The EU has developed the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive 2002/95/EC. This is only a directive (effective July 1, 2006) and member nations are to enact their own legislations based on its guidelines. The Chinese Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products (popularly known as China

The RoHs directive restricts the use of lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), hexavalent chromium (Hex-Cr), poly-brominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) to maximum 1000 parts per million and cadmium to 100 ppm. The restrictions are on a homogeneous material basis, which means that they apply to any single substance that could (theor

The objective of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC is to minimize the environmental impact of electronic waste. The WEEE directive protects landfills and regulates the disposal of discarded or end-of-life electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) also known as e-waste. The related RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC str

If you are running a home business you know that there is so much more to being successful than simply hanging out a shingle advertising your availability. After all, you know that there are stringent rules and regulations with respect to the formation of a business and you do know that failure to follow these legal guidelines could result in probl

One of the occupational hazards of living in the modern industrial age is noise exposure, both in and away from the workplace. Acoustic noise can be defined as unwanted sound and sounds louder than 80 decibels (dB) are considered potentially dangerous. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), more t

The US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 5,702 workplace related fatalities (around 4 deaths per 100,000 workers) and approximately 4.2 million incidents of workplace related non-fatal injuries and illnesses. This demonstrates the continuing need for OSHA programs and initiatives to ensure safety and health in the workplace.

The primary responsibility of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to develop and enforce health and safety standards that protect workers in the workplace. It has mandatory power to audit organizations for compliance of health and safety standards. OSHA conducts workplace inspections to make certain that employers are comply

Directive 2002/95/EC, effective July 1, 2006, is not an EU law. Individual member states are to have their own regulations in line with the directive. The resultant variations from state to state, (including differences in verification and penalty clauses), pose difficulties for suppliers of electrical and electronic goods in developing compliance

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Union aims at minimization of the impact of e-waste (discarded or end-of-life electrical or electronic equipment [EEE]), on the environment by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of WEEE going to landfills. It is closely linked to the Restr

Attention small business owners. Recently, Immigration has dramatically increased workplace enforcement of Immigration law, after the failure of Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The latest tool that they are using is working together with the Social Security Administration to ferret out unauthorized aliens in the work place. F

Highly hazardous materials, widely used in modern industry, are an ever present source of potential danger during transportation, storage and use. A number of government departments and agencies such as the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Occupation

It's hard to see why would want to be chief executive of Horn Nut Inc., retailer of vitamins and health food with problems galore. Since the death last September of founder David B. Shakarian, nutrition search in the company has been consumed by a power struggle between his son-in-law, David Lucas, and his handpicked successor as chief executive, G

Antitrust policies are laws that prohibit anticompetitive tactics in corporate America. In fact, other countries call such policies competition laws. Pro-competitive legislation outlaws business practices considered harmful to consumers and other businesses or which violate ethical standards. Violators are meted out a full range of penalties, fr

Collectors have to study and pass tests with their companies in many cases before they become collectors. They know the laws that they legally must adhere to as collectors and they can actually be fined for breaking the law. But they don't always follow it. Some companies and individual collectors obey the law and some don't. By law they are req

Attention California Employers: On January 1, 2008, the Minimum Wage rises to $8 per hour from $7.50. So, you will need to make appropriate adjustments to your payroll systems. Further, many employers also are raising their employee's wages that are above the minimum wage in order to retain them. Other big changes effecting California Employers