© 2001 by Prentice Hall 16-1 Workplace Safety and the Law  The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) u OSHA imposes three major obligations on employers:  To provide a safe and healthy work environment  To comply with specific occupational safety and health standards  To keep records of occupational injuries and illnesses  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration u Has the primary responsibility for enforcing OSHA  develops occupational standards  conducts workplace inspections  issues citations and penalties

© 2001 by Prentice Hall 16-2 Violence in the Workplace  Does Co have right to discipline Ee who has gun in vehicle in parking lot? u Note: Possession of weapons prohibited on USI property  Several U.S. companies, including Whirlpool*, Williams, and Conoco-Phillips, are fighting to ban guns from the workplaces in Oklahoma u New Oklahoma law allows ees to bring guns to work so long as they’re locked in car (passed in response to Weyerhaeuser’s termination of 12 ees)  OK Chamber of Commerce usually supports NRA, but has joined this lawsuit opposing gun law *Whirlpool withdrew from case –Worried they might be punished by pro-gun rights consumers? u 38 states now issue permits to carry concealed weapons  Some states, such as Ohio, specifically allow Ers to ban firearms at work if they post appropriate signs –Source: Workforce Week, 11/23/04, Wall Street Journal, 11/26/04

© 2001 by Prentice Hall 16-3 Wellness Programs  A complete wellness program has three components: u It helps employees identify potential health risks through screening and testing. u It educates employees about health risks such as high blood pressure, smoking, poor diet, and stress. u It encourages employees to change their lifestyles through exercise, good nutrition, and health monitoring.

© 2001 by Prentice Hall 16-4 Wellness Programs  ~41% of companies have incentives aimed at encouraging healthy behavior, up from 34% in 1996  American Cast Iron Pipe Co (Birmingham AL) spends $266/ee for on-site gym and bonuses to ees who keep blood pressure, cholesterol, weight within healthy limits u Co spends ~$600k/yr for wellness, estimates savings at $1.2m (savings in productivity, health care costs, onset of chronic illness) –Source: USA Today, 7/31/05  When health-assessment and maintenance programs combined w/ financial incentives, participation rates soar u When no incentive offered, participation rates may be 20% or less; w/ incentives, as high as 90% or more  75% of Ers say that workers who don’t make reasonable effort to manage their health should pay more for health insurance u “Stick of choice” is health-insurance surcharge on ees who smoke –Source: Wall Street Journal, 10/27/05

© 2001 by Prentice Hall 16-5 Key Components of OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standards