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Safety/Health

USAA’s wellness message resonates with employees

04/01/2008
More than 85% of USAA’s employees have signed up for its wellness program, which focuses on nutrition, exercise, disease prevention and smoking cessation. San Antonio-based USAA also offers employees an annual health risk appraisal and free health screenings …

Mystery neurological illness plagues slaughterhouse workers

04/01/2008
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has given a name to an illness suffered by employees in pork processing plants in Minnesota and Indiana: progressive inflammatory neuropathy …

Drug testing after a workplace accident

04/01/2008
Q. Last week, one of our employees drove a piece of equipment into a shelving unit. The employee caused substantial damage to the equipment and the products on the shelves. He could have seriously injured a co-worker. The employee’s supervisor reported that the employee’s eyes were glassy and bloodshot. Can we require the employee to submit to a drug test? — S.S., White Bear Lake …

OSHA’s visit to Imperial Sugar too late, unions say

04/01/2008
OSHA has announced it will conduct combustible dust inspections at thousands of U.S. factories in the wake of an explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth that left 12 workers dead and dozens badly injured. A preliminary investigation revealed the Feb. 7 blast was caused by airborne sugar dust in a basement area …

Oakland, Hayward manufacturers hit with labor and safety violations

04/01/2008
The California Labor and Workforce Development Agency has issued numerous citations and fines totaling more than $500,000 for labor and safety violations at nine Alameda County companies …

9 ways to improve employee health, cut costs

03/01/2008

As medical care gets more expensive—and employees stay as unhealthy as ever—your organization probably is trying to cut costs wherever it can. One of the best ways: implement programs that prevent disease. Preventive services such as immunizations, preventive medications, screenings and counseling are effective at keeping employees healthier …

Relax, it’s just a couple of nuclear reactors

03/01/2008

Exelon Corp. has decided to replace its security provider, Wackenhut Corp., based in Palm Beach, with an in-house security force at its 10 nuclear power plants. Exelon made the decision after guards were videotaped sleeping on the job at a plant in Pennsylvania …

No need to accommodate Rx marijuana use

03/01/2008
The California Supreme Court has ruled that an employer doesn’t have to accommodate an employee’s marijuana use even though he had a valid prescription. Employers can and should continue to use post-offer, pre-employment drug tests if having a work force free of impairment is an important safety consideration …

Must you provide leave to domestic violence victims?

03/01/2008
In 1999, California and Maine became the first states to enact laws providing protection or leave to employees who are victims of domestic violence. Since then, nearly half of the states have enacted similar laws …

Fighting at work: Fire one, both or neither?

03/01/2008

Q. Two of our employees got into a fight. One had a weapon, the other didn’t. The unarmed person wound up in the hospital. His supervisor told the injured employee to get better and come back to work. But the owner doesn’t want either back. Can we fire the injured employee without any future problems? —M.R., New Jersey …