Human Resources


ASSE Makes Plea for Labor Day Roadway Safety

As far as holiday weekends go, only Thanksgiving, July Fourth, and Memorial Day have more roadway fatalities—and nearly half of those are alcohol related.

September is National Preparedness Month.

Emergency Physicians to Public: Prepare Now Before Disaster Strikes

Hurricane Earl, a Category 2 storm this morning, now poses little danger to the U.S. eastern seaboard. But the hurricane season isn't over, and other threats are out there.

AirTran Fined $500,000 for Boarding Violations, Disability Complaints

An investigation by DOT’s Aviation Enforcement Office of disability complaints filed with AirTran and DOT revealed a number of violations of the requirement for boarding assistance. In addition, the carrier’s complaint files showed that it frequently did not provide an adequate written response to complaints from passengers.

Re-Engineering for Older Workers

Using available technology, companies can collect and analyze detailed job and task data to develop a clearer picture of what it takes to be effective in each job and to categorize risks by body part.

OSHA Announces Interim Final Whistleblower Rules, Invites Public Comment

The regulations, which establish procedures for handling worker retaliation complaints, allow filing by phone as well as in writing and filing in languages other than English.

Amtrak Employee Awarded $160K in 'Historic' FRSA Case

An investigation found that the company terminated one of its cleaning crew employees after she reported to her manager that she had sprained her ankle while at work. The lawsuit became the first case to be tried under a 2007 amendment to the Federal Railroad Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. Section 20109.

Seminar participants will receive information about Californias heat illness prevention program.

California, Mexican Foreign Ministry Celebrate 'Labor Rights Week 2010'

The week is a nationwide initiative that revolves around Labor Day and is the result of an on-going collaboration between local Mexican Consulate offices, federal and state labor and workforce departments, labor rights advocates, and others.

Staffing Agency Agrees to Pay $585,000 to Settle Discrimination Lawsuit

EEOC alleged that the company failed to place a former employee and a class of African Americans into warehouse positions because of their race and their national origin when it took over operations from a predecessor company.



Walt Disney World Agrees to Pay $433,819 in Back Wages

A Wage and Hour Division investigator found that inventory control clerks in the park's Food and Beverage Department were not paid for work activities occurring before and after their normal shifts.

Utah Transit Authority to Pay $130,000 for Firing Whistleblower

The complaint filed with OSHA alleged that the Utah Transit Authority had discharged the worker in retaliation for raising security concerns centered around the transit authority's issuance of keys to access the railroad's controls and switches for signals and tracks.

Bedbugs have a tendency to hitch rides from one location to the next.

New Report Ranks Top U.S. Cities for Bedbug Infestations

According to Terminix, reports of bedbug infestations in office buildings and retail shops are on the rise. The company offers tips for keeping the pests at bay.

Educational Company Sued for Religious Discrimination

The company, which provides test and scoring services, allegedly fired an employee for refusing to work on Saturday, a day she and her denomination observed as the Sabbath.

OSHA Sues Kwick Stop for Firing Whistleblower

Investigators found that an employee of the Shawnee, Okla.-based convenience store chain was fired after complaining about safety hazards at a store. In addition to back pay and reinstatement, the Labor Department is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the employee.

FDA Proposes Withdrawal of Low Blood Pressure Drug

Orthostatic hypotension is a condition in which patients are unable to maintain blood pressure in the upright position and, therefore, become dizzy or faint when they stand up.

AT&T to Pay $60,000 for Not Hiring Type 2 Diabetic

“Employers who respond to disabled individuals with knee-jerk exclusions based on myths, fears, and stereotypes, rather than considering individual abilities, put themselves at risk,” said senior trial attorney Eduardo Juarez of EEOC’s San Antonio Field Office.

DOT said the lower testing cutoffs will identify about 4,000 additional cocaine users annually.

DOT Testing Change to ID 8,000 More Drug Users

Besides adopting the lower laboratory testing cutoffs for cocaine and amphetamines, DOT's final rule will add MDMA (ecstasy) initial and confirmation testing to its program. But it did not adopt alternative specimens, such as hair testing.

CSA 2010 Data Now Visible to Motor Carriers

Starting Aug. 16, carriers in all states can log on to FMCSA's data preview website "to see where they stand, and start taking corrective action prior to our scheduled implementation later this year," as Anne Ferro, the agency's administrator, said recently.

Comp Aid Program Helps Almost 5,000 WA Businesses

Offered last year by the state Department of Labor & Industries, the Employer Assistance Program has helped more than 4,800 companies avoid becoming delinquent on their workers' compensation accounts.

A scene from the entrance to the 2009 Expo that took place in San Antonio.

VPPPA Prepares for its Most Prominent, Prestigious Powwow

Last year's event in San Antonio, Texas (pictured), drew 2,836 attendees representing all areas and professions affiliated with the safety and health industry. For this year's conference in Orlando, organizers are expecting to up that number to at least 3,000.

OSHA Outlines Survey Supporting I2P2

The statistical survey would involve 14,202 respondents, and 85 case study interviews would be conducted asking about safety and health practices on farms with more than 10 workers and at state and local governmental agencies in state plan states.

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