April 1, 2013 by Fred Hosier
Probably most of us have had a foot blister due to a pair of shoes that didn’t fit quite right. This employee says his steel-toed boots, required at work, led to a costly medical problem. Did he get workers’ comp for the injury?
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Tags: diabetes, leg amputation, steel-toed boots, Workers' comp
March 13, 2013 by Fred Hosier
Does every employee injury that occurs on your company’s property entitle the injured person to workers’ comp? What about when employees are eating their lunch?
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Tags: break room, caterers, salmonella poisoning, Workers' comp
February 25, 2013 by Fred Hosier
A new government report corroborates previous statistics that show methamphetamine use may be rising in the U.S. after dropping for several years.
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Tags: Government Accountability Office, methamphetamine, pseudoephedrine, Quest diagnostics
January 21, 2013 by Fred Hosier
Imagine this: “Joe” works for your company full-time and has another job where he works 25 hours a week. He consumes energy drinks because of his busy schedule. Is that a potential problem?
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Tags: caffeine, emergency room visits, energy drinks, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
January 4, 2013 by Fred Hosier
A multi-year fight between government safety agencies and a manufacturer of food flavorings comes to the end with a settlement that lowers a fine but also restricts use of a dangerous chemical.
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Tags: diacetyl, Indiana OSHA, popcorn lung, Sensient Flavors
November 12, 2012 by Fred Hosier
Does HIPAA prohibit companies from obtaining medical information directly from a doctor treating a recipient of workers’ comp benefits?
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Tags: burns, HIPAA, patient information, Workers' comp
October 3, 2012 by Fred Hosier
California already has the strictest regulations on the books to provide relief for outdoor workers in hot conditions. A bill passed by the state’s legislature would have created new penalties for breaking these rules, but the effort has been stopped by a veto.
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Tags: farmworker, Gov. Jerry Brown veto, heat stress, outdoor workers
October 1, 2012 by Fred Hosier
America’s 10 deadliest jobs; “Where’s the concern?” asks a safety association president; top 8 features employees want in wellness programs; “delusional” doctor booted from workers’ comp board; and as a safety pro, what do you think about driverless cars? Click through for this week’s Safety News Summary.
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Tags: deadliest jobs, driverless cars, wellness programs, workers' comp board
July 30, 2012 by Fred Hosier
An applicant was told he wasn’t qualified for a safety-sensitive job because of the “significant health and safety risks associated with [his] extreme obesity.” Now the applicant says the employer discriminated against him because of a disability — obesity.
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Tags: disability accommodation, disability discrimination, extreme obesity, safety sensitive job
July 16, 2012 by Fred Hosier
When it comes to indoor air quality, mold gets all the attention. But according to an occupational hygienist with Connecticut OSHA, when he investigates potential mold complaints, it’s usually not the problem. Instead, the problem is …
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Tags: allergies, CONN OSHA, dust, mold
