcement under OSHA’s new Severe Violator Enforcement Program. The SVEP will concentrate OSHA’s resources on inspecting employers that have demonstrated indifference to their safety and health obligations by committing willful, repeated or failure-to-abate violations. Here’s what you need to know to prepare for this new workplace safety regime.

OSHA plans ‘radical change’ to workplace noise standards

11/23/2010

With little fanfare, OSHA last month said it’s considering what employer groups are calling a “radical change” to employer obligations regarding workers’ exposure to occupational noise. “The announcement may have been quiet, but the impacts could be loud,” says a report by the Nixon Peabody law firm. “If adopted in their current form, the new obligations will be substantial and the potential cost to employers is likely to be immense.”

Federal employees lead pack in race to end distracted driving

11/23/2010

When OSHA launched Drive Safely Work Week in October, employees of the federal government were already in the driver’s seat. President Obama signed an executive order last year prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving. This fall, OSHA called on all employers to do the same for their employees.

Cal/OSHA fires back at federal OSHA critique

11/19/2010

The federal OSHA says California’s occupational safety and health program is deficient. The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) disagrees—although officials admit there’s always room for improvement.