Watts, others critical of new advisory on working from home

Wednesday, January 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma congressman J-C Watts is among the group who aren't happy about a new federal advisory that makes employers responsible for ensuring home work sites meet safety and health standards. Watts says it's another example of big government's continual intrusion with regulations that are senseless and unenforceable.

Officials of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration say they don't intend to conduct inspections at private homes as they do at employer work sites. And they aren't requiring employers to routinely inspect the home work sites of their employees. But the advisory holds employers responsible for illnesses or injuries that occur in the home workplace.

Joyce Chambless is human resources director for the Oklahoma-City-based Benham Companies. Chambless says the government is going to eliminate the opportunity employees have to work from home because of the liability exposure to the employer.