Tennessee: Guns at work aren’t a safety threat
April 12, 2011 by Fred HosierPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, New rules and regulations, State OSHAs, workplace violence
PDF Last September we told you about a Tennessee OSHA (TOSHA) ruling: allowing guns in businesses that serve alcohol doesn’t create an unsafe workplace. Now, the state has taken the issue one step further.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) has signed S.B. 519 into law. It states a company’s decision to permit handguns at work doesn’t amount to an occupational safety and health hazard.
The state already allowed employers to decide whether to ban handguns on their properties.
This new law is in response to a complaint filed by an employee of a Nashville bar.
A server at Jackson’s Bar and Bistro filed a complaint with TOSHA, claiming that mixing firearms and booze creates hazards for workers.
TOSHA ruled against the employee, but it also said the case wasn’t precedent setting. The agency said each case of gun possession in a workplace that served alcohol would be considered on a case-by-case business.
That prompted introduction of S.B. 519. The measure takes effect immediately.
Are lawfully carried guns in businesses that serve alcohol a danger to the establishment’s employees? What about other types of businesses? Let us know what you think in the Comments Box below.
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Tags: businesses that serve alcohol, guns at work, Tennessee, TOSHA
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April 12th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
I am a firm believer that registered and non-registered gun owners should be allowed to take guns in their automobiles anywhere. Most work sites do not need guns on them but if they are on a work site then only registered owners should have them and the company should be aware of their presence. Theoretically, these registered owners are stable enough not to creat problems. I do worry about guns in bars, except for the bar owners guns.
April 19th, 2011 at 10:36 am
The key item I believe that should be focus on in this whole debate is the word “registered”. It’s not about the place, the patrons, nor the intended purpose of what motivates one to carry their handgun. The facts are, a system has been put into LAW, that requires the person to complete and be in compliance with specified training and background check. A certified and authorized instructor has signed that based on their evaluation, and the completion of the training course the person being issued the permit to have a concealed weapon has met these requirements.
Therefore, I am not the least bit concerned for any “law-abiding” citizen that has taken the proper steps in becoming qualified to carry their hand gun. These people are NOT vigilantes, nor proponents of a “wild west” state, but exercising their civil rights under the law and United States Constitution. For the others who “act” without regard to the LAW, they should be arrested and duly processed and be accountable under the law for their disrespect of the law abiding citizens.
As it has been stated before, “For a nation to fail only requires for good men to stand by and do nothing”. We as Americans should never accept standing idle or silent when wrong is acted upon the innocent and unfortunate. We are a giving and compassionate people – but we are to stand for justice and our principles should not be watered down by a petition under the banner perceived “fairness” doctrine. There is a process whereby Laws can be changed, if the American people what it changed then, exercise your rights to do so. But it is not through the banter of the media nor promoting half truths about the citizens who lawfully carry their hand gun.
It is time for the “good people” of these United States of America to take a stand for good, for a clear line what’s right and wrong, for morality, for honesty and be the people of integrity which “IS” our American heritage.
In the words of a great America,…
April 19th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Contrary to the shrill ranting of gun control lobbyists, those who legally own and carry are the least likely of anyone in society to pose any threat to anybody. Those who ARE dangerous, by their very nature don’t care what’s allowed or not.
April 21st, 2011 at 8:52 am
Got to love the mentality here. How long before you can say if it isn’t a hazard at work, then why license people? Only in America.
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Guns in a bar with people getting drunk - now that’s a story waiting for a bad ending. Ever been in a bar when some inebriated macho guy decides he can take on the world, or at least a few fellow inebriates he’s arguing with? His judgment is already in the tank and now you want to give him the right to carry a gun? Or maybe they’ll start shooting cigarettes out of each other’s mouths. Insanity. I’ll have to remember to stay out of TN.
April 25th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
I am not sure what the law states in Tennessee, but I do know that in several states with similar laws you can carry your firearm into a drinking establishment, as long as you do not consume alcohol yourself. If that is the situation in Tennessee, then I really don’t see a problem.
Does anyone know exactly what Tennessee’s stance is on this?
May 13th, 2011 at 8:11 pm
Jon B I live in TN and am a CCW permit holder, and you are correct . You Have heavier penalties if you do have a permit and consume alcohol. You are not allowed to have a weapon in your possesion if under the influence. Not intoxicated , under the influence
May 31st, 2011 at 9:25 am
Permit holder or not Guns and Alcohol are a bad combination. Do you actually want TOSHA coming to see you in your establishment on a regular basis?
May 31st, 2011 at 10:29 am
Scott,
You are correct; guns and alcohol are a bad combination. That is exactly why those who are consuming the alcohol are not allowed to carry their firearms while they are consuming the alcohol or while they are intoxicated. Only the folks who are normally permitted to carry a firearm AND are not consuming any alcohol are being given a right to carry and defend themselves.
Also if TOSHA is visiting your establishment on a regular basis, there is probably a lot more issues with your joint than a few permit holders hanging out there.
June 9th, 2011 at 4:39 pm
I don’t think that’s what this new law is saying. I didn’t get, you can only have your gun in a drinking establishment if you don’t consume alcohol. As far as the goodness of law abiding citizens, well some of the worse group crimes imaginable have been done and watched by the self-same citizens.
Wasn’t the guy in Arizona a registered gun owner?
There are no perfect people. Unfortunately, there are good and bad in everything. To say that every registered gun owner is a law abiding citizen or vise versa is patently ridiculous.
Since people are like humpty-dumpty you break them you simply cannot put them back together again. To wake up, one morning and realize you shot someone or worse yet, your friend, because you got too drunk is incomprehensible to most people. Then to claim you were within your rights, how do you live with that? We all know, or should, that being within your rights doesn’t always make it right.
News, very briefly, had reported on a video from Al Quaida’s new leader or runner up? He’s an American and he’s telling his followers in the U.S. to go and get guns because it’s easier in the U.S. than any place else in the world. Then he tells them how to get them from gunshows without a background or even an I.D. check. Then he says get them and just start shooting what are you waiting for?
Everyone keeps saying only law abiding citizens are or should be allowed to get guns. That they have to registered, trained and investigated. However, that system doesn’t seem to be working very well. Each State has it’s own standards, methods and laws and from what I’ve read, terriorists, criminals and the mentally ill are being legally registered to buy and carry guns with numerous numbers of very large clips all over the place. Since we’re going to go back to the old west where every citizen has guns without limit. Don’t you think the rules should be uniform across the land? This hodge podge method serves no one and puts the…
June 9th, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Notenoughregs ,
1. Read the above posts; you cannot carry a firearm legally, even with a permit, while consuming alcohol. While the one law permits you to carry within a drinking establishment, another prohibits you from consuming alcohol while in the possession of a firearm.
2.No, Arizona does not require a permit as of this time. Also the man who stopped the carnage was also carrying a sidearm. Would he have had the confidence to do so without it?
3.Registered gun owners commit well less than one percent of the violent crimes. Since shall issue permits have become popular, crime violent crime has plummeted.
4.See #1 and most permit holder will not risk their permit rights over one drink.
5.If guns are really that hard to obtain, why did everyone in the middle east have them when they were banned? Japan decided not to invade the U.S. during World War II because of the number of firearms owned by citizens.
6. The rules should be more uniform but as FBI statistics have shown, when there are more guns, we have less crime.