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Monthly Archives

June 2014

Control the Perimeter: the entire site and your work area

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

Control traffic through all work areas to prevent distractions, overcrowding or unsafe conditions. Two perimeters should be guarded: the entire work space whether a construction jobsite, a restaurant kitchen, or a manufacturing floor; and the immediate work area where your crew or individual are working.

The safest work space is a very controlled environment. Jobs are dangerous by nature and require training and equipment to be done safely. Unfamiliar or unwanted people do not belong in the work space because they bring uncertainty and bad habits with them.

Labor intensive work sites should be designed with one entrance and many exits. Everyone entering needs to have proper safety gear and training regarding operational safety awareness. Part of that awareness is the sanctity of the individual or team work space.

The best example is excavating. While an excavator is loading trucks, people need to be further than the reach of the boom, in a complete circle around the machine. While a good operator can make an excavator look graceful, they are a hard hitting piece of equipment best avoided.

Manufacturers divide floor space into units. Only knowledgeable mechanics need to be in that space.

Prep space and cooking space is often divided in kitchens so knives are only used in a safe area and cross contamination is minimal.

Overcrowding creates poor work conditions and leads to injuries. Nothing is more frustrating than being bumped around while you’re trying to work. Adequate space leads to efficiency and safety. And reducing distractions keeps focus on task.

Every shift, supervisors should check the security of the gross perimeter and assure it has not been breached. Then, within the space where employees operate, the individual or manager should police traffic into their space. Control both perimeters for effective safety.

Take time to be sure personal protection fits properly

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

Having personal protection equipment is merely a good beginning. In order to work properly, employees must take the time to adjust the fit for the most effective use.

Harnesses must be worn while working at heights. All connection points should be snug but not restrictive. The harness must be tied off with a leash to an anchor, such as a chimney on a roof. The leash should be long enough to not restrict work, but not too long.

Hard hats must be snugged to the top of the head. Adjust the head band accordingly.

Eyewear needs to cover the entire eye including the sides. The fit should prevent slippage.

Footwear, especially steel-toed shoes or non-skid soles, still need to be comfortable for a long day of walking and working.

All equipment should be checked daily before work begins. If the fit isn’t correct, take measures to correct the defect.

Personal protection equipment is vital to an employees safety, and should become part of their everyday uniform. It needs to fit correctly and comfortably for this reason.

Make this routine part of basic orientation training. Then reinforce it with tool box safety topics.

Proper clothing is also important. Loose fitting clothing or neckwear can catch in machinery and cause serious injury. Construction sites require long pants and shirts to prevent cuts and scrapes. Gloves should be worn for many duties on a jobsite.

Many manufacturers and service businesses require uniforms. Uniforms are a good idea for several reasons. First, the company can control materials and fit which reduces injuries. Second, it is easier to control unwelcome traffic on the site. Third, wild clothing does not distract other workers.

Protective clothing and equipment reduces the number of and severity of accidents. It pays to take a few minutes to assure proper fit and function.

What to do When You Need Mental Health Therapy but Can’t Afford It

By Life and Health

At a cost of $100 to $250 per hour, professional therapy isn’t cheap. That’s why you may not seek the mental health counseling you or a loved one need. However, eight tips help you afford this important therapy.

1. Check your insurance policy.

Your health insurance policy might include coverage for therapy and medication. Check your policy to find providers in your network. Even if you have a copay for therapy appointments or medication, the majority of the total cost may be covered by your insurance.

2. Visit a community medical clinic.

Free or low-cost clinics in your community can be an affordable way to get therapy. Find a clinic when you contact the Department of Human Services. Then, call the clinic’s office manager to discuss their services.

3. Ask for discounts.

When you call mental health professionals, ask about available discounts. They may offer discounts for cash payments, low-income clients or group sessions.

4. Meet for phone rather than in-person sessions.

Typically, therapists charge less for phone sessions with clients. This option helps you save on transportation costs, too.

5. Listen to podcasts.

Take advantage of the variety of resources found online. Listen to podcasts, view videos and watch TED talks as you gather information from world-renowned psychologists, psychiatrists and counselors.

6. Join a support group.

In a support group, gain knowledge, support and help from others. Your best options are led by a professional moderator.

7. Attend a training clinic.

When graduate students train at clinics under licensed psychologists, you benefit. Attend the clinic as a patient and pay based on your income.

8. Ask for medication samples.

Cheaper than prescriptions, medication samples help you make ends meet while taking essential medication.

No matter what your income level, do not neglect the mental health treatment you need. Eight tips help you afford this important treatment for you or your loved one.

When do You Need a Living Will?

By Life and Health

Living wills, also known as healthcare directives, inform loved ones and medical professionals about your wishes for life. Ensure your wishes are met when you draft a living will.

When do you Need a Living Will?

Unfortunately, you may reach a season in life when you are unable to tell loved ones and doctors whether or not you want life support, blood transfusions and other procedures. A living will clarifies your wishes when you’re incapacitated and unable to discuss or sign a legal contract.

In addition to making your medical wishes known, a living will saves your loved ones from making difficult decisions on your behalf. Let’s say they disagree amongst themselves or with the doctors about your treatment. Your living will leaves no doubt about your treatment wishes.

Don’t wait and create a living will after an accident or injury. As soon as you reach legal adulthood, prepare this legal document. Likewise, ensure you have a healthcare directive in place:

*Before major surgery
*Before dementia or Alzheimer’s strikes
*Before you become comatose
*When you want a friend or unmarried partner, rather than a close relative, to make end of life decisions for you

How do you Create a Living Will?

With your estate planning attorney, decide the details of your living will. It can include the name of a single person or a panel of trusted loved ones or medical professionals who will decide if you’re incapacitated. It also includes the types of medical care you want when you’re incapacitated.

No one wants to think about becoming incapacitated, but you ensure your wishes are met when you create a living will before you need it. Discuss the details with your attorney. While you’re planning this document, update your life insurance and health insurance policies to make sure you have adequate coverage for your future.

How to Choose a Guardian for Your Young Children

By Life and Health

As parents, you provide everything your children need. Don’t neglect their care if you are incapacitated or die before they turn 18. Carefully select a guardian and ensure your children are cared for by someone you know and trust.

1. Consider Everyone

Start the selection process with a list of candidates. Close and extended family members are obvious choices, but consider friends, coworkers, neighbors, child care providers and teachers as well.

2. Consider Philosophies and Values

Because guardians raise your children in your place, they should share your child-rearing and educational philosophies and values. Ideally, they should also share your moral values, religious beliefs and social values.

3. Don’t Prioritize Income or Assets

A potential guardian’s financial holdings shouldn’t be the main focus of your selection. As long as you have adequate life insurance and the guardians are wise money managers, your children will be cared for adequately.

4. Age Matters

While thousands of grandparents successfully raise grandchildren, is the older person on your guardian short-list physically able to care for your children until they turn 18? If so, consider whether or not they want to parent young children.

5. Look at Family Dynamics

If you select guardians who already have children, consider the family dynamic. Are the children compatible ages? Do the children all get along? Would extra kids enrich the family or cause turmoil?

6. Choose Good Not Perfect Guardians

Remember, no one is perfect. You can, however, make a good choice as you select a guardian for your precious children.

7. Place Your Wishes in Writing

You’ll want to add your guardianship wishes to your legal will. Additionally, write down why you selected the guardian you did. This document defends your selection in court in case someone contests custody of your children.

You owe it to your kids to choose guardians for them. Thoughtfully make the decision and then confidently select a guardian for your children.

Protect Your Health in Time for Father’s Day

By Life and Health

What do you most appreciate about being a dad? With Father’s Day approaching on June 15, there’s no better time than today to protect your health. Learn about the top health risks men face and ways to combat these risks so that you can enjoy many more years with your children.

1. Heart Disease

The top killer of men, heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease are preventable. However, you will need to address the leading causes of heart disease. Do that when you stop smoking, lower your blood pressure, reduce your bad cholesterol levels and get your diabetes under control. An exercise regimen and healthy diet also help.

2. Lung Cancer

The top cancer among men is also the most preventable. Because smoking is the cause of 90 percent of lung cancer cases, talk with your health insurance company about available cessation programs and tools that assist you in getting healthy today.

3. Prostate Cancer

The second-leading cancer in men, prostate cancer can be prevented when men undergo an annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and rectal exam. These tests should begin by age 50 or sooner if this cancer runs in your family or if you eat a high-fat diet.

4. Diabetes

If diabetes isn’t controlled, you could contract vascular disease, which leads to heart attacks, amputations, blindness, kidney failure and nerve damage. Medical treatment, a balanced diet, routine exercise and an active lifestyle can help you prevent or control diabetes.

5. Suicide

Four times as many men than women commit suicide. Men are also more likely than women to resist treatment for depression, frustration and other challenges. Asking for help is a sign of strength and can help you cope with life before you feel self-hated or a desire to commit suicide.

As a dad, focus on your health this Father’s Day. Schedule a physical exam with your primary care physician, and commit to living a healthier lifestyle. Your children will thank you.

4 Spring Cleaning Tips That Protect Your House

By Personal Perspective

Spring cleaning does more than remove dirt and grime left over from winter. It also protects your house and reduces maintenance costs. So, try four spring cleaning tips this season as you cleanse your home.

1. Wash walls, windows and baseboards.

Often overlooked during weekly cleaning, the walls, windows and baseboards of your home harbor plenty of dirt and dust. Wash them at least once a year to ensure they look nice and to protect their finish.

*Move the furniture away from the walls, and wipe down the walls with a slightly damp cloth or magic eraser.
*The baseboards are also easy to wash off with a damp cloth. A toothbrush reaches into all the crevices.
*Use vinegar on the windows instead of glass cleaner to cut through accumulated dirt and prevent streaks.

2. Scrub the carpet.

Accumulated dirt, pet dander and odors can quickly ruin your carpets. Instead of merely running the vacuum each week, deep clean the carpets at least once a year. You can easily rent a carpet cleaner and do the job yourself or hire a professional cleaner as you prolong the life of your floors.

3. Care for furniture.

Modern or antique, your furniture will last longer when it’s free from dirt. Take time this spring to wipe off each piece from top to bottom. Use a soft cloth on wood to prevent scratches, and remember to spot treat dirty upholstery, flip the cushions and repair any tears or holes in the fabric.

4. Reduce clutter.

In addition to attracting pests and rodents, clutter reduces your ability to exit your home in an emergency. Commit to tossing or donating clutter like piles of books, excess furniture or anything you haven’t used in six months. Your home will thank you.

With these four spring cleaning tips, you’re able to reduce maintenance costs over time. So, look forward to protecting your home this season.

Vacation Insurance: Do You Need It?

By Personal Perspective

As you start making summer vacation plans, think about vacation insurance. It’s available on almost any trip you might take, whether you travel a few hours away from home or across the globe. Before you buy vacation insurance, though, decide if you need it.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

You’ll pay five to seven percent more for your vacation if you buy trip cancellation insurance. However, you could lose more money than that if your child contracts chickenpox the day before your vacation, you’re called to jury duty, a work emergency comes up or you otherwise can’t take your trip.

Travel Health Insurance

Traveling is safer now than ever before, but your current health insurance coverage may not cover a life-saving hospital treatment or medical evacuation as you travel internationally. Likewise, if you travel frequently, are pregnant or suffer from a chronic health condition, travel health insurance makes practical and financial sense.

Baggage Insurance

If you travel with valuables worth more than a few thousand dollars, consider baggage insurance. It costs five percent of the total cost of the items you wish to cover. While most airlines will reimburse you for lost baggage, that money may not cover your lost, stolen or damaged expensive valuables.

Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance

An adequate life insurance policy typically makes this type of vacation coverage unnecessary. However, check with your insurance agent before your trip to be sure.

Rental Car Insurance

Check with your rental car company to see if your auto insurance policy covers your rental car. If not, purchase additional coverage.

Especially for your expensive, once-in-a-lifetime or international trips, vacation insurance provides the peace of mind you need. Just be sure to buy insurance not a waiver or protection plan. Your insurance agent will help you make sense of all the options and discover which vacation insurance is right for you.

Do you Own Expensive Jewelry? Store it Properly

By Personal Perspective

Your expensive jewelry is worth a great deal of money, but it probably also holds sentimental value. Store your jewelry properly to protect it for many years to come.

Diamonds

Because they are so hard, diamonds will scratch other gems. Store them in a divided case or fabric-lined box for protection.

Pearls

Soft pearls scratch easily. Protect them when you store them in a tightly sealed fabric bag. You’ll also want to keep your pearls out of direct sunlight to prevent them from turning yellow.

Other Gems

If you collect jewelry that features soft gemstones, be sure to wrap each piece in an individual bag. Protect your jewelry from extreme temperatures too. These precautions ensure the long-term beauty and longevity of your gems.

Gold and Silver

Easily tarnished and scratched, gold and silver jewelry requires special care. Prevent tarnishing when you limit jewelry’s exposure to moisture and store gold and silver pieces in a bag that can breathe. Toss in silica gel, white chalk or charcoal for good measure. Avoid scratches when you store individual pieces separately.

Protect Your Jewelry From Burglars

Storing your expensive jewelry is half the battle. Now, you need to protect it from burglars. To do that, choose a safe hiding spot.

*Diversion safes can be anything from a book or battery to a can of soup or water bottle. They look like an everyday household item but hide your expensive gems.

*A fireproof safe bolted to the floor secures your jewelry collection.

*Safe deposit boxes hold your jewelry in a bank where they’re the last likely to be targeted by thieves.

*An adequate insurance policy ensures your jewelry is protected if it would be stolen, lost or damaged.

Your expensive jewelry collection might be challenging to store, but you can do it with the right supplies. When stored properly, your gems, gold and silver are protected and secure.

When Should you Rekey the Locks in Your Home?

By Personal Perspective

How many people have access to your house key? Even if you’re particular about whom you give your key to, anyone can quickly take it, make a copy and return it without your knowledge. Stay safe at home as you learn when to rekey the locks in your home.

What is Rekeying?

When you rekey locks, you replace the tumbler in the lock cylinder. You also receive a new key that matches the new tumbler. While you could replace the entire door lock, rekeying is typically more affordable.

When Should you Rekey Locks?

To be on the safe side, rekey locks when you:

*Switch Roommates: As soon as a roommate moves out, change the locks. That person may have forgotten to return his or her copy or may have given copies of your house key to friends.

*Change Domestic Helpers: A change in cleaning companies, groundskeepers, nannies or other domestic helpers requires a lock rekeying for security.

*Change Contractors: After a home renovation project, change your home’s locks. You trust your contractor, but you have no way of knowing which of his or her employees or
sub-contractors may have had access to your house keys.

*Move Into a New Home: Always change the locks any time you move into a new home, whether you’re the first or the fifth owner. You simply cannot predict how many people have a copy of the house keys.

*Lose Your Keys or They are Stolen: Anyone could have access to that lost or stolen key, which compromises your family’s safety.

If it’s time for you to rekey the locks on your home, hire a locksmith or do the job yourself. Additionally, take a few minutes to ensure your homeowners or renters insurance policy provides the coverage you need. Together, these two steps give you peace of mind in your home.