Author Description

State by State Guide to Workplace Safety Regulation is an authoritative reference to help human resources professionals and workplace safety officers develop and implement workplace safety policies and ensure that their company's workplace is in compliance with state laws and regulations. The 2008 Edition includes coverage of the following developments and requirements: Emergency response—OSHA's new Hurricane Response and Recovery eMatrix, a Web-based tool to educate employees and employers on how to address the most common and significant hazards they may encounter during hurricane response recovery work. Also a new OSHA Guidance Document to assist workers and employers in determining whether an activity is considered an "emergency response" activity under the agency’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard. Work-related fatalities—new OSHA Guidelines to help reduce motor vehicle crashes involving employees. Roadway accidents remained the leading cause of work-related deaths in 2005, accounting for approximately one in four fatalities, according To The Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS's) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Workplace violence—results of a survey released in October 2006 by the BLS on violence prevention in American workplaces, both public and private. Entitled the 2005 Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention, The survey was conducted by BLS For The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fire safety and workplace smoking—new state laws requiring sale of "fire-safe" cigarettes only. This nation-wide initiative is spearheaded by the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, coordinated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Also coverage of new, stricter workplace smoking laws enacted in several states, including New Jersey, Louisiana, and Colorado.