ABSTRACT
Although the prevention of discrimination in the workplace is usually not within the direct responsibilities of most safety professionals, discrimination in the workplace can be an area in which unknowing safety professionals can “step on their tail” very quickly in their daily activities. The scope of antidiscrimination laws is substantial, encompassing not only federal laws but also state and even local laws and regulations. The purpose of virtually all antidiscrimination laws is to “remove arti™cial, arbitrary and unnecessary barriers when such impediments operate invidiously to discriminate against individuals.”1 The areas covered by the myriad federal, state, and local laws include race, sex, color, creed or religion, national origin, pregnancy, age, disability, equal pay/compensation, retaliation, genetic information, and sexual harassment.
