For many of our neighbors, summer means more than sunshine and vacations. It also means working in the yard – often with tools that can be dangerous if not used properly. Each year about 400,000 people are treated for injuries from lawn and garden tools, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Don’t […]
August 20, 2018
The Department of Labor in June issued its final rules for expanding employers’ access to association plans, a move that could result in some increases in premiums for other plans, including Affordable Care Act-compliant small group health plans. The rule in its essence allows more small businesses and self-employed workers to band together to buy […]
July 20, 2018
With temperatures rising, employers with outdoor workers need to take steps to protect them from heat illness. California employers need to be especially mindful as Cal/OSHA has workplace safety regulations governing the prevention of heat illness. The heat illness standard came into effect about seven years ago as the number of deaths due to heat […]
July 20, 2018
THE CALIFORNIA Supreme Court has handed down a decision that rewrites the state’s independent contractor law by adopting a more stringent test for determining whether or not someone is an employee for wage order cases. The new law will affect any California business that uses independent contractors and it makes it more difficult to classify […]
July 20, 2018
Did you know that hundreds of thousands of people in the United States commute to work by bicycle, according to the U.S. Census Bureau? That’s a lot of cars off the road each day, a lot of gasoline saved and a ton of calories burned. Maybe you’re a bicycle commuter already — or maybe you want […]
July 16, 2018
If you own a boat (or better yet, as the joke goes, you know someone with a boat), you’ve probably thought about spending some evenings on the water — especially in the summertime. It’s a great thought, of course. But, when you’re boating after dark, you need to think about staying safe, even as you […]
June 28, 2018
It’s a bit of a tradition for many fathers to go on and on about the knowledge they’ve gained over the years, whether it’s about history, family stories, financial wisdom, or just plain random facts — like how that building over there used to be the old hardware store. This isn’t a bad thing, of […]
June 7, 2018
Summer’s almost here. The sun will come out of hiding, and people will, too. As crowds swell at the beach, in parks, and even on roadways, it all makes for some challenging driving conditions. More people are out and about, whether on foot, bike, or skateboard, or by car, motorcycle, or RV, increasing the risk […]
May 24, 2018
What to Do If You’re Caught in Your Car During a Tornado Tornadoes are the most violent storms anywhere, and about 1,200 touch ground in the United States every year, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). They’re as unpredictable as they are violent, most often occurring in the early spring on the Gulf Coast, […]
May 11, 2018
NEW! Selected CA Employers Advised by Cal/OSHA to Electronically Submit Injury and Illness Records to OSHA Effective January 1, 2017, employers in states regulated by federal OSHA were required to electronically submit Log 300 records of injuries and illnesses. The electronic reporting requirements, along with the incorporation of an existing statutory prohibition on retaliating against […]
May 8, 2018