Essential Safety Matters for HR: Working Together to Keep Employees Safe and the Company Litigation

Both HR and safety managers have a responsibility to work together to keep employees safe. There is also a responsibility to do so while complying with various, often conflicting legal and regulatory requirements such as those governed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and workers' compensation requirements.

Similarly, failure to understand OSHA's emphasis on whistleblower and retaliation claims, as it applies to safety-related discipline and incentive plans, can create an expensive trap for the unwary. When an employee is evaluated for fitness-for-duty, sustains an on-the-job injury, or requests injury-related leave or modified duty, HR and safety managers must carefully coordinate their actions. When collaboration doesn't exist, regulatory actions and litigation can result, costing the company time, money and harm to its reputation.