Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:26:47 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Peter Zavon <pzavon**At_Symbol_Here**ROCHESTER.RR.COM>
Subject: Re: Lab Coat Options
Comments: To: lucydillman**At_Symbol_Here**comcast.net
>From: "Lucy Dillman" <lucydillman**At_Symbol_Here**comcast.net>
>Date: February 17, 2010 3:36:09 PM EST
>Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 2 Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coat Options

[snip]
>And I do not think signing a waiver is necessarily appropriate, because I believe you can
>not compel anyone to sign away their right to sue.  You may think someone would take
>responsibility for their own bad and unsafe actions, but when it comes down to an incident
>that results in harm, and there is money involved, don't count on that being the case.


You cannot sign away someone else's right to sue, but waivers of various sorts are common in which, in return for a consideration such as continued employment, an individual signs away a right to sue for a variety of causes.  You can't sign away a right to such things as Worker's Compensation coverage, but getting a company to agree to a variation on policy such as use of lab coats in return for your not suing the company if your not wearing a lab coat damages your $700 suit is quite another matter.

 

Such a waiver will not protect the company if there is an injury as a result of not using proper protective equipment, but it at least puts the employee on notice that they are accepting some form of personal responsibility by that refusal.

 

Peter Zavon, CIH
Penfield, NY

PZAVON**At_Symbol_Here**Rochester.rr.com

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