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April 4, 2024 A Florida appellate court on Wednesday reversed a decision granting summary judgment to a contractor who was sued by a worker who alleges he was injured during a fall while he was securing a tarp to the roof of a two-story residence in preparation for an insurance inspection. The Florida Third District Court of Appeal found that a trial court wrongly determined Claudio Navarro failed to establish he was working under the direction of Alfredo Borges when he was injured in October 2017. Mr. Borges sent Mr. Navarro to Palmetto Bay to place a tarp on the roof of a home damaged during Hurricane Irma, the ruling states. Mr. Navarro installed the tarp without incident. Days later, Mr. Navarro, on a different job site, overheard workers discussing problems with the tarp, after which Mr. Borges “had given the order” for Mr. Navarro to fix the issue prior to the insurance inspection, the ruling states. Mr. Navarro fell while attempting to correct the tarp problem without safety equipment and was injured. Read more

April 3, 2024 The Florida Legislature just passed a bill to loosen existing work restrictions for minors who are at least 16 years old. Governor DeSantis signed the bill on March 22, and it will take effect on July 1. You should note that both federal and state laws restrict the time of day and number of hours that minors can work, the type of work that minors can perform, and the equipment they can use. Although the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) governs child labor and sets the minimum standards, states can enact more restrictive child labor laws. Florida is one of the states that has enacted more restrictive child labor laws — but the new legislation lightens up on restrictions for older teens, allowing those workers and their employers more flexibility. Here’s what employers need to know about HB 49 and the top five questions to consider when hiring teenagers. Read more

By law, U.S. employers are only allowed to employ workers who can prove their identity and qualifications to work in the United States. This includes U. S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, lawful permanent residents, and resident aliens who are authorized to work. Learn how E-Verify and Form I-9 protect employers from unintentionally hiring undocumented workers. Webinar Topics include: E-Verify for Existing Users E-Verify for Web Services Users E-Verify in 30 E-Verify Overview Employee Rights Employer Responsibilities Federal Contractor E-Verify Form I-9 myE-Verify E-Verify and Form I-9 free webinars (except for E-Verify in 30 and myE-Verify) are eligible for professional development credits (PDC) through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). The webinars are held on multiple dates and times in November. Register early as space is limited. Event type: Live Webinar Cost: Free Date: May, 2024 Time: Multiple Event Host: Everify.gov Duration: 30 min. to 1 hour Click here to register

April 1, 2024 Rising temperatures are causing problems for workers in industries such as construction, warehousing and transportation, and heat-related workers compensation claims are increasing as a result, experts say. As more claims are submitted, claims professionals are stepping up investigations to determine whether they are compensable. Safety advocates, meanwhile, are urging the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to finalize a workplace safety standard that addresses the potential for heat-related injuries (see related story below). Heat-related workplace risks are expected to increase, as insurers “across the country have identified climate change as an emerging concern,” said Patrick Coate, an economist with the Boca Raton, Florida-based National Council on Compensation Insurance, which is researching the connection between weather severity and increased worker injuries. Insurers manage heat-related workers comp claims much like other injury claims, with investigations of causation and early treatment. Read more

April 1, 2024 What an injured worker eats has become a talking point for workers compensation claims handlers as they explore the intersection of nutrition and injury recovery. Proper nutrition “is something that we identified because if there’s poor nutrition, they’re not going to recover as quickly or as well, especially if they’re having a surgery,” said Dr. Adam Seidner, Hartford, Connecticut-based chief medical officer at Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. The discussions over nutrition branched out from worker advocacy models in workers comp — where there’s more interaction between injured workers and claims handlers on issues that may not be directly related to a claim but could affect the outcome. “We know that proper nutrition is a key governor of health,” said Dr. Teresa Bartlett, Troy, Michigan-based managing director, senior medical officer, at third-party administrator Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc. It’s especially important for the aging workforce, which already faces delayed recovery, she added.\ Nutrition is “one of the key factors that determines if someone will age well, if their bones are healthy, if their muscles are healthy,” she said. “We know that if you’re having a surgery, just like the fact that you shouldn’t be smoking because you won’t recover adequately, if you’re not getting proper nutrition your bones and your skin will not heal properly.” Read more

March 29, 2024 The U.S. Department of Labor on Friday announced a final rule clarifying the rights of employees to authorize a representative to accompany an Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officer during an inspection of their workplace will be published in the Federal Register on Monday. The Occupational Safety and Health Act gives the employer and employees the right to authorize a representative to accompany OSHA officials during a workplace inspection. The final rule is “consistent with the law” and clarifies that workers may authorize another employee to serve as their representative or select a nonemployee, according to a statement. For a nonemployee representative to accompany the compliance officer in a workplace, they must be reasonably necessary to conduct an effective and thorough inspection, according to a statement. Read more

Safety training is critical to ensure employees know how to perform their jobs safely and without injury so they can go home to their families each workday. You'll walk away from this event knowing who should receive training, when training should (or must) be provided, and why providing that training is important. Topics to be covered include: • Powered Industrial Trucks • Hazard Communication • Lockout/Tagout • Personal Protective Equipment • Bloodborne Pathogens You will also have a chance to get your questions answered throughout the live event! Event type:     Live Webinar         Cost:            Free Date:                May 29, 2024          Time:           2:00 PM ET Event Host:    JJ Keller                    Duration:    1 hour Click here to Register

Discover the crucial factors behind implementing fixed guards and presence sensing safety devices, including the essential considerations for their strategic placement to ensure compliance and effectiveness in risk reduction—join us in this webinar to master the art of calculating and implementing minimum safe distances. Fixed guards and presence sensing safety devices are often used as control measures for risk reductions. One important aspect to consider when implementing such solutions are their physical placements in relation to the hazard. Join us as we discuss the requirements for safe minimum distances to ensure compliance and an effective safe solution for these specific control measures. During this webinar attendees will learn about: The need for a minimum safe distance and when they apply; Requirements and standards focused on determining minimum safe distances; Methods to calculate and implement minimum safe distances. Event type:     Live Webinar          Cost:            Free Date:                April 24, 2024          Time:           2:00 PM ET Event Host:    EHS Today                Duration:    1 hour Click here to Register

The proper selection of PPE is very important. In this webinar you will see that though the thermal hazards may be different for different industries the basics for selection, use, care and maintenance of FR Clothing share some similarities. You will be introduced to the regulations, the standards and the general “best practices” for implementing a FR/AR clothing program that are utilized in the Selection, Use, Care and Maintenance of FR/AR Garments for Arc Flash and Flash Fire hazards. Event type:     Live Webinar         Cost:            Free Date:                May 23, 2024          Time:           2:00 PM ET Event Host:    OH&S                        Duration:   1 hour Click here to Register

The Hazard Communication standard is regularly found in OSHA’s Top 10 list of most frequently cited serious violations, and training – or a lack thereof - is often cited as a reason for the violation. In the past year, over 850 citations were issued for “missing or inadequate measures to provide hazard information to employees or to provide proper training.” During this event, we will discuss: • Who is covered under the standard • Which exemptions apply • HazCom training requirements • OSHA citations • Risks of non-compliance This webcast delves into what the Hazard Communication standard requires when it comes to training and breaks the information down into manageable pieces. Time will also be reserved for a live question and answer session. Event type:     Live Webinar          Cost:            Free Date:                April 23, 2024          Time:           2:00 PM ET Event Host:     JJ Keller                    Duration:   1 hour Click here to Register