Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP Blog

Labor Law

Due to over 6 million occupational work related injuries in one year alone, there is a great need for increased regulation. Labor law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. Occupational health and safety issues are most prevalent in blue collar workers; however there has been a rise in white collar worker disputes as well. Labor law is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment. With all of these regulations set in place you would think officials have a good grasp on the matter. However, due to substandard equipment, poor safety procedure, and a lack of proper training, detrimental accidents occur in the workplace are leaving employees injured and out of work.

The reasons for establishing proper occupational health and safety procedures in the work place is obvious, however the following reasons specifically explain why they are of such importance. The legal reason is that OSHA may be enforced in civil and or criminal law. It is fairly well known that without the authority breathing down your neck, many organizations would not act upon their implied moral obligations. The economic reason is that governments realize that poor occupational health and safety procedures end up costing the state through high medical treatments, social security payments, and the loss of employability of the worker. The moral reason is that an employee should not have to risk injury at work, nor should others associated with the work environment.

            When work establishments do not practice these health and safety procedures, they are susceptible to major infringements when these problems occur. Workplace hazards fall into three categories:  physical hazards (slips, falls, and dangerous equipment), physical agents (noise, vibration, heat/cold stress), chemical & biological agents (solvents), and psychosocial issues (work related stress, violence).