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April 2011

Apr 01
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THE MANY DANGERS OF CORROSIVE MATERIALS AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

By Workplace Safety

Corrosives are solid or liquid substances that exact extreme caution when handling. They are usually either an acid, such as nitric acid, sulfuric acid, chromic acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, or acetic acid, or a base, such as ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide. Anyone that has ever seen the effects that corrosives have on metal or other strong materials can easily imagine the damage that a corrosive would do to the delicate human skin. Adding to the danger is the fact that corrosives act upon contact, meaning that damage begins the moment that the corrosive or its vapors come into contact with the eyes, mouth, skin, digestive tract, or respiratory tract.

Injuries from coming into contact with corrosive materials might be extensive and, in some cases, irreversible. Keep in mind that the stronger the concentrate of the corrosive material is, the more damage it has the potential of doing. Some of the most common injuries that result from unprotected contact with corrosives are burns to the eyes and skin. The end result might be blindness or severe scarring of the skin tissues. When the vapors from corrosive materials are inhaled, they might cause burning to the respiratory tract, pulmonary edema (the buildup of fluid around the lungs), or even death. Although less common, if ingested, the corrosive might cause extensive burning or perforation in the mouth, esophagus, and stomach.

Aside from the danger of corrosives coming into direct contact with the body, some are combustible or flammable. These substances can very easily explode or catch on fire if not properly stored and handled. One more danger comes from some corrosives being incompatible with other chemicals. When incompatible chemicals are mixed or accidentally come into contact with one another, the result can be a dangerous, sometimes deadly, chemical reaction. Again, the dangers of corrosive materials demand that they be treated with care, respect, and caution. Any worker that handles any corrosive material should always protect themselves:

  • Make sure that corrosives are stored in a safe area. This not only means away from other incompatible substances, but, sometimes even away from other corrosives.
  • The storage area should be secured, cool, and dry.
  • If it’s necessary to transfer corrosive materials between containers, then make sure that the transfer is done with extreme caution and that the appropriate safety steps have been taken.
  • There should be appropriate ventilation anytime a corrosive material is accessed.
  • If it’s necessary to mix corrosive materials with water, then be attentive to avoid overfilling and spillage. It’s always best to add water in minute amounts.
  • Never reuse any container that previously contained a corrosive material.
  • Remember to follow the proper protocol when disposing of unused corrosive materials; these shouldn’t just be poured down a drain.
  • Remember to don appropriate personal protective equipment as per protocol. This might include chemical rubber gloves, apron, goggles, face mask, and/or respiratory equipment.
  • In the event an accident does occur, immediately seek first aid for the injured. The area should be closed off to prevent subsequent injuries and the appropriate chain of command should be notified.

Remember, it’s too late to be cautious once an accident occurs. It only takes one mistake to produce a costly, painful, disfiguring, and potentially deadly injury.

Apr 01
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SEVEN OPTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN COMPOSING A CELL PHONE SAFETY POLICY

By Workplace Safety

mployers with mobile employees should make sure that they are taking a proactive approach to ensuring that these employees are using their cell phones in a safe manner and not putting themselves and bystanders at risk of injury. Any employer with mobile employees should have a cell phone safety policy in place that clearly defines if and how cell phone usage is allowed while driving and what the repercussions for breaking the policy are. To help ensure that the cell phone safety policy is enforceable, reasonably fair, and realistic, employers might seek the input of their mobile employees and management team when creating the policy. Here are seven policy options to consider:

  1. Safety Training For Drivers. Of course, you should ensure that all drivers of company vehicles have a valid driver’s license. Your policy should also definitely require that any mobile employee using a company vehicle complete a driver safety and defensive driving course before being handed the keys to a company vehicle. These safety courses often include demonstrations related to driver distraction from cell phone usage. This can be a real eye-opener for drivers that might have never seen the devastation caused by vehicle crashes firsthand. (…continued) 5 5 5 5 5 5 (…continued from previous page)
  2. Post Warnings in All Company Vehicles. A concise notice should be posted in all company vehicles. The notice should clearly state that cell phones shouldn’t be used while driving and that if the phone call is an emergency, then the operator should let a passenger make the call or pull over before using the cell phone.
  3. Hands-Free Device Option. If feasible, your policy might be that mobile employees can only use hands-free devices when driving. While providing your mobile employees with a hands-free device isn’t going to ensure that the worker isn’t distracted by a phone conversation, hands-free devices have been shown to reduce distraction.
  4. Answering Services or Call Forwarding Options. It might be hard for mobile workers and those trying to contact them to adjust to an answering service or call forwarding option, especially if workers have previously been allowed to make calls or answer their phone while driving, but the convenience of immediately answering or making a phone call during driving activities simply isn’t worth the risk and liability. After the mobile worker arrives at their destination, then they can check their messages and make appropriate return phone calls.
  5. Turn the Cell Phone Off. Your cell phone safety policy could include the mobile employee shutting the cell phone off while he/she is driving the company vehicle. The employee can turn their cell phone on to make needed calls or check their answering or call waiting service once they’ve arrived at their destination. If turning the cell phone off is part of your cell phone safety policy as a method to reduce driver distraction, then the policy should also include any passengers turning their cell phones off as well.
  6. Let Employees Take Responsibility. Most employees aren’t going to adhere to a policy that’s all talk and no action. The cell phone safety policy might also include making employees take responsibility for any fines or additional vehicle operation costs incurred from traffic violations related to illegal cell phone usage. The policy might also state a more harsh disciplinary measure for workers that acquire a certain amount of traffic violations.
  7. Banning Cell Phones from Company Vehicles. Before making a total cell phone ban part of a cell phone safety policy, employers should understand that this could leave the employee unable to contact emergency services in the event of an accident or emergency. So, completely banning the use of company or personal cell phones during driving should only be considered after careful thought and as a last resort. It might be necessary if mobile employees continually ignore the above policy options or have repetitive cell phone traffic infractions.
Apr 01
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THE ECONOMIC COSTS OF OBESITY CONTINUE TO RISE

By Employment Resources

The total annual economic cost of overweight and obesity in the United States and Canada, in medical, excess mortality and disability costs, has reached $300 billion, according to a report from the Society of Actuaries (SOA). The SOA reviewed 500 separate research articles published over the last three decades on the topics of obesity and overweight, and their connection to various health conditions. Medical conditions with a statistically significant relationship to obesity and overweight include cardiovascular impairments, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, kidney disease, osteoarthritis and sleep apnea.

Looking at the U.S. alone and based on BMI (body mass index) measurements, just over a third of the adult population is considered overweight and nearly another third is considered obese. These figures, overall, represent an increase of about 50% from the early 1960s in the number of Americans who are overweight or obese. As to the impact of overweight and obesity on U.S. businesses, the following data emerged:

  • At least 43% of all health care spending by U.S. businesses is associated with obesity. The impact varies considerably by disease, with obesity driving health care spending for diabetes the most.
  • Annual workers’ compensation claims costs for overweight employees are 80% higher than for employees with a BMI in the normal range. This increase jumps to 161% for obese employees, and continues to rise with BMI.
  • Several studies looked at health care expenditures based on BMI. Not surprisingly, in all cases annual per person health care expenditures rose along with the BMI measurement. One of the studies, which examined data from 1989 to 2002, estimated annual additional medical costs of $1,458 for obese women and $406 for obese men.
  • Overweight and obesity increase disability rates, as well as the time needed to recover from disabling medical conditions.
  • The total cost attributable to lost productivity from excess death and disability and work-related injuries as a result of overweight and obesity is approximately $177 billion annually in the U.S.

Statistics such as these strengthen the case for making efforts in the workplace to enable and motivate employees to get and stay fit. Such efforts don’t necessarily have a big price tag. Fortunately, there are many inexpensive ways to buck national obesity trends in your workplace.

  • Encourage employees to choose the stairs instead of the elevator by making stairwells attractive or using them as a place to post employee photos, brief interesting news articles, or funny anecdotes and comics.
  • Hold daily afternoon work breaks, and play 10 minutes of dance music with someone leading the moves, followed by a piece of fruit for everyone.
  • Install bike racks in preferred parking positions or permit employees to store their bikes inside the building during the workday.
  • Stock vending machines with water and healthy snacks.
  • Sponsor a company softball, bowling or soccer team.
  • Organize employees to participate as a group in fundraising walks or runs that take place in your community.
  • Check with local gyms or fitness facilities for the availability of group discounts for your employees.
  • Become an active partner with your health benefits carrier in promoting to employees any wellness, nutrition and/or fitness programs and information that is provided by or covered under your company’s health care plan.

In addition to the potential of improved employee health, a side benefit of many of these ideas is that they can generate employee team building and goodwill. And, happier employees are likely to be healthier, too.

Apr 01
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SIMPLE TECHNIQUES TO DECREASE MEDICAL CLAIM PROBLEMS

By Employment Resources

If your benefit department is frequently tied down responding to medical claim complaints from your company’s health plan members, it can be a huge burden for the department to handle and create widespread dissatisfaction. Many medical claim issues tying up the system are the result of poor communication and poor information. There are a few simple methods that can be put into place to simultaneously relieve the burden on your benefit department and decrease confusion and increase satisfaction among plan members and providers.

Benefit Orientation for Members. Some people may retain information from just reading it, but many of us retain information better if more than one sense is used during the learning process. This means not only reading a pamphlet, but seeing and hearing the information too. Another problem with retaining information is that people tend to pay less attention to that which isn’t immediately relevant or useful to them. The result is that members don’t absorb what they view as irrelevant and often don’t remember the new rules when an unexpected benefit issue arises in the future. One way that you can get around these two problems is by presenting scenarios during your orientation sessions. For example, new benefit rules could be presented by the group leader using fictional examples of applicable situations. This element of presentation can make participants more at ease to ask questions, better help them relate the information to their own lives, and retain the information for future use.

Benefit Orientation for Providers. Although orientation sessions for health care providers aren’t very feasible in highly urban areas, it can be workable in smaller communities. You might invite local hospital billing and admitting personnel and a local doctor or clinic’s office personnel to an insurer orientation session. Affording provider personnel this opportunity to hear new plan rules and ask questions can help them smoothly integrate the new plan rules into their office procedures and distinguish your particular health plan rules from the countless others they see.

Choose a Health Plan with an Interactive Website. Many medical claim problems are the direct result of a hospital admission office or doctor office not being able to check the specific rules of a company’s health plan or verify a member’s eligibility. The connectivity of a health plan with an interactive website can solve many medical claim problems by allowing providers to determine rules, note policy benefit changes, and determine eligibility with a simple click.

Review Medical Claim Problems and Issues with the Insurer. Direct your HR personnel to keep a running log of all medical claim complaints and their status. Problems that are persistent should be sent to the insurer with a request for resolution. This makes your HR personnel the intermediary contact for medical claim problems and the insurer responsible for follow up and apprising you of any resolution results. The time it takes to resolve the issue, number of complaints, types of complaints, and other data collected during the process can be excellent evaluative tools. Do keep in mind that HIPPA privacy rules must be complied with any time your personnel works with health information. So, if you use a third party insurance broker to communicate with the insurer, then you must have an agreement with the broker that confidential health information will be handled in a HIPAA compliant manner.

Playing the Advocate. Your HR personnel will always be the member advocate with the health insurer and play a middleman or referee role between the two. That said, the clarity and increased satisfaction brought from initiating the above techniques should cut down on the frequency with which this role must be played.

Apr 01
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STUDY REVEALS GROUPS MORE INCLINED TO SEEK HEALTHCARE INFORMATION AND THEIR MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS

By Employment Resources

According to research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), a non-profit organization that conducts research and assembles and disseminates information related to employee benefits, those most likely to seek information on American health care costs, accessibility, and quality to make an informed decision are young people, those that experience an increase in cost sharing or premiums, and females. The research also found that individuals with a higher educational level were those most likely to research information. The analysis was based on the EBRI/MGA 2010 Health Confidence Survey. Those participating in the EBRI/MGA 2010 Health Confidence Survey were asked if they had tried to find any objective information within the last two years on any of following subjects:

  • If and how many disciplinary actions were taken against a particular hospital or physician.
  • The disadvantages and advantages of various treatments.
  • The cost of various treatments.
  • The cost associated with various hospitals and physicians.
  • The experience, training, and certification of a particular physician.
  • Statistics on procedures performed at a particular hospital, such as the number performed and rate of success.

Related to the above questions, the study found the following key points:

  • Fourteen percent reported that they had sought information on how many disciplinary actions had been taken against a hospital or physician.
  • Twenty-four percent attempted to look at the costs associated with various hospitals and physicians.
  • Twenty-eight percent attempted to find the complete costs of various treatments.
  • Forty-five percent of Americans reported trying to obtain health information related to the disadvantages and advantages of various treatments.

The author of the study pointed out that many companies have shifted the costs of health care toward their employees, which has resulted in many individuals searching for ways to simultaneously control their costs and improve the quality of the care they receive. Such individuals are researching information that will help them to make beneficial and educated decisions.

Related to the motivators behind information seeking, the study found some interesting points on cost-shifting, health status, demographics, and health coverage:

Cost-shifting. Respondents that had experienced cost sharing increases or premium increases were more likely than those not experiencing such to seek information on their doctor’s credentials, the disadvantages and advantages of various treatments, provider costs, and treatment costs.

Health status. The individuals that considered themselves in poor to fair health were more likely to make informational searches on how many given procedures a hospital has performed and what the hospital’s success rate is on the procedure. Of the respondents reporting a worsening health status over the previous five years, 52% said they attempted to gather information on the disadvantages and advantages of various treatment options.

Demographics. Individuals older than 65-years-old were less likely than those under 45-years-old to make attempts to find information on the cost associated with various hospitals, physicians, and treatments; the disadvantages and advantages of various treatment options; and if and how many disciplinary actions have been taken against a hospital or physician. Additionally, when compared to white individuals, there were indicators that low-income individuals and minorities may be more likely to search for cost-related information.

Health coverage. Respondents with health coverage were less likely than the uninsured respondents to do information searches on the cost of treatment and providers costs. Respondents unsatisfied with their existing health plan were more apt than those very/extremely satisfied with their existing health plan to seek information on provider costs, treatment costs, and the disadvantages and advantages of various treatments.

In closing, benefit plan sponsors can use information like the above to better understand and connect with their workers.

Apr 01
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TAKE ACTION ON EMERGENCY ACTION

By Risk Management Bulletin

You never know when a workplace emergency will strike. Be prepared with an effective Emergency Action Plan (EAP).

Well-developed emergency action plans, and proper training so that workers understand their roles and responsibilities under the plan will reduce the number and extent of injuries, not to mention structural damage to the workplace. On the other hand, a poorly prepared plan and lack of training will probably result in a disorganized response, leading confusion, injury, and property damage.

Your EAP should include:

  • Means of reporting fires and other emergencies.
  • Emergency procedures and escape route assignments.
  • Procedures by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate.
  • Procedures to account for all employees after the evacuation have been completed.
  • Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to perform them.
  • Names or job titles of persons to contact for further information or explanation of duties under the plan.
  • A description of the alarm system to notify employees (including disabled employees) to evacuate and/or take other actions. The alarms used for different actions should be distinctive and might include horn blasts, sirens, or even public address systems.
  • The site of an alternative communications center in the event of a fire or explosion.
  • A secure on- or off-site location to store originals or duplicate copies of accounting records, legal documents, your employees’ emergency contact lists, and other essential records.

Putting together a comprehensive emergency action plan that deals with emergency issues for your worksite involves three steps: (1) Determining the types of emergencies that could occur in your workplace, including fires, weather emergencies, medical emergencies, workplace violence, etc.; (2) doing a workplace evaluation that describes how you expect employees to respond to each type of emergency; (3) taking into account your specific worksite layout, structural features, and emergency systems.

Be sure to include a diverse group of representatives (from both management and rank-and-file employees) in the planning process. Planners should meet frequently to review progress and allocate development tasks. The commitment and support of all employees will play a critical role the plan’s success after an emergency. So be sure to ask for their help in establishing and implementing your EAP.

For more information in creating an effective plan, please feel free to contact our risk management professionals.

Apr 01
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SIX STEPS TO A SAFER WORKPLACE

By Risk Management Bulletin

The risk management firm PMA Companies recently released a report, Six Steps to a Safer Workforce: Building Accountability as an Essential Element for Injury Prevention in the Healthcare Industry. According to the report, a safety program that includes top-management commitment, as well as accountability for safety at every level of the business, will help optimize productivity, keep employees safe and healthy, and reduce costs

Although PMA wrote the report for healthcare firms, these guidelines apply to any industry and any workplace.

  1. Create a safety environment that begins with top management and focuses on actions.
  2. Demonstrate your commitment. Implement a zero-tolerance policy for violations, as well as a strong safety program led by mid-level supervisors. Create a system of accountability for safety that includes effective documentation, thorough training and communication, and follow-through on safety rules Make sure that all parties involved hold each other accountable. Accountability goes beyond performing the tasks assigned to given roles, and involves ensuring that everyone performs their roles safely. This approach will make employees and managers more vigilant in seeking opportunities to improve processes that increase safety.
  3. Focus on unit leaders. Your program should include buy-in and participation by mid-level managers and supervisors, who are largely responsible maintaining a culture of safety in the workplace. Address not only unsafe employee behavior, but also the consequences failures by managers and supervisors to enforce policies
  4. Give managers authority to take actions to improve safety, whether that involves using safer materials or equipment or changing work practices or schedules.
  5. Measure safety. Use reliable loss trend data to set unit-based safety goals.
  6. Encourage safety-minded decisions. To integrate effective decision-making into the regular performance of employees, train them to identify the safest solution and hold them accountable for doing so asks.

The report concludes by saying: “The benefits of greater employee safety can be profound. Studies show that employee satisfaction increases and employee turnover decreases when organizations are committed to providing a safe work environment.” Amen.

Apr 01
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JUMP INTO SPRING CLEANING

By Risk Management Bulletin

March 20 was the first day of spring – which makes this a good time to think about some “spring cleaning” around your workplace.

A thorough cleaning can enhance safety by eliminating hazards. Why not welcome in the spring by taking a careful look at some occasional and infrequent housekeeping tasks?

For example, clutter builds up in most work areas, creating such hazards as fire, tripping and blocked exits. Spring cleaning is the perfect time to dispose of:

  • Trash. Got a pile of broken pallets on the loading dock? Dumped a lot of construction debris on the back lot? Remove anything not in use that has piled up from the site.
  • Equipment. That frayed sling or wobbly ladder might be out of service, but if it’s not easy to repair, why is it still there?, even if it has a “do not use” tag on it, someone in a hurry or not paying close attention might use it anyway — and regret it afterward.
  • Chemicals. Old or unused chemicals create unnecessary workplace hazards. They might be flammable or toxic. What’s more, many chemicals that aren’t dangerous when purchased can become so as they deteriorate over time. Dispose of chemicals that are no longer in use, have passed their use-by dates, or have missing or illegible labels.

Clean and Repair

Besides clearing out the clutter, your spring cleaning can address infrequent needs that will boost worker safety and health. For example, maybe it’s time to clean and/or service:

  • Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. A health hazard evaluation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that properly maintained HVAC systems were associated with a decreased incidence of lower respiratory symptoms, allergies, and asthma among building occupants. Proper maintenance controls mold, bacteria, allergens, and other contaminants within the system.
  • Signs and labels. Signs and labels are important for workplace safety, warning workers of low clearances, identifying machinery controls and power sources, showing workers which direction materials in pipes are flowing, and much, much more. However, they also take a lot of abuse. Replace damaged signs and illegible labels, clean signs that have become too grimy to read, and re-hang signs that have been knocked askew.
  • Offices. University of Arizona researchers found that office phones, computer keyboards and mice, and desktops harbor 400 times more infectious bacteria than office toilet seats. Yet in most offices, vacuuming and emptying the trash are the only regular cleaning performed. Encourage workers to take disinfecting wipes to office surfaces — not just once a year, but daily if possible — to reduce infectious illness transmission in the workplace. Also, have your cleaning crew do an extra thorough job from time to time.

Remember, the cleaner your workplace, the safer your workers. Our risk management professionals would be happy to offer you guidelines on spring cleaning – just give us a call.

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