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Monthly Archives

February 2012

Feb 01
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REDUCING WORKPLACE AUTO ACCIDENT RISKS

By Workplace Safety

The main cause of on-the-job fatalities is automobile accidents. One of the best ways to reduce the amount of deaths and injuries from traffic accidents is to implement effective risk management strategies. These strategies are also useful for lowering the possibility of liability lawsuits that come as a result of accidents in which employees are involved.

There are several ways to lower the risk of auto accidents on the job. One way to lower risks is to require motor vehicle record checks. It’s best to obtain motor vehicle records of all employees. Be sure to collect records from states of previous residence or work. One step every employer knows is essential is prohibiting the use of alcohol and certain nonprescription drugs while on the job. It’s important to enforce these rules strictly. In the case of substance abuse or intoxication being present and proven, it’s important to deal with the issue with a safety-oriented procedure.

Although seat belts are required by law, many drivers still do not wear them. Every employer should enforce strict seat belt policies for drivers and passengers. Another way to lower risks of auto accidents on the job is to prohibit the use of cell phones while driving. Employees who are allowed to leave their phones on or need them for business should be taught to pull over and stop before talking on a cell phone. Some employees might need to modify dangerous behaviors before taking the wheel. It’s important for employers to be able to identify hostile or aggressive behavior. Employees with these traits create a risk for accidents on the road. Using proper security measures to prevent vandalism and theft of vehicles while stored on company property is also important.

Drivers should be required to report all off-duty accidents immediately. It’s important to have a specific procedure to follow after an accident occurs. Employers should investigate each accident, determine the cause and utilize the results as a training opportunity for their employees. Use of vehicles for non-business purposes should be restricted or prohibited. Employers should review the motor vehicle records of each employee at least once annually. It’s important to create a program for safe driving that includes speed awareness, speed control, safe following distance and the right techniques for using the brakes. Employers should also inspect and maintain vehicles regularly to ensure that they’re safe. Drivers or employees who demonstrate responsible driving and avoid accidents should be rewarded. Providing rewards gives employees more motivation to drive safely. Work schedules should be created in a way that discourages speeding. The schedule shouldn’t be so tight that it makes drivers feel the need to speed or practice other bad driving habits.

Feb 01
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PREVENTING VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE

By Workplace Safety

Workplace violence refers to any act of intimidation, harassment, or physical violence that occurs in the workplace, and may also refer to a threat of physical violence or harassment. The perpetrator of workplace violence can be an employee, contractor, customer, or visitor. Because workplace violence can disrupt the operations of your business and cause trauma to customers and employees, it is essential that you take steps to prevent it from occurring. Although there is no perfect method for predicting workplace violence, there are often warning signs. To prevent workplace violence, you must watch for potential problems and know how to deal with them.

One of the best ways to prevent workplace violence is to screen potential employees prior to hiring them. Through the use of interview questions, drug testing, and thorough background checks, you can estimate the risk of future violence associated with each potential employee. If a potential employee’s drug test or background information indicates that the employee might cause problems in the workplace, you can choose to hire someone else instead.

Another good way to prevent workplace violence is to educate current employees about their responsibilities. Inform employees that they must treat coworkers, supervisors, customers, and visitors with respect and dignity. If any violent or potentially violent situation does occur, employees must report the problem to management immediately, even if the problem doesn’t involve them directly. Employees must also take all threats of violence seriously and avoid confrontation with threatening individuals.

Even with the best pre-employment screening and employee training programs, violence perpetrated by visitors and customers might still occur. To prevent this type of violence, you must develop a high quality security system for each of your buildings. For areas that aren’t open to the public, consider implementing a security guard service, installing coded key card readers, and issuing photo identification cards to all employees. In areas accessible to the public, consider installing security cameras or stationing a security guard in the building.

No matter how great your prevention methods are, there is still potential for the development of a threatening situation. All employees and supervisors should know how to recognize and deal with any problem that occurs. Indicators of impending workplace violence include aggressive behavior, belligerence, bullying, harassment, and intimidation. Individuals who have multiple conflicts with coworkers, supervisors, or customers might also pose a risk of workplace violence. Finally, an individual who brings weapons into the workplace, shows evidence of substance abuse, or makes statements that indicate desperation over personal problems might become involved in workplace violence.

If an employee notices indications of possible workplace violence from a customer, co-worker, or subordinate, he should notify his supervisor immediately. If an employee notices indications of violence from his supervisor, he should notify the supervisor’s manager. The supervisor or manager informed of the situation must be careful to take it seriously but not overreact.

If a violent incident does occur, an appropriate response from management is essential. Be sure to offer support to the victim of the violence and administer the proper consequences to the perpetrator. If the violent incident is traumatic to the victim, counseling might be necessary.

Feb 01
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MANAGEMENT TOOLS: THE ADVANTAGES OF OSHA

By Workplace Safety

Business owners swap horror stories about many government agencies, unreasonable regulations and the high cost of compliance. Certainly the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been viewed as a tough taskmaster. Worker safety, however, is serious business; and OSHA offers valuable services to small businesses.

Workplace safety benefits your bottom line as well as the health of your employees. OSHA offers many services to small businesses including reactive management services, proactive services, and training and educational services. Just like your employees, these services must be properly managed for your profit.

Reactive services. Please consider proactive management before you need these services. Reactive services reduce penalties and aid in achieving compliance. Once a business is fined for safety and/or health violations, unsafe work practices, or failure to provide or use safety equipment or personal protection gear, small businesses can apply for a penalty reduction simply based on the business size.

OSHA does not want to shut down any business, but especially not small and family businesses. Through a simple application, management can request a reduced penalty which scales the intervention to an appropriate level of pain.

Proactive services. Safety requires accurate communication. OSHA offers the help of Hispanic/English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) coordinators who assist you in delivering information meaningfully. For more traditional help on a company level, OSHA provides an on-site consultation program free. An administrative inspector, not a compliance inspector, suggests equipment, personal protection and safety procedures for your individual firm.

OSHA maintains a network of Compliance Assistance Specialists (CAS) who consult with management in matters of compliance, regulations, and general worker well-being. The CAS also directly educate employees through training seminars or safety meetings.

For industry groups, OSHA’s Cooperative Programs coordinate feedback from labor, business owners, and other interested stakeholders. The cooperative programs’ goal involves prevention of fatalities, injuries and negative health issues within an industry group.

These groups are particularly valuable to new businesses because the lessons learned by others make for inexpensive education and help design work procedures from the beginning correctly (Find a Cooperative Program).

Training and education. Online resources, such as new business quick start compliance manuals, are available through the OSHA website (OSHA’s Compliance Assistance Quick Start). Some very interesting interactive electronic tools can be used online. Two particularly useful examples are the cost of injury calculator (OSHA’s $afety Pays Program) and the most frequently cited compliance issues sites (Frequently Cited OSHA Standards). These two tools relate real injury costs and highest priority compliance issues to management. OSHA offers publications specific to industries or topics online (specific topics for small businesses).

Take home messages. Manage employee safety risks proactively. Use OSHA resources to learn about industry issues and safety tips. Specialty services such as ESL are available.

Know the value of a safe work place, and make the proper investment in worker safety.

Feb 01
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SAVE TAX FREE FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE MEDICAL EXPENSES WITH A HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT

By Employment Resources

You might have already noticed or heard of the Health Savings Account (HSA) deduction on your income tax forms. Up to $6,150 (families) or $3,050 (individuals) of your HSA contributions are tax-deductible. This isn’t only a tax advantage; it ultimately means more affordable health coverage for you or your family. So, it might be very beneficial for you to become familiar with HSAs.

HSAs marry high-deductible, lower premium health insurance plans with tax-advantaged savings accounts. Although you’ll pay significantly less in premiums for HSA qualified plans than other more traditional health insurance plans due to the high-deductible aspect, it’s still quality coverage. Even areas like preventive care are included.

The money that you’d have otherwise spent on more expensive coverage options can be deposited into an HSA, and it would then be free to grow from a tax-deferred position. So long as you use your HSA dollars for qualified medical expenses, you’d also be able to make untaxed withdrawals. Areas like your health plan deductible and uncovered dental and vision care are just a few examples of qualified medical expenses. Any leftover funds in the HSA at the end of the year will roll over to the next year. Keep in mind that you, not your bank or insurance company, own the account and its funds. This means that you’re the one deciding when to save and when you need to spend.

You might have heard that the new health care laws recently changed some aspects of HSAs. However, the three-pronged tax advantage remains the same – HSA deposits are still tax-deductible, interest can still grow in a tax-deferred state, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses aren’t subject to taxation.

In addition to the above, those 65-years-old and up will not suffer a penalty for using HSA dollars for non-medical expenses so long as they pay regular income taxes. For those at least 55-years-old and not yet eligible for Medicare, you’ll have an even greater tax advantage from being able to make an additional $1,000 annual HSA contribution. Also, any HSA owner can make a transfer from their IRA, but this can not exceed the annual contribution limit and is limited to a one-time transfer.

It’s often later in life when medical needs become the greatest and most costly. Most HSA providers will offer several different investment options, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, that will help you to build an even greater medical nest egg for your future medical needs.

In summary, it’s all of the combined features and advantages that make HSAs a financially appealing option for many individuals and families. After all, who wouldn’t want to build their savings for current and future medical expenses from a position that’s so tax advantageous?

Feb 01
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TELEMEDICINE BENEFITS EMPLOYERS & EMPLOYEES

By Employment Resources

Many organizations are searching for ways to reduce costs and increase profits when it comes to health care expenses. This is especially true if they’re self-funded expenses. One of the best ways to reduce the amount employees must pay is to utilize options that will lower the need to visit a primary care physician for simple issues. Telemedicine makes it easier for employees to skip spending large amounts of money on office visits for colds, sore throats, flu symptoms or other minor but irritating medical issues. However, telemedicine doesn’t mean ignoring the need to see a primary physician for more serious matters.

If a person needs a simple non-narcotic prescription for a simple diagnosis, a quick phone call to a physician is the easiest solution. One of the biggest advantages of the phone call is that it’s free to both the employer and employee. In addition to both parties saving money on an office visit, unless the employee is sick with a contagious illness, the employer may not need to lose the employee for an hour or more for an out-of-the-workplace doctor visit. Since there are so many advantages to telemedicine, it is gaining a great deal of popularity.

This new technology involves exchanging medical information about one patient with various sites and health care providers through electronic communications. By sharing the information and contributing a group effort, the goal is to improve each patient’s health status. Although many new technologies are expensive when they first surface, telemedicine is an exception. It is relatively inexpensive. However, there are a few challenges that come with it. Regulatory procedures and steps are one of the biggest challenges. For example, a specialist who is in another state may have issues electronically prescribing medicine to a patient in a separate state where licensing restrictions are different.

In addition to the above example, only a few states have requirements in place for insurers to provide coverage for telehealth care. Equipment for telehealth can be installed in small clinics, physicians’ offices, workplaces and hospitals for amounts between $10,000 and $100,000. Although the technology isn’t intended to replace communication with a primary care provider, it is beneficial for obtaining care quickly when it’s otherwise difficult to find. Research shows that about 50% of the population is optimistic about this new form of technology and would be eager to use it. The following benefits are the reasons why telemedicine is growing in popularity:

It is cost efficient. Reducing costs and maintaining affordable rates are two of the best reasons for adopting one of these plans. Shorter hospital stays, less travel time and shared health professional staffing are just a few examples of ways money can be saved.

Employees enjoy better access. Telemedicine is the best way for patients who live in remote areas to receive the care they need quickly. It also allows physicians and other health care professionals to expand their spectrum of care beyond their offices.

It provides a way to meet patients’ demands. The biggest advantages of telemedicine are enjoyed by the patient, the patient’s family and the community. Research over the past several years has shown that patients are consistently satisfied with the time and money saved by using telemedicine.

Employers who want to increase their profitability and help their employees save money should consider adding telemedicine to their overall plan. Companies that wish to provide these services can access them by contracting with a vendor that offers telemedicine services. They can also be accessed through a discount medical plan organization. To learn more about telemedicine, discuss the available options with one of our agents.

Feb 01
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LADDER SAFETY STARTS ON THE GROUND

By Risk Management Bulletin

Life has its ups and downs. However, the downs can be especially painful. Here are some ways to avoid those dangers — and reduce the risk to your business:

  • Have ladders inspected before every use and, if defective, taken out of service. The inspection should look for cracks, wood splinters, or moving parts that bind or are disconnected or misaligned, together with worn ropes on extension ladders. Your workers don’t want to find out about them eight feet in the air. Have steps or rungs checked for looseness and cleaned of slippery spots. Make sure that workers wear shoes with nonslip surfaces.
  • Make sure that stepladders are stored upright, with simple and extension ladders stored flat, so they don’t warp with age. It’s also okay to store ladders horizontally on wall hooks.
  • Transporting ladders takes special care. The old silent movie sight gag about carrying a ladder so that the back end swings around and whacks people holds true. Always have workers maintain clear vision of the entire length of the ladder and beyond — and, if the ladders are carried on a vehicle, double-check the mountings.
  • Before workers put the ladder in place, have them scan the location; be sure that both feet are on firm ground; and avoid power lines, or leaning the ladder on any unstable surface.
  • Train workers to observe the “1 to 4” rule: Placing the ladder horizontally one-quarter of its vertical length, so a 12-foot ladder should be 3 feet from the wall. If they’re using an extension ladder, keep 3 feet of overlap between sections. It’s also wise to tie the ladder’s top and bottom to fixed points so that it won’t move.
  • When it’s time to climb, make sure that workers who carry equipment up always wear a tool belt and maintain three-point contact with the ladder (both hands and one foot, or both feet and one hand). Never allow workers to go above three rungs from the top, and require them to come down and move the ladder if the work is beyond their reach.
  • Finally, make sure that your workers learn the bear climb: With the right foot and hand moving simultaneously, followed by the left hand and foot. This might feel funny at first — but it can help save lives and avoid serious injury.
Feb 01
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CURBING WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

By Risk Management Bulletin

$100,000,000,000 a year.

That’s how much the federal government estimates that drug and alcohol abuse costs American businesses. If you think your organization is immune, bear in mind that nearly three in four of adult abusers are employed — some of them perhaps by you. You might know these people by their absentee records: They’re likely to be gone at 2.5 times the rate of the average employee — or perhaps by their Workers Comp claims: Three to five times those of non-abusers.

If nothing else, you’ll know them by how much they cost your health plan: 300% higher than non-abusers (not to mention the far greater human costs to co-workers, families — and the abusers themselves).

Despite the highly publicized war on drugs, there’s no overall federal drug-free workplace law for the private sector. Although a few states require drug-free workplaces, others take the voluntary approach. For example, some 13 states reduce Workers Comp premiums for businesses with a drug-free workplace program.

If you create such a program, observe these guidelines:

  • Create a policy. Be sure to ban illegal drugs and abuse of alcohol expressly; to state specifically which drugs and related acts are banned; to explain the steps you will take to back these edicts; and to detail the consequences for their violation.
  • Develop a testing program. Decide whom to test, when to test (e.g. pre-employment, random, regular, reasonable suspicion, incident-related), who will do the test (preferably a certified independent lab, with at least two tests showing positive), and what will happen after a positive finding.
  • Decide what to do with abusers. Although some organizations simply discipline or terminate them, others see abusers as valued employees with a problem, who are well worth saving. For this reason, many companies create Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to deal with drug and alcohol issues off site. Establishing an EAP shows respect for your employees and offers an alternative to dismissal.
  • Define the role of your supervisors. As the management level closest to employees, supervisors will probably be the first to notice the signs of abuse. They need tutoring on what to look for, and how to document and deal with it. Most important is what supervisors should not do — attempt to diagnose what are essentially medical issues, or to counsel abusers. Their role is to report behavior and support what abuse experts decide are appropriate responses to individual situations.
  • Communicate to employees the details of your program, the effects of abuse, and the importance of understanding the problem and reacting in a supportive way.
Feb 01
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SEVEN STEPS TO CELL PHONE SAFETY BEHIND THE WHEEL

By Risk Management Bulletin

If you have mobile employees, make sure that they’re using their cell phones behind the wheel in a safe manner. Provide a safety policy that clearly defines and limits cell phone usage while driving and provides penalties for violations. Seek the input of mobile employees and managers to help ensure that your policy is enforceable, fair, and realistic. We’d recommend taking these steps.

  • Provide safety training for drivers. Ensure that all drivers of company vehicles have a valid driver’s license. Require any employee using a company vehicle to complete a driver safety and defensive driving course before getting the keys to a vehicle. These courses often include graphic demonstrations related to driver distraction from using cell phones. This can be a real eye-opener for drivers who might have never seen the devastation caused by vehicle crashes.
  • Post warnings in all company vehicles. The notice should clearly prohibit the use of cell phones while driving. If the call is an emergency, the driver should let a passenger make the call or pull over before using the cell phone.
  • Provide a hands-free device option. Although allowing mobile employees to use hands-free devices behind the wheel won’t prevent phone conversations from distracting drivers, it can reduce distraction.
  • Use 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 been allowed to make calls or answer their phone while driving previously. However, the convenience of answering or making a phone call immediately while behind the wheel just isn’t worth the risk and liability. After the mobile workers reach their destination, they can check their messages and make appropriate return phone calls.
  • Turn off the cell phone. Require mobile employees to shut off their cell phones while driving the company vehicle. The employee can turn on their cell phone to make needed calls or check their answering or call waiting service once they’ve arrived. This policy should also require passengers to turn off their cell phones.
  • Let employees take responsibility. Most employees won’t adhere to a policy that’s all talk and no action. Make employees responsible for any fines or additional vehicle operation costs from traffic violations related to illegal cell phone usage. The policy might also provide penalties for workers who accumulate a certain amount of traffic violations.
  • Ban cell phones from company vehicles. Before making a total cell phone ban part of the policy, realize that this might leave employees unable to contact emergency services in the event of an accident or emergency. Consider a complete ban only after careful thought and as a last resort — for example if employees keep violating the cell phone policy or have repeated cell phone traffic infractions.
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