In an effort to address urgent safety and health problems in the workplace, OSHA has implemented a new Severe Violator Enforcement Program and significantly increased penalty amounts. According to an OSHA news release, every day, about 14 Americans fail to come home from work to their families. Tens of thousands die from workplace disease and more than 4.6 million workers are seriously injured on the job annually. The purpose is to target recalcitrant employers who choose to ignore the laws or bypass needed health and safety programs to reduce hazards. Part of SVEP is a drastic increase in penalty rates based on results from a work group study. The penalty amounts have only increased once in 40 years. The Protecting America’s Workers Act raises penalties for first time offenders to $12,000 and $250,000 for repeat or willful violations. Other possible actions are being considered for OSH Act violations. For more information on SVEP: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/osha/osha20100538.htm

For the study group and Protecting America’s Workers Act: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=TESTIMONIES&p_id=1062

Remember, OSHA Standards are minimum requirements for safety and health. A comprehensive system approach, that begins with management commitment and involvement, and employee ownership and involvement, as the key underpinnings, is essential for socially responsible companies wanting to provide the absolute best for their employees.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) created a grant program to assist small businesses to provide comprehensive workplace wellness programs. Grants will be awarded to eligible employers to provide their employees with access to new workplace wellness initiatives. The grants will be awarded beginning in 2011 with $200 million appropriated for a five-year period. An eligible employer is an employer that:

• Employs fewer than 100 employees who work 25 hours or more per week, and
• Did not have a workplace wellness program as of March 23, 2010 (date of PPACA's enactment).

The PPACA requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop program criteria that are based on research and best practices. A comprehensive workplace wellness program must be made available to all employees and include:

- Health awareness initiatives (including health education, preventive screenings, and health risk assessments)
- Efforts to maximize employee engagement (including mechanisms to encourage employee participation)
- Initiatives to change unhealthy behaviors and lifestyle choices (including counseling, seminars, online programs, and self-help materials)
- Supportive environment efforts (including workplace policies to encourage healthy lifestyles, healthy eating, increased physical activity, and improved mental health.

PPAC also includes a provision that allows employers more flexibility in setting health plan premiums based on employees meeting identified health standards. Speculation is that participation will increase and this mechanism will fully fund the comprehensive health promotion program at no cost to employers or employees. The provision is based on Safeway’s program and has been endorsed by the Health Promotion Advocates Group. Safeway criteria for lower insurance premiums are tobacco free, body mass index <30 and biometrics in the normal ranges. Discounts are given for each criteria and employees participating in a behavior change program are also eligible for discounts. For more information refer to: http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc-sen_health_care_bill.cfm We encourage a broader, more holistic approach for helping employees adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.

A recent article in the Lancet that summarized analysis of mortality rates for adults ages 15 – 59 in 187 countries indicated that the U.S. had fallen even farther behind other countries in reducing death rates. We are now behind all of Western Europe, Chile, Costa Rica, Albania, and Canada, despite the fact that our income is higher than many of these countries and our health care spending is far higher than all of the countries. Canada has similar standards to the United States and yet Canadians are healthier and live longer than Americans. The disparity is due to lack of or inadequate access to health care and poverty in the U.S., as well as lower emphasis on prevention. It’s time to take a broader approach to health and disease prevention, by addressing societal, organizational and individual issues -- not just solely focusing on individual behavior change.

Radon is an invisible, odorless gas found in soil and water that seeps into houses. Approximately 1 in 15 homes has elevated levels.The cancer risks have been proven and it is estimated that radon kills approximately 20,000 Americans annually. A Panel studying the issue outlined several recommendations to reduce radon exposure in the U.S., including lowering the EPA action level, requiring radon-resistant techniques in new home construction, more research for improved accuracy and reliability in radon testing methods, and mandatory testing and disclosure of radon levels in schools, daycare, and workplaces. It is beneficial to let employees know that there is an inexpensive, easy to use kit to measure levels available at hardware stores. For more information visit: www.epa.gov/radon or call 866-733-GREEN for a free guide.

• Dimensions Update
• Severe Violator Enforcement Program Now in Effect
• Healthcare Reform Update: Grants for Workplace Wellness Programs
• Health in the US Continues to Slide
• Testing for Radon