Transcript Health, Safety and Privacy in the Workplace

Health, Safety and Privacy in the
Workplace
OSHA
Worker’s Compensation
Polygraph Protection Act
Electronic Communications Privacy Act
OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Act
The act assigns OSHA two principle
functions:
1. Setting standards
2. Conducting workplace inspections
OSHA (purpose)
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The general purpose of the ACT is to
ensure that employers furnish a place of
employment which is free from
recognized hazards that are causing or
are likely to cause death or serious
physical harm to employees
OSHA Standards
similar across industries
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1. Access to medical and exposure records (e.g.
exposure to toxic substances)
2. Personal Protective Equipment
– requires that the employer provide (at no cost to the
employee) with certain protective equipment (helmets in
construction, hearing protection, etc..)
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3. Hazard Communication
– appropriate labels, placards, etc..
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4. Recordkeeping
– if over 10 employees, employer must maintain safety records
• (work related illness and injury)
Worker’s Compensation
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If you are injured on the job--or suffer a work related illness or
disease that prevents you from working, you are eligible to
receive benefits (replacement income, free medical care) from
your state worker’s compensation program
In most states, employers (with more than 3-5 employees) are
required to purchase state funded worker’s compensation
insurance (some large employers can self insure)
rates are based on risk
– premiums for park workers are higher than for executives
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An injury must be work related but does not have to have a
specific date of onset (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome) or occur on
company premises (company social function).
FAQs
Whistleblower Protection
Employee protection provisions
a clause in many acts
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Clean Air Act
Energy Reorganization
Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
Solid Waste Disposal
Act
Toxic Substances
Control Act
OSH Act
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Provide protection from
discharge or other
discriminatory actions by
employers in retaliation for
employee’s good faith
complaints about safety and
health hazards in the
workplace. (Covers all
private employers)
Polygraph Protection Act
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Applies to most private employers (not Gov’t)
– prohibits the use of lie detectors for preemployment screening or during the course of
employment
• exemptions (security service firms, pharmaceuticals…or
if a person is reasonably suspected of embezzlement or
theft)
Electronic Communications Privacy Act
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Still exploring the degree to which e-mail and
voice mail are affected as the law took effect
in 1986 before these were commonplace
– In general, it is legal for employers to monitor businessrelated telephone calls and email to and from their business
and from their own premises (for example to evaluate
customer service) If your agency has a policy of privacy
abide by it
– Some states require that both the employee and client know
of the monitoring
– If a call is being monitored, an employer must hang up as
soon as it is apparent that it is a personal call.