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By law, how far can you go in screening employees or altering leave policies during pandemic? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), privacy and state leave laws still apply, limiting what employers can do, advises Nina Massen, JD, senior associate with the disability, leave and health management practice group of Jackson Lewis LLP in White Plains, NY.
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As H1N1 and flu absences crop up in the workplace, your goal is twofold. You want employees to stay out only as long as necessary to limit lost productivity, yet you must keep them out of the workplace while infectious so they don't get others sick.
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Imagine a diabetic worker leaving a "lunch and learn" on how to control her blood sugar who feels hunger pangs. As he or she walks past the vending machine, is that worker faced with a choice between a candy bar and a sugary pastry?
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When occupational health professionals at Replacements, a Greensboro, NC-based supplier of old and new china, crystal, silver, and collectibles with 550 employees, did a review of their Occupational Safety and Health Administration 300 log of work-related injuries and illnesses, they found that their largest worker's compensation numbers were coming from musculoskeletal (MSD) complaints.
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Non-compliance with state or federal regulations can put a company out of business even faster than escalating health care costs. But too often, the important role played by occupational health in facilitating compliance is not understood by senior leaders.
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Expect more regulation. Like a sleeping giant that awakens with a roar, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is moving forward with new initiatives, including the first steps toward a possible airborne infectious diseases standard and renewing proposed recordkeeping rules on musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) injuries.
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Every occupational health program requires resources, ranging from tens of thousands of dollars for a fitness center to a few hours spent on educating employees. How do you decide whether these are best invested in a diabetes lunch-and-learn, a weight loss competition, or otherwise?
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How widespread are chemical hazards in health care? The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) seeks to find out and is proposing an online survey, which would be targeted to members of professional organizations such as the American Nurses Association.
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Lack of interest by either mid-level or senior leaders in the safety and health program. Employees who don't really believe that safety and health are of major importance to the company. Lack of participation of the engineering department in the maintenance of equipment. Failure to perform health and safety audits.
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The nation's most comprehensive safe patient handling law is now in full effect: Hospitals in Washington state must have equipment to reduce injuries by Jan. 31.
