Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Steve Early had no experience or prior training operating a forklift nor was he certified as a forklift operator. Nevertheless, on his first day of work at the AZ Company, he was assigned to operate a forklift. “There’s nothing to it,” his supervisor told him. “It’s just like driving a car.” “OK,” Early agreed. “I […]
Yesterday attorney David Schmit, founder of Schmit Law in Oakland, addressed some common (yet vexing) return-to-work questions. Today, his thoughts on a few more—plus an introduction to a workers’ comp webinar you won’t want to miss.
October 6 to 12 is National Fire Prevention Week (http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/fire-prevention-week). Inspire your employees to participate in fire drill training by sharing the news about how a failure to train and drill on evacuation routes earned Hawaii companies large fines. The Hawaii State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ (DLIR) Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division […]
The information in today’s issue is adapted from BLR’s 7-Minute Safety Trainer session, “Basic Fire Prevention Steps.” Use and Maintain Electrical Equipment Properly Electrical equipment causes the largest number of workplace fires. Follow these safe practices: Replace cords and wires that are frayed or have worn insulation. Don’t overload circuits, motors, fuses, or outlets. Make […]
The information in today’s issue is adapted from BLR’s 7-Minute Safety Trainer session, “Basic Fire Prevention Steps.” The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to have a fire prevention plan that covers workplace fire hazards and contains procedures and responsibilities for preventing fires. In this safety training session, we’ll learn what components cause […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reached a settlement agreement with True North Hotel Group, Inc., stipulating that the Overland Park, Kansas-based company must pay $22,225 in back wages and compensatory damages to a former employee who was terminated in Massachusetts after notifying supervisors about safety concerns and filing a whistleblower complaint with DOL’s Occupational […]
Consider these recent statistics: According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 729 Hispanic or Latino workers were killed from work-related injuries in 2011. That works out to more than 14 deaths a week, or two Latino workers killed every single day of the year, all year long. Other non-English-speaking workers are a growing […]
Q. Can a duplicate key for the purpose of lock removal under LOTO be held in a secure area with a procedure in place for access to the key and returning the key that does not jeopardize the employee’s safety? A. Here is a paragraph from an OSHA letter of interpretation dated February 28, 2000, […]
Q. Do I have to train the authorized employees and affected employees separately, or can I train one class comprised of both audiences? A. There are separate training requirements for authorized and affected employees under OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard. You may train them together as long as you cover both areas and clearly state to the […]