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Safety/Health

Bronco busting while drunk, suing once sober

12/05/2008

Rachel Love, erstwhile patron of Johnny Utah’s in Rockefeller Center, is suing the restaurant for allowing an inebriated individual (herself) to ride a mechanical bull, leading to injuries.

Act quickly to fix safety violations

12/04/2008

Employers that take OSHA and state agency safety violations seriously probably won’t face additional legal troubles outside the workers’ compensation system if an employee is later hurt or killed. Ignore those reports, and employees can sue for unlimited damages …

Good manners prevent needless negligent-supervision lawsuits

12/04/2008

Employers are responsible for the way their employees behave. Threatening behavior toward fellow employees or customers that causes emotional or physical harm can lead to a negligent-supervision lawsuit.

What’s our liability when a supervisor strikes an employee?

12/04/2008

Q. We recently had an incident in which a supervisor hit an employee. Are we liable? What kind of violence is a company responsible for preventing?

Wellness goes extreme: scuba, sailing, mountain climbing

11/25/2008

In a bid to improve employees’ fitness and reduce health costs, some U.S. employers are going far beyond subsidizing health-club fees or hosting lunchtime walking clubs. They’re taking their wellness initiatives to the edge. Three examples …

Workplace violence: Hope for the best but plan for the worst

11/12/2008

It’s important for employers to plan to prevent workplace violence and respond to it if prevention fails. While every employer needs a customized plan that fits its particular workplace, good violence-prevention strategies share common elements.

Cleveland NASA building gets clean bill of health

11/10/2008

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a survey indicating that two buildings at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland did not cause cancer among employees. The union representing some NASA employees says it isn’t satisfied.

Planning a holiday party? Make sure it’s off the clock … and alcohol-free

11/10/2008

December is the time for holiday parties. If you throw an employee bash that involves alcohol, make sure no one is on the clock or has to work on behalf of the organization. Better yet, don’t provide alcohol.

Wellness program covers food, fitness, families

11/10/2008

Glatfelter Insurance Group employees spend their breaks soaking in the company sauna and enjoying neck-and-shoulder massages. As part of its wellness program, the York, Pa., organization gives employees free access to a personal trainer and on-site tennis, volleyball and basketball courts.

Call security! But don’t micromanage them

11/07/2008

If you hire a security company to help keep your workplace safe for customers and employees, make sure your supervisors don’t wind up providing specific direction to the guards the company assigns to your company. If you and your staff resist the temptation to control their every move and give them just general instructions, the security company and its guards remain independent contractors. That’s important for liability reasons.