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Safety/Health

Violence on the job? OK to base punishment on job classification and severity of offense

06/04/2008
While a zero-tolerance policy for fighting on the job is a good idea, it may not always be necessary. Instead, you can draw a distinction between violent transgressions and mere arguments that escalate into pushing or shoving. You also may want the discretion to punish workers in some categories more harshly than others …

Employees find dog in rubble

06/03/2008
A gas explosion at Good Times Adventures, a tour company in Breckenridge, flattened a building on top of Brian Milanski and his dog, Lulu. Four hours later, rescuers extracted Milanski, but there was no sign of Lulu …

Cop pulls a Bonnie and Clyde

05/23/2008
Christian Torres, a New York City rookie police officer, allegedly robbed a Sovereign Bank in Muhlenberg Township on April 11, making off with $113,000. He didn’t get far …

House passes dust bill

05/19/2008
In response to the February explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery outside Savannah that killed 13 workers, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at reducing dust-related accidents …

Business community gunning for a veto

05/19/2008
Some business leaders are calling for Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto a bill in the Georgia Legislature that grants employees the right to bring guns onto company parking lots, subject to their employers’ approval …

What are our responsibilities when an employee has been threatened with violence?

05/16/2008

Q. One of our employees has a boyfriend who has threatened her with physical violence. What steps, if any, should we take to protect the employee in the workplace? …

Enraged condo owner brandishes gun, terrifies employees

05/12/2008
A 57-year-old resident of a Pompano Beach condominium, enraged by a bill for more than $4,000 in condominium owners’ association fees, barged into the complex’s clubhouse on April 25 and demanded to speak with an employee. Patrick Dellisanti ranted about the bill, then pulled out a handgun …

New guns-at-Work law called ‘Boneheaded’

05/12/2008
State Rep. Mary Brandenburg took aim at Florida’s new guns-at-work law. “It’s beyond belief to think it’s essential to have guns at work,” she said after the bill passed the Legislature on a largely party-line vote, 72-42. “This was the most boneheaded bill we’ll pass this session.” …

MIOSHA appeal process: What to expect after receiving a citation

05/09/2008
Two Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth agencies can issue safety citations under Michigan’s Occupational Safety and Health Act: the General Industry Division and the Construction Safety Division. Employers wishing to appeal a MIOSHA citation must follow a two-step appeal procedure …

MIOSHA can’t cite company again pending appeal of original citation

05/09/2008
Q. Our company has been cited by the Department of Labor for what it considers to be a violation of a MIOSHA safety standard. We are appealing the citation, which we understand could take months or even a year or more to be resolved. Our citation contains an abatement date, but we don’t think we have to make the changes suggested because we still believe there was no violation of the standard. Can MIOSHA cite us again for the same condition because we have not abated the contested safety violation? …