Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act prohibits employers from retaliating against employees from exercising rights under the OSH Act. Rights include, but are not limited to: Filing a complaint related to the OSHA ActCommunicating with management about health and safety mattersParticipating in and on-site OSHA inspectionRequesting copies of OSHA required information Prohibited actions include, but are not limited to: FiringDemotingDiscipliningThreateningIntimidatingReducing hours or pay If OSHA finds the employee has been retaliated against in violation of the OSHA Act, The Office of the Solicitor of Labor may seek relief in U.S. District Court. In such ... Continue Reading
Attorneys Karen Karabinos and Sonya Jacobs Present at Google
Attorneys Karen Karabinos and Sonya Jacobs spoke to the women at Google's Atlanta office on finances. Karen and Sonya ensured that the women of Google's Atlanta office are aware of financial planning and the tips and tricks to stay prepared and secure. In the audience for support were attorneys Taylor Poncz and Juliana Neelbauer. At the end of the day, we are all supporting each other. ... Continue Reading
Passing of Jason Prine
It is with heavy hearts that we report the passing of Jason Prine, a partner at Drew Eckl & Farnham and a member of our family. We have suffered a great loss with his untimely passing. Jason was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer earlier this year and passed away peacefully on August 1, 2019 surrounded by love and family in his final days. His passing is a great professional and personal loss for our firm and the Atlanta community and he will be greatly missed by all of us. Jason will be laid to rest on August 7, 11 a.m., at Honey Creek Woodlands memorial nature preserve in Conyers. Following the burial, there will be a celebration of life at at ... Continue Reading
Jack Reale Presenting Champ Bailey into the NFL Hall of Fame
Partner Jack Reale is attending Enshrinement Week in Canton, Ohio as Champ Bailey’s special guest and presenter. Enshrinement Week is the annual celebration where more than 130 Gold Jackets return to the Hall of Fame to interact with fans, attend the Hall of Fame game, attend the Enshrinement Ceremony, and watch a performance featuring Imagine Dragons. Full Schedule of Events About Enshrinement Week ... Continue Reading
What Do You Do When You Discover a Hazard in the Workplace?
You often see PPE thrown at hazards as a solution with a hope that PPE will protect your employees. Did you know that PPE is one of the least effective controls against hazards? The best, and when you think about it, most obvious way to control a hazard is to eliminate the hazard. If you can remove the hazard completely you are preventing potential injury from that hazard. This can also be done by substituting dangerous processes for safer ones. Can you substitute chemicals or sharp objects for less dangerous ones? If you can’t eliminate the hazard, can you institute workplace wide engineering controls that reduce the hazard itself or potential exposure to ... Continue Reading
Drew Eckl & Farnham is Proud to Participate in the WSB Care-a-Thon 2019
This year is the 19th annual Care-a-Thon on Thursday, July 25 - Friday, July 26. Throughout the Care-a-Thon, WSB will feature inspiring stories from Aflac Cancer Center patients, families, and staff. The annual Care-a-Thon has raised more than $22 million for the Aflac Cancer Center. This year is the 19th annual Care-a-Thon on Thursday, July 25 – Friday, July 26. Throughout the Care-a-Thon, WSB will feature inspiring stories from Aflac Cancer Center patients, families, and staff. The annual Care-a-Thon has raised more than $22 million for the Aflac Cancer Center. Drew Eckl & Farnham is proud to support the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of ... Continue Reading
So When OSHA Shows Up What Exactly Happens…What Does an OSHA Inspection Consist Of?
An OSHA on-site inspection consists of four parts. The OSHA inspection will present his/her credentials. The credentials should include a photograph and a serial number. If you are not presented credentials, you can and should request them. Also, an OSHA inspector should not object to you calling the OSHA regional office to confirm credentials and identity. IF anything seems out of the ordinary, call the OSHA office to verify the inspection.The inspector will conduct an opening conference. This will explain why OSHA has chosen the site for inspection, the scope of the inspection, the procedures and areas to be inspected, any employee representation, and ... Continue Reading
DEF Spotlight: 2019 Summer Associate Victoria Olson
Our DEF Spotlight aims at shining a light on the interests, hobbies, and goals of our attorneys. Today, we are featuring one of our 2019 Summer Associates: Victoria Olson.Our DEF Spotlight aims at shining a light on the interests, hobbies, and goals of our attorneys. Today, we are featuring one of our 2019 Summer Associates: Victoria Olson. ... Continue Reading
Partner Jeff Ward Joins the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys
Congratulations to Jeff Ward for being invited to join the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA). Only one defense trial attorney is chosen to be a prime member of ADTA per one million in population for each city, town, or municipality. Jeff’s membership shows that his peers see him as a leader in the trial bar of Southeast Georgia. The Association of Defense Trial Attorneys has two main objectives: to provide an opportunity for the proven successful defense trial attorneys to associate with similarly qualified trial attorneys for professional, social and business purposes, and to identify the successful defense trial attorney for those persons in search of such an attorney. ... Continue Reading
OSHA’s Top Ten Citations
Each year OSHA identifies the standards that lead to the most frequent citations. The last set covers October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018. Each year there are some of the same standards. Four of the latest top ten are directly linked to falls. Fall protection, scaffolding, ladders and Fall protection training. You could address 4 of the 10 most cited standards by training related to working at heights and fall protection. Sounds like a cost effective place to start. If you have already covered those topics, follow the link to OSHA’s top ten list and see what you can address next. Top 10 Citations Mr. Brunetz has experience working as an outside ... Continue Reading