Quote of the day
It's not a 'nice to have' but a 'need to have.'"
LuAnn Heinen, Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity, about employers' wellness programs that promote healthy eating in an effort to control soaring health costs
BP Victims’ Lawyer Says Settlements Impending
A lawyer representing more than 100 plaintiffs who sued BP PLC in connection with the March 2005 Texas City refinery explosion that killed 15 contractors and injured more than 170 others said Monday that he expects all his cases to be settled within 10 days. The terms of the proposed settlements are confidential. By Associated Press via Chicago Tribune
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Six Potential Noe Jurors Say They Couldn’t Be Impartial
As jury selection begins in the politically-charged trial of coin dealer Tom Noe, who faces 45 felony counts related to his handling of a $50 million rare-coin investment for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, six of the first 10 possible jurors interviewed are excused after saying they couldn’t be impartial.
Go to the full story by Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch [With Photo] Go to the full story by John Seewer, AP via Akron Beacon Journal
Obese Workers Cost Employers $13 Billion Annually
A government estimate pegs obesity’s cost to companies at more than $13 billion annually in health, life and disability insurance payments and sick days. As a result, employers are promoting healthy eating in their cafeterias and vending machines, hoping better employee eating habits will lead to a healthier bottom line. By Barbara Rose, Chicago Tribune via South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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Workers’ Comp Q&A: Small Business
The Kansas City Star small business advisers discuss whether a one-employee firm needs to get workers’ compensation insurance. Kansas City Star
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Can Empire State Candidates Back Up Vows to Help Upstate?
In the New York gubernatorial race, workers’ compensation reform is a hot issue as candidates Eliot Spitzer and John Faso square off on how to revive the foundering economy of the Upstate region. But can either of them get the job done, given the political realities and special interests that dominate Albany? By Patrick Lakamp and David Robinson, Buffalo News [With Photo] Go to the Full Story…
WorkSafe BC Focuses on Night Shift Gas Station Clerks
In response to the death of a 24-year-old gas station attendant who was dragged to his death in 2005 when he tried to stop a motorist who drove away without paying for a fill-up, stations in British Columbia cities will soon have to make pre-payment mandatory for late-night customers. A review by WorkSafeBC recently concluded that many gas stations across the province aren’t following safety regs for late-night workers. By Scott Sutherland, Canadian Press via Globe and Mail (Toronto)
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High Court Won’t Consider W.R. Grace Case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to consider whether W.R. Grace & Co. must pay $54 million to clean up asbestos in the Montana mining town of Libby. By Mark Sherman, AP via Topix.net
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SHARP Designation Good for the Bottom Line
Receiving a SHARP designation from Fed-OSHA can lower the cost of workers compensation, property and casualty insurance. It also provides a two-year exemption from further Fed-OSHA inspections. By Carlton Proctor, Pensacola News Journal
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