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Traditional holiday parties can be a major liability risk for any employer, whether they are company-sponsored or impromptu gatherings of employees.

Employers who serve alcohol at company-sponsored events may be liable, if an employee chooses to drive under the influence and causes an accident, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Some companies have been held liable for fatal accidents when the courts ruled that employees attended the parties within the scope of their employment.

When parties are held on work premises, or during work hours, an employee who is injured may be eligible for workers’ compensation. This is true whether the party is officially sanctioned or a spontaneous gathering of coworkers.

In one extreme example, a Chicago-area boutique employee suffered a spinal injury at a holiday party in a local bar. The employee was dancing with her boss’ husband when the inebriated man tried to lift her off the floor and twirl her around. He dropped the employee, who hit her head on the floor. Because the accident occurred at a company-sponsored event, the court ruled that it was “within the scope of employment” and the worker collected a multi-million-dollar workers’ comp settlement.

 According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, each year employers pay (more…)

In response to a number of fatal accidents involving cranes, OSHA announced new regulations regarding crane and derrick safety on September 18. Employers can comment on the regulations published in the Federal Register, however, OSHA reserves the right to adopt the regulations as is without further notice.

A complete copy of the new regulations is available here.

“The cranes and derricks proposed rule (more…)

A recent report suggests that Kansas employers should be particularly vigilant about safety regulations and equipment on Wednesdays. According to the latest state accident report by the Kansas Department of Labor, more workplace injuries requiring time off occur on Wednesday, than on any other day.

The report, focusing on non-fatal accidents, was issued in conjunction with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is for 2006, the last year for which final statistics are available.

“The Kansas Department of Labor has a wealth of data, but more importantly, we have programs (more…)