Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In these troubled economic times, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has hit upon a sure-fire way to increase government revenue without any extra work or change in procedures. If it wasn’t so ominous for employers, we might be tempted to applaud the agency’s ingenuity and audacity. Required federal and state workplace posters, including […]
The changes promised by the Obama administration are beginning to take hold at the federal agencies regulating the workplace. Typically, the change in leadership can be a strong predictor of the changes in policies and directions that will be pursued by a new administration. Not surprisingly, the changes that already have occurred suggest that we […]
Summer is in full swing so it’s time to make sure employees stay safe in the hot weather. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) doesn’t have a specific standard for addressing heat stress. However, the agency has previously issued citations to employers that have allowed employees to be exposed to a risk of serious […]
At a top-level management meeting of Unsafe Corporation, located in midtown Manhattan, the newest addition to the legal department, Eager Beaver, inquired into the company’s efforts to ensure Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) compliance. Laughter was heard around the table, punctuated by the CEO chiding, “The OSH Act doesn’t apply to us. Where […]
Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, is just a few weeks away and many employers have started thinking about adding students to their workforce. Here are some issues to consider as those eager, money-hungry youngsters join your workplace. Safety first The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) […]
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has unveiled new guidance for healthcare workers and their employers on preparing for and responding to a pandemic flu, such as the avian influenza. Avian influenza—also known as bird flu—is caused by a virus that attacks wild birds and domestic poultry. A dangerous strain is rapidly infecting […]
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released comprehensive new guidance for employers on how to prepare for an avian flu outbreak. The new guidance, which OSHA developed in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, provides guidance for all types of workplaces, describes the differences between seasonal, avian, and pandemic […]
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has unveiled new safety and health guidance for protecting workers from avian flu. The new document, which updates avian flu guidance by OSHA in 2004, alerts employees and employers about the hazards of occupational exposure to avian influenza from infected birds and provides practical recommendations on ways to […]
We’re contemplating a new policy that will allow many of our employees to work from home several days a week. Before we launch into this program, I’d like to have some clarification on what responsibilities—or liabilities—we have. If employees are injured while working at home, for example, what happens? If customers get injured while seeing […]
Federal OSHA has published a new guide to help employers develop and implement an effective first-aid program. The “Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program” lists the primary components of a workplace first-aid program at the workplace, including: identifying and assessing workplace risks, designing a program specific to the worksite and complying with […]