labor lawAdivision of labor law center

An advisory concerning Wyoming Worker Safety was issued recently to alert workers to possible asbestos dangers in the workplace. The main focus of this alert is to warn automobile mechanics of the possible presence of asbestos in the brakes and clutches of older cars.

Unfortunately, no easy way exists to detect whether asbestos is contained in clutches or brakes. As a result, mechanics and other workers need to take precautions when they handle items such as brake shoes and clutches. To be on the safe side, every item that could contain asbestos should be handled as if it does contain asbestos.

When employers have the possibility of worker exposure to asbestos, they have to develop safety regulations. These regulations should explain the procedures workers need to follow to minimize their exposure to asbestos. Moreover, employers should train workers on the necessary procedures and precautions, and oversee that employees follow these procedures.
 
Because of the way asbestos particles float through the air, if a worker mishandles an auto part that contains the substance, all employees in the shop can be exposed to asbestos. Control measures used for asbestos include wetting the substance to keep particles from floating into the air. An additional precaution to use is to store the suspect automobile parts in tightly sealed and labeled bags.

For hundreds of years, asbestos was used in industry. In recent years, though, the hazards posed to workers were discovered. Asbestos is dangerous because it breaks easily into small particles that float in the air and can be inhaled. Although the particles are tiny and not visible, they can injure the lungs of workers. The yearly fatality rate in the U.S. from diseases related to asbestos is 10,000. These diseases include lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. As people who have worked around asbestos get older, diseases such as mesothelioma appear. This form of cancer is rare and grows in the lining that protects internal organs, known as the mesothelium.

The forklift manufacturer must approve any modification introduced to the equipment. The attachments or accessories, fitted to the forklifts in many industries to improve the usefulness of the equipment, have an important impact and modify safety issues. After doing the modifications to the equipment, the tags and decals related to maintenance and operation should be change to reflect the new characteristics of the forklift. The attachments diminish the capacity to load of the truck, and must be included as part of the load.

According to Wyoming worker safety information, one of the most frequent reasons of hurts and fatalities at workplace are cause by accidents with forklifts. The Wyoming OSHA regulations state that anytime an operator commits an act of negligence with the forklift or he or she is involved in an accident, he or she is require to be train again. OSHA also requires periodic evaluations of operators.

A safety consultant recently analyzed in a Wyoming OSHA article the correct measures to minimize misfortunes with forklifts at work. About 1.5 million of workers operate forklifts in the United States, and that pose some safety risks to the employees. Apparently, the forklifts are easy to operate, but if the operator is not careful he or she can has an accident. The improper balance of the load can cause the forklift to turn over.

Any program to train forklift operators must include some factors. They are the type of forklift being operated, the hazards in the workplace, the operator’s demonstrated skill, and the operator’s prior knowledge and skill.

Powered Industrial Trucks, or PITs, is another and more properly name for forklifts. Other names are forklift trucks or fork trucks.

Some of the attachments added to forklifts are drum carriers, boom extensions, drum grippers, drum rotators, hoppers, rug rams, and cylinder caddies. In the manufacturing industry is common to see these type of accessories fitted to the forklift trucks.

According to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, Richard E. Stickler, there are approximately 500,000 abandoned mines and an additional 14,000 active mines across the United States.  Mine related accidents have resulted in the deaths of more than 200 individuals since 1999.  Unfortunately, among those who lost their lives were unsuspecting children, workers, rock collectors, and bikers who wandered onto mine property.

“Stay Out – Stay Alive” is a campaign to improve Wyoming worker safety.  Sometimes workers in unrelated industries end up on mine property unawares.  Anyone who isn’t specifically trained as a mineworker most often will not know what the dangers are or how to avoid them.  Trespassing on mine property can result in serious injury and sometimes fatal accidents.  The MSHA, or Mine Safety and Health Administration plays an active role in warning individuals about the hazards of mine properties and informing them how to them.

As part of the “Stay Out – Stay Alive” program, public service announcements are created to warn people of the possibility of accidentally intruding on mine lands.  Federal mine health and safety authorities will also visit schools to educate children about the dangers of exploring mine property.  Many young people have died from falling into deep shafts, toxic gases, and poisonous snakes and insects.  Mine tunnels have also been known to flood in some areas.  It is extremely important that the youth avoid these areas to protect their lives.

People of all ages have had tragic accidents on mine lands over the years.  Last year, in 2006, at least 30 people between the age range of 17 to 51 were killed in surface and underground mine operations. Dozens of federal and state administrations, private organizations, companies and individuals are dynamic partners in “Stay Out–Stay Alive.”  So far, the program has been ongoing for nine years, and, will continue, as long as there are mines out there.  

Today I went searching online for the Wyoming (WY) labor laws. They were not that difficult to find. Several were listed in a FAQ, where I found out the minimum wage and all about the child labor laws. Many of the WY labor laws are required to be posted in work places around Wyoming. These WY labor law posters should be hung in a conspicuous area of the business where employees will have easy access to them. Many employers display them around the time clock or in the employee break room.
The first of the WY labor laws which I found dealt with the minimum wage. Currently, the Wyoming minimum wage is the same as the federal minimum wage, which is $5.15 per hour. The minimum wage is the same for part-time and full-time employees in regular, hourly jobs. There are some jobs which are excluded from the minimum wage law, like domestic workers and some students.
There is also a WY labor law which provides for overtime pay. Almost all workers in the state of Wyoming are eligible to receive overtime pay for any hours they work over 40 in one week. The rate of pay for overtime has been set at one and one half times the normal rate of pay.
Other labor laws in the state of Wyoming deal with child labor. These are some of the most detailed WY labor laws. They limit the jobs that a minor is permitted to work due to being “hazardous”, limit how many hour and which hours can be worked, and determine how many consecutive days a minor is permitted to work. Many times there will be a child labor law which stipulates when and how long breaks for minors should be.
This is just a small sampling of the WY labor laws. There are pages and pages of them! If you are interested in more detailed information, check out the Wyoming labor law posters. When you need both state and federal labor laws, you should look for a copy of the Wyoming Complete Labor Law Poster.

For those that need it, the Wyoming Labor Law Board is a crucial aspect in the work place. This department is one that we all rely on everyday if we live in Wyoming. It provides for the laws that govern us in the way of just about every aspect of employment. For example, those that provide employment in the way of new businesses will find this is a very important board to take into consideration. In addition, those that are employees and work within the state also need this board to regulate what happens there for them. Yet, so few people realize the importance of the Wyoming Labor Law Board.

One of the most important things that the board does is regulate businesses in the way that they provide for their employees. In the state of Wyoming, the minimum wage here is at $5.15. This number is being debated by many throughout Congress as being too low. In this regard, the board will determine if there is a need to raise this rate. Obviously, this will play a substantial role in what happens to those businesses within the state.

In addition to this, they also provide a great deal of information to aid the individual in unemployment help. Although the current unemployment rate within the state is at 3.3 percent, which is considerably lower than that of the national average at 4.8 percent, there is still a great deal of people that need assistance. In providing more than just financial aid, though, the Wyoming Labor Law Board provides the necessary resources needed including employment training, education and even apprenticeships throughout the state.

All of these things play a role in the work place and allow each of us that live here to get the necessary help we need to maintain the lifestyle that we would like to. Yet, so many do not realize the programs and benefits offered by the Wyoming Labor Law Board.