Regulatory Roundup

Regulatory Roundup is a weekly compilation of employee wellness and safety news.  
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 
 

Panel discusses potential OSHA involvement in sexual harassment

A panel at an American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section conference discussed whether or not it is viable for OSHA to implement regulations on workplace sexual harassment, violence and assault. Panelists agreed that it could be a reach, as the OSH Act only addresses hazards likely to cause serious physical harm or death. However, it would require many more employers to address the issue. MORE
 

OSHA reminds employers to protect retail employees during the holiday season

 As holiday shopping ramps up and many seasonal employees are hired, OSHA reminds employers of their responsibility to protect all employees. In particular, the agency mentions managing crowds during sales events and having emergency procedures in place.  MORE
 
 

The National Safety Council (NSC) 
 

Calculator allows businesses to determine real costs of fatigue

The NSC worked with Brigham and Women’s Hospital to develop an online tool that allows employers to calculate how much fatigue is costing their bottom line. To use the tool, users just need to enter their location, industry, number of employees and whether or not they employ shift workers. MORE  
 

Studies, resources, trends, news 

Safety surveys help align management and employee perception

A presenter at EHS Today’s Safety Leadership Conference 2018 spoke about the frequent gap in the perception of safety between senior management and employees. He noted that many times, production level employees are not asked for their input even though they have the best viewpoint of the company’s performance. It was suggested that employers conduct manual (not electronic) safety culture assessments that look at all components and then present results to the entire workforce. MORE