Insights
New Maryland Legislation
September 2000
In the most recent legislative session, there were three bills approved by the Maryland Legislature that make important changes in the Maryland Workers' Compensation Act. Benefits for Permanent Partial Disability - Repeal of Sunset Provisions House Bill 182 / Senate Bill 117 repeals the termination date for specified changes to the workers' compensation benefit structure for permanent partial disability that exempt the loss of the…
Passenger Ship Convention Sidetracked/Bunker Pollution Convention Prioritized
August 2000
In the last issue of The Quartermaster we mentioned that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Legal Committee was scheduled to meet in October of this year and would attempt to implement a Draft Protocol amending the 1974 Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea. Leading up to that meeting the Draft Protocol was nearly complete and it appeared that…
New Funding To Be Made Available For U.S. Flag Vessel Construction
July 2000
Early in November, 1999, Representatives McCrery (R-La.) and Jefferson (D-La) in the House joined Sen. John Breaux (D-La) to sponsor new legislation that would change U.S. tax laws to liberalize the use of the Capital Construction Fund by U.S. flag operators not only to fund new ship construction in U.S. shipyards, but also to lease vessels and acquire related equipment. The Fund allows carriers to…
New Federal OSHA Standards Could Impact Occupational Disease Claims
July 2000
The Federal Government's Occupational Safety & Health Administration ("OSHA") issued proposed regulations in November of 1999 dealing with alleged repetitive motion disorders and ergonomics. If adopted, these regulations would require many employers to establish comprehensive plans geared toward ending what OSHA refers to as work-related "musculoskeletal disorders" ("MSD").
New Funding Source Proposed For Dredging
June 2000
Ever since the Supreme Court held that the Harbor Maintenance Tax on exports to be unconstitutional in United States v. United States Shoe Corporation, ___ U.S. ___, 118 S.Ct. 1290, 140 L.Ed2d 453 (1998), Congress has grappled with finding an alternative means to fund maintenance dredging of the nation's harbors. In the last Congress, a bill was introduced to provide for a Harbor Services Fee,…
Preparing a Workplace Violence Prevention Program
June 2000 | By Donald F. Burke
Recent shootings in Georgia (9 killed in July), Alabama (3 killed in August) and Hawaii (7 killed in November) are a chilling reminder of the vulnerability of America's workplace. These are the high profile cases which make the nightly news. The sobering truth is that in the United States, homicide is the second leading cause of death in the workplace. For women, it is the…