Skip to main content
Monthly Archives

June 2009

USE THESE SAFETY TIPS WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN

By Personal Perspective

With the dawning of Spring, often comes a deluge of rain showers and thunderstorms. Although a soft Spring rain might seem innocent enough from the safety of your home, even a gentle shower can cause major problems on the road. Thousands of car accidents each year are caused by rain and wet roads — and motorists who don’t know how to drive on them.

During and after a rainstorm, a film of water quickly forms on asphalt roads. This sheath of water causes tires to lose traction, which means drivers can lose control more easily. However, slippery roads are not the only danger to driving in the rain. Drivers also lose visibility during a rainstorm. Heavy rain can be blinding, fogging up the windows and even blocking your headlights. These things all add to an extremely dangerous situation.

If you find yourself on the road during a rainstorm, follow these safety tips to ensure you arrive alive:

  • Be especially careful when the rain first starts. When the roads are dry for a long period of time, engine oil and grease builds up on roads and highways. As soon as the first drops of rain start to fall, the water mixes with this build-up making the roads incredibly slick. This is why the first few hours of a rainstorm can be the most hazardous for drivers. If the rain continues to fall for a few more hours, the water will eventually wash away the greasy build-up.
  • Slow down. You should always drive at a slower speed when the roads are wet. The faster you drive in a rainstorm, the more likely you are to have an accident. Leave the house earlier than usual to give yourself additional travel time so you won’t feel the urge to rush.
  • Brake earlier and slower. When you need to slow down or stop on wet roads, ease on the brakes earlier and with less force than you would normally. This decreases your risk of hydroplaning and keeps a safe distance between you and the car in front of you. It also alerts any drivers behind you to slow down. If you stop too suddenly in a rainstorm, you could get rear-ended.
  • Turn off cruise control. When you have cruise control turned on during a rainstorm, your car could actually speed up if you hydroplane. Plus, when you use cruise control, you’re probably not paying as much attention to the road. Turn off the cruise control and stay alert at all times when driving in the rain so you can react quickly if necessary.
  • Avoid big puddles. If you spot a huge puddle in the road up ahead, drive around it or take a different route. Sometimes, seemingly shallow puddles can actually be five or six feet deep — and that amount of water can cause serious problems for your car’s electrical system. Depending on how deep the water is, it could even float your car. If you aren’t sure just how deep a puddle is, steer clear of it altogether.
  • Turn on your headlights. Even if just a few raindrops are falling, turn on your headlights. Not only will this help you see the road, but it will help other drivers see you. However, don’t use your high beams in the rain. This can actually reduce your visibility and blind other drivers.
  • Turn on your defroster. Your windshield can fog up quickly during a rainstorm, which can cause you to lose sight of the road. Turn on your front and rear defrosters and the A/C to defog your windows.
  • Keep an eye out for pedestrians. In a rainstorm, a pedestrian’s view of the road could be obscured by their rain slicker hood or umbrella — which means they might step into the road accidentally at the wrong time. If you are driving in a city or another area with pedestrians, keep a close eye out for people in the road.
  • Pull over when things get bad. If the rain is falling so hard that you can barely see the car in front of you, pull over and wait for the rain to slow down or stop. After all, it’s much better for you to make it to your destination a little late than not at all.
  • Don’t brake if you hydroplane. If you feel your car starting to hydroplane, don’t brake suddenly or turn the steering wheel. This could send you into a skid. Instead, ease off the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until you feel your tires regain traction. If you have to brake and don’t have anti-lock brakes, tap the brake pedal lightly. If you do have anti-lock brakes, you can brake normally.

TAKE THREE CRUCIAL STEPS BEFORE BORROWING A CAR

By Personal Perspective

“Bill, can I borrow your truck? I have to pick up a new mattress.” Questions like this are routine. Friends and neighbors borrow and lend their vehicles. College roommates borrow their friends’ cars. Six cars are parked in a driveway at a party and one needs to be moved so another car can pull out. The owner tosses someone the keys and tells him to move it. When situations like these end with an auto accident, whose insurance pays, the owner’s or the borrower’s?

In general, the vehicle owner’s policy is primary and pays first in the event of a loss. If for some reason the owner’s policy does not cover the loss or provide enough insurance to fully cover it, the borrower’s policy will apply. For example, assume that Joe has a policy with an insurance limit of $100,000 for injuries to one person and Bill’s policy has a limit of $250,000. Joe borrows Bill’s car and severely injures a pedestrian, resulting in damages of $300,000. Since Bill owns the car, his policy will pay first. It will pay $250,000 (his limit of insurance,) and Joe’s policy will pay the remaining $50,000. If Bill’s policy does not cover the loss (for example, if he had let the policy lapse), Joe’s policy would pay all of its $100,000, but Bill and Joe might be responsible individually for paying the balance.

The owner’s insurance will also be primary for damage to the car itself. However, the borrower’s insurance can make up for a difference in deductible. Suppose Joe has a $500 collision deductible on his car and Bill’s collision deductible is $1,000. Joe totals Bill’s $5,000 car in an accident. Bill’s insurance will pay $4,000 for the car ($5,000 minus the $1,000 deductible) and Joe’s insurance will pay $500 (Bill’s deductible minus Joe’s $500 deductible). If Bill’s insurance is noncollectable because he didn’t buy collision coverage, Joe’s policy will pay $4,500 ($5,000 minus the $500 deductible).

A person must have the car owner’s permission to borrow before the owner’s insurance will cover him. The insurance company will consider the person to have permission if he had a reasonable belief that he could use the car. For example, if Bill at one time said to Joe, “Take the car whenever you need to; the keys are on my desk,” and Joe had in fact borrowed it several times with no objection from Bill, it would appear that Joe had a reasonable belief that he could use it. On the other hand, if Bill never said anything to Joe about using the car, and Joe had to search Bill’s home to find the keys, Joe’s belief that he could use it might not appear to be so reasonable. In this case, Bill’s policy might not cover Joe’s liability for injuries or damages. Worse, Joe’s policy might not cover him, either.

Permission must come from the vehicle’s owner, not from a member of the owner’s family. Joe will not have coverage if Bill didn’t give him permission but Bill’s teenage daughter told him to use it. However, the daughter has coverage if she borrows the car, with or without permission. A member of the owner’s family has coverage without having to prove they had permission. To be considered a family member, such a person must be related to the owner by blood, marriage or adoption.

Before borrowing someone else’s car, we advise people to do the following:

* Make certain you have the owner’s permission.
* Make certain the owner has insurance in-force on the car.
* Check your own insurance to see if it will cover damages the owner’s policy doesn’t cover.

Our agents can assist you with the third item. Ask the questions ahead of time to avoid unpleasant surprises later.

PROTECT YOUR COMPANY FROM EMPLOYEE THEFT

By Business Protection Bulletin

Did you know that theft and pilfering is four times more likely to be committed by your own employees? It only takes one individual to cause significant damage to your bottom line. Employee theft is estimated to be in the billions of dollars each year!

Theft by employees includes merchandise, cash, materials, computer equipment, tools, information and industrial espionage, administrative fraud and embezzlement.

The threat of exposure to potential employee theft will increase proportionately with the size of your company. If your company has negligible safeguards in place, it is crucial to consider implementing sound internal security procedures to protect your company’s assets.

Areas Most Vulnerable to Internal Employee Theft

Administration – What about the books? Whether you process information on a hard drive or manually, figures can be manipulated. Does your company have controls in place for the signing of checks, payroll, or inventory? If the answer is no, you can be exposed to the possibility of padded payrolls, kickback schemes with suppliers, forged or check duplication, or falsified inventories — just a few of the scams administrative personnel can perpetuate.

Merchandise and Equipment – Assets such as office furnishings, supplies, tools, assembly parts, or equipment, can be pilfered by staff, delivery drivers, or even the night time cleaning crew. If you lack the facility to monitor office supply rooms, neglect the effective supervision of staff and cleaning personnel, or have loose control over your inventory, your risk is greatly enhanced.

Shipping and Receiving – These are the most vulnerable and popular target areas where employee theft is committed. If either area has high traffic volume, infrequent or limited supervision, or minimum safeguards for the two way flow of parts and goods into and from your company, store, or warehouse, then at the very least, you are a company that is just waiting for thefts to occur.

Information – Industrial espionage is increasingly popular these days, especially in the uses and application of new product development technologies and manufacturing processes. Employers must be on guard to prevent internal procurement of sensitive or unsecured data. Password security is simply not enough. Anyone can use available hacker programs to access customer lists or new product information, all of which can be sold by one of your employees to a competitor. Theft of internal company information for resale can be very lucrative.

Monetary – The person operating your cash drawer can siphon off money and merchandise in numerous ways. Theft is as simple as voiding a sale and pocketing the cash, or working in collusion with an outside party. If you are uncertain that your till receipts reflect your actual cash sales, you better address the situation before it becomes a major problem.

Safeguards to Protect your Business Assets

All these areas can be protected and secured. Reduce the risk of employee theft by establishing strict procedures and controls over your vulnerable assets. Protective counter measures can be as simple as implementing specific policies regarding your cash register.

Other simple safeguards might include the securing of peripheral areas like windows and doors; convex mirrors to eliminate blind spots; unscheduled walk through of unsupervised areas; regularly checking outside locations such as trash bins, and employing logs to monitor the movement of goods, tools, and materials. Basic preventative measures can be administered at nominal cost. Solutions don’t have to be expensive to be effective.

Stronger security needs might require the installation of video surveillance, or securing sensitive data through software encryption or firewalls. You might consider hiring security personnel or a private investigator to act as an undercover operative. Consider constructing protective storage areas to safeguard expensive items such as parts or inventory. Keep these storage areas locked and restrict access.

A qualified security consultant can point out your company’s flaws and offer a variety of solutions. With a little imagination and research, you can implement many safeguards yourself.

Security systems might appear expensive, and a pain to implement, but they are worth your time and money in the long haul. Good security can save your company a lot of money and grief.

UPDATED BUILDING CODES MIGHT MEAN YOU’RE UNDER-INSURED

By Business Protection Bulletin

The owner of a commercial building might believe that Replacement Cost insurance coverage on the building is sufficient to protect them from financial loss. After all, they took the insurance agent’s advice and bought enough insurance to pay for repairing or replacing the building if it were completely destroyed. However, this might be a false sense of security, particularly if the building is an older one. Although the building might not have changed greatly over the years, local building codes undoubtedly have. Even codes in effect at the time the building was constructed could affect your insurance coverage.

Many local governments have ordinances that require the demolition of a building when more than 50% of the building has been damaged. These ordinances require the reconstruction of the building in accordance with current building codes. Zoning and land use codes might have changed over the years prohibiting the reconstruction of that type of building at the same site. This could require the owner to rebuild somewhere else or with a much different building design. Laws and codes requiring buildings to be accessible to handicapped people might affect rebuilding if the building previously lacked ramps, doors that can be opened remotely, wheelchair-accessible toilets, and other accommodations.

All of these requirements could increase the cost of rebuilding significantly. Unfortunately, standard Commercial Property insurance policies provide very little coverage for these higher costs. Most will pay either 5% of the amount of insurance on the building or $10,000, whichever is less, for the increased cost of construction resulting from a local ordinance or law. Therefore, the amount of insurance available for a building insured for $150,000 is $7,500; the amount available for a building insured for $500,000 is $10,000. The costs of demolition and rebuilding up to new codes or at a new location can quickly use up this relatively small amount.

Building owners should consider buying additional insurance to cover this possibility. Many insurance companies offer ordinance or law coverage for an additional premium. This coverage will pay for the additional costs of demolition and construction unless the costs result from failure to comply with previous ordinances or from the release of pollutants. Included are three distinct coverages for the specified building:

  • Coverage A – Loss to the undamaged portion of the building
  • Coverage B – Cost of demolishing the undamaged portion of the building
  • Coverage C – Increased cost of construction or repairs to comply with ordinances or laws

The amount of insurance available under Coverage A equals the amount of insurance covering the entire building. Separate amounts apply to Coverages B and C. There is no coverage if the damage results from a cause that the policy excludes. For example, most policies do not cover flood damage, so the policy will not pay if the law requires the owner to demolish the building after a flood. Also, the insurance will pay only the amount necessary to meet the minimum requirements. The insurance will not pay for the cost of exceeding requirements during rebuilding.

This insurance covers the owner only for the cost of repairing or replacing the building, not for income lost during additional reconstruction time. Separate coverage is available for this exposure.

Our agents can advise you on the types, amounts, and costs of coverage you might need to meet updated codes. Whether or not you decide they need the coverage, you should give it careful consideration. The last thing you want is a surprise uninsured expense after a disaster.

CONSIDER THESE CRITERIA BEFORE MAKING JOB CUTS

By Business Protection Bulletin

The recession that began in December 2007 has been unusually severe. Through March 2009, employers shed more than five million jobs. In January 2009 alone, businesses took more than 2,000 mass layoff actions (actions affecting more than 50 workers). Some affected workers have responded by claiming that their employers illegally discriminated against them. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported a 15% increase in discrimination claims in 2008, bringing the number of claims to a record level. The largest increases were in the areas of retaliation and age discrimination.

These lawsuits can cost businesses dearly. A 2008 report showed that, between 2001 and 2007, almost half of all court verdicts favoring employees exceeded $250,000, and almost a third exceeded $500,000. Half of all age discrimination verdicts exceeded $250,000, and almost a fifth exceeded $1 million. By 2007, almost two-thirds of age discrimination suits resulted in plaintiff victories. Even more dangerous for employers are retaliation claims: More than a quarter of judgments against them exceeded $500,000. Forty percent were for amounts between $100,000 and $500,000.

How can businesses lower the chances that they or their insurance companies will end up on the hook for these payouts? They can start by considering a number of factors before making job cut decisions.

  • What will be the criteria for choosing affected workers? Will the decision be based on seniority with the employer? Work performance? Job function? Employment status (part-time, temporary, etc.)? Department profitability? Some combination of these? The criteria must be such that a reasonable person would not find them to be unfairly discriminatory.
  • How will the employer select the workers to be let go? Will it apply the criteria strictly, or will it allow managers to use some judgment and flexibility in making selections? How will the employer ensure that all affected areas follow a consistent process? Lack of consistency could increase the employer’s vulnerability to successful discrimination suits.
  • Assess the risk of adverse impact on classes of employees protected by law, such as older employees or those with disabilities. Because older employees with long tenures with a firm are likely to be highly compensated, they might be attractive targets for a layoff action. However, an action that has a disproportionate impact on these employees could leave the firm open to successful age discrimination suits.
  • Early in the process, review the precedents and lessons learned from any prior workforce reductions. An ability to show that it followed precedent in making layoff decisions will give the employer a strong defense in court.
  • Obtain claim waivers and general legal action releases from employees to whom the firm will pay severance. Federal law requires these releases to meet certain requirements for workers over age 40.
  • Depending on the number of employees affected, the firm might have to comply with a federal law that requires advance notice of the layoff. Employers must give 60 days advance notice of a plant closing, termination of 500 or more employees or termination of fewer employees if they amount to one-third or more of the workforce. Certain employees are exempt from being counted in these figures, so employers should consult with labor attorneys to determine whether the law covers them.

In addition to risk management steps, employers should obtain Employment Practice Liability Insurance to finance those losses that do occur. One of our agents experienced in placing EPLI and other types of Professional Liability insurance can provide information and assistance in obtaining coverage. Loss control and proper insurance will help your firm survive a very difficult business decision and any challenges that occur in the aftermath.

MAKE YOUR CONSTRUCTION SITE A CRIME-FREE ZONE

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

Construction sites are often plagued by vandalism, arson, and theft. Equipment and building materials are expensive. The added cost of insurance, delays, and replacing machinery and materials affects your site and your clients’ deadlines. Take these positive steps to minimize the costly impact of damage to your job site and to take a bite out of these losses.

Know Your Work Area

If you’re completing a job in an unfamiliar location, contact the local police and ask how extensive crime is in the area. Tell them what you are doing and ask if they can send a patrol to check out the job site occasionally, especially if you aren’t planning to employ on-site security.

Inventory Your Equipment

Have a detailed inventory and monitoring system in place for all your equipment so you can track everything on the site. Use an etching tool to etch serial numbers onto equipment and tools. Have prominent and easily identifiable company logos on your machinery and big ticket items. Small tools are especially vulnerable to theft, so a site supervisor or foreman should monitor what tools are going to which employees. The tools should also be logged in at the end of the workday.

Use GPS Tracking Devices and Ignition Cutout Switches

For expensive machinery, such as heavy equipment or big generators, consider that GPS technology has made great strides. You can now get small tracking units that will not only advise you when items are being used but will also provide its location. You can also add alarm features that will let you know when the equipment leaves its designated work area. Another good feature is to disable heavy machinery and vehicles with ignition cutout switches, which effectively immobilize them.

Lighting and Fencing

A well lit job site will dissuade impetuous vandals and give thieves pause. Use light motion detectors or infrared triggers that will automatically alert intruders and local neighbors that the area has been breached. Studies have also shown that a chain-link fence also makes a better deterrence than most other barriers because it protects a site while offering outsiders a clear view of the site. If a chain-link fence is not possible, then enclose designated storage areas for construction material and tools, flammables, or hazardous items.

Access Control

There should only be one way in and out of the site. The more access points you have to the job site, the harder it is monitor who and what is coming and going. Have your employees park off the job site, if possible.

Plan Deliveries and Installation

Fully or partially installing certain items when they arrive can help prevent damage to or loss of expensive items. Items such as HVAC systems, plywood, doors, and windows, for example, are more likely to be stolen or vandalized the longer they are left lying around.

Use Security Cameras, Security Guards, Dogs and Signs

The use of cameras can enhance your job site’s level of security dramatically. The presence of a security guard or guard dog brings even more protection to the site. Make sure you have plenty of signs that announce your site is under surveillance — even if it actually isn’t.

Employ Proper Lock-Up Procedures

Have key employees perform your lock-up at the end of the workday. They should ensure that that all equipment and tools are in their designated places and that all locks, doors, and windows are secured. Additionally, designated personnel should confirm that ignition keys have been removed from all vehicles and that gas and oil tank caps are locked.

Use Your Neighbors

Asking people who have visual view of your site to keep an eye out can also increase your chances of preventing loss or damage. Consider offering a small reward as an incentive, if their information leads to an arrest or prevents a loss. Common sense, good planning, and organization can go a long way towards reducing theft, vandalism, and arson on job sites. Taking these positive steps can save you a lot of money, grief and time on a project.

NO ACCIDENT, NO INSURANCE

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

Insurance companies design policies to cover their customers’ risks of accidental loss. A contractor excavating earth on a city street hits an underground telephone cable and knocks out service to a few thousand businesses and homes. A supermarket employee has partially mopped a floor when a manager summons him to help at the cash registers. A customer trips and falls over the mop left on the floor. All of these are accidents, not injuries or damage that the businesses or their employees intended. Insurance will cover these incidents, but what about situations where the harm might not have been accidental?

The standard Commercial General Liability insurance policy provides coverage for “occurrences,” defined as “an accident, including continuous or repeated exposure to substantially the same general harmful conditions.” Therefore, for the policy to apply to a specific incident, the incident must be an accident. Moreover, the policy goes on to state that it does not apply to bodily injury or property damage “expected or intended from the standpoint of any insured.” The questions of whether incidents were accidents and whether an insured expected or intended resulting injuries or damages have been fodder for the courts for years.

Courts in every state have tried to develop a precise meaning for the term “accident.” The definitions vary somewhat, but they all seek to evaluate the responsible person’s intentions. For example, one state defines accident as an “unintended and unforeseen injurious occurrence.” Another state holds an incident to be accidental if the insured did not intend the resulting damage, even if he intended the specific act. Still another calls an accident, “something out of the usual course of things … not anticipated and not naturally to be expected.” Therefore, it’s an accident when a painting contractor sprays paint all over 10 parked cars because he intended to operate a spray-painting gun but did not intend for the wind to blow the paint on the cars.

Courts settle the question of whether a person intended harm to occur when they determine the facts of a case. However, they tend to rule that harm resulting from some actions can never be accidental. The high court in one state held that an act is not accidental when it is so “inherently injurious” that it is certain to result in an injury. An example of this type of conduct is firing a weapon at close range. Other states have held that a court can infer that someone intended to cause an injury only when a reasonable person can reach no other conclusion. Therefore, if two conclusions are possible and only one of them points to intent to cause harm, the court must assume that the person did not intend harm. The CGL policy would provide coverage for the person in this situation.

Public policy prevents insurance companies from insuring people against liability for injuries or damages they intentionally cause. Otherwise, people could commit these sorts of acts with little risk to themselves. Besides, businesses pay good money to insure themselves against accidents. It is unfair to these organizations when intentional injury claims raise the cost for everyone.

However, proving what someone’s intentions were at a particular moment is difficult. If your organization has an incident that you believe might result in a liability claim, you should report it to your insurance agent as soon as possible. Let the insurance company investigate, and know that your insurance is there to protect you from the consequences of true accidents.

UNDERSTANDING BLANKET COVERAGE FOR ADDITIONAL INSUREDS

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

Any contractor who has been in business for a while is familiar with Additional Insured coverage. This coverage insures an outside organization, usually a project owner or general contractor, under the contractor’s own policy. It is often a requirement for construction projects, and it can be the source of insurance disputes if not handled correctly.

Owners and general contractors who hire subcontractors are also assuming responsibility for issues that arise during the project. If sparks from a welder hired by the general contractor start a fire that damages the building next door, the building’s owner will likely sue both the welder and the GC. The GC does not want liability for the welder’s actions since it cannot control them. In addition, the GC has the power in the relationship, since it makes the hiring decisions and controls the purse.

Therefore, most construction contracts require a subcontractor to assume the GC’s liability for losses that arise from the sub’s work on the job. The sub finances this additional liability through contractual liability coverage on its Commercial General Liability policy and by covering the GC as an additional insured on that policy.

Traditionally, insurance companies have covered an additional insured by attaching an endorsement to the policy. This endorsement lists the additional insured by name and insures it against liability arising from the named insured’s ongoing operations. This works well if the insured has relatively few requests for this coverage. However, it presents some risks of errors. The subcontractor might forget to tell its insurance agent that it needs the endorsement. The agency staff might fail to send the request to the insurance company. The insurance company might receive the agent’s request and never act on it. Any of these scenarios June cause the company to deny coverage to the GC when a loss occurs, forcing the GC to submit a claim to its own company. The GC June then sue the subcontractor for breach of contract. Because of the potential pitfalls, organizations that receive many requests to add additional insureds often want their insurance companies to provide a blanket additional insureds endorsement.

A blanket endorsement typically provides automatic coverage for any organization that the named insured has agreed to cover under the terms of a written agreement. This eliminates the need to send individual requests for each additional insured, saving time and effort and reducing the chance that an error will lead to an uncovered loss. However, these endorsements also have their disadvantages. The standard ISO endorsement provides coverage only if a written agreement requires the named insured to cover the additional insured. If there is no written contract, or that contract does not require additional insured coverage, the endorsement will not provide it. Also, it provides coverage only while the named insured’s operations for the additional insured are ongoing. When the sub’s work is finished, so is the GC’s additional insured coverage. That could be a problem if something in the sub’s work causes injuries or damages months or years later. Further, the endorsement’s wording could allow an insurance company to deny coverage for an accident that occurs while the sub’s work is ongoing but that is not reported until after the sub’s work is finished.

One of our insurance agents experienced in writing coverage for contractors can be a good source of advice and information about blanket additional insured endorsements. Many insurance companies have their own endorsements that differ from the standard. For example, some guarantee advance notice to the additional insured if the policy is cancelled. It is well worth it for a contractor to spend some time investigating the different coverage options. Call us today!

TAKE THESE STEPS TO PREVENT EYE INJURY

By Workplace Safety

Your eyes are constantly at risk on the jobsite — whether you work in a manufacturing plant, a lab, or a construction site. Some studies show that about 2,000 eye injuries take place each and every day. Sadly, 10% to 20% of these eye injuries result in temporary or permanent vision loss.

Perhaps even more eye-opening is this statistic: Three out five people who suffer from eye injuries were not wearing eye protection when the accident occurred. If you want to shield your eyes from harm on the worksite, read on to learn more about jobsite eye injuries and how to prevent them with the proper protective eye wear.

The Usual Suspects: Common Causes of Eye Injuries

Although there are countless causes for jobsite eye injuries, some of the most common offenders are:

  • Flying objects: About 70% of jobsite eye injuries are caused by flying debris or falling objects, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey.
  • Chemicals: Many injuries are the result of eyes coming into contact with dangerous chemicals.
  • Negligence: Poor maintenance, substandard safety habits, the misuse of tools, and improper eye protection result in a great deal of eye injuries.

Eye Protection 101

It is extremely important to choose the right eye protection for your specific job. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that employers provide workers with suitable eye protection. Some workers might need to use a different type of eye protection from day to day or even hour to hour as their duties change. Here are the different types of eye protection available to workers:

  • Goggles: If you work around a lot of liquid pesticides, toxic chemicals and/or dust, goggles might be your best option. They provide better protection against splashes and dust than safety glasses. Make sure that the goggles fit tightly against your face for the ultimate protection.
  • Glass eye protection: Not only are glass lenses less likely to scratch, but they can withstand chemical exposure as well as protection from flying objects. Additionally, if you have vision problems, you can get prescription lenses.
  • Plastic and polycarbonate eye protection: These eye protection products are generally lightweight and protect well against welding splatter. Although they are less likely to fog up, plastic and polycarbonate products are not very scratch resistant and do not accommodate prescriptions.
  • Shielded safety glasses: If you job requires safety glasses, make sure to choose shielded safety glasses. Shields will offer your eyes more protection from flying debris as well as chemicals suspended in the air.
  • Full face shields: If you work in an environment where you could be exposed to an airborne substance, you should wear a full face shield. However, a face shield alone is not enough to protect your eyes — wear approved safety glasses beneath the shield.

Once you determine the appropriate type of eye protection for your line of work, be sure to follow these safety guidelines on the jobsite:

  • If you are working around flying chips or particles, chemical gases or vapors, hazardous light liquid chemicals, acids or caustics, electrical sparks, molten medal, dust or swinging ropes or chains, wear goggles or a face shield.
  • Make sure that your eye protection is approved for your specific environment.
  • When opening a container, always turn it away from your face.
  • Always keep sharp or pointed objects away from your face and eyes.
  • Do not wear outdated or scratched prescription lenses — this can warp your vision.
  • Never remove protective eye wear until after you have turned off the tool in use.
  • Replace cracked or damaged goggles or glasses as soon as possible.
  • Focus! When you are using power tools or working with dangerous substances, always concentrate on the task at hand.
  • If your eyes are starting to feel strained, stop and take a break.
  • If you get a small piece of dust, wood or another object in your eye, flush it out with eye wash solution as you look down. If eyewash solution is not available, flush the eye with water.
  • If you get pesticide into your eyes, use a portable eye flush dispenser immediately. If you do not have an eye flush dispenser at hand, call for help so someone can guide you to an eyewash station.
  • Flush your eye with eyewash solution for 15 minutes and have someone call for medical attention.
  • If you get a substance in your eye, have a co-worker check the Material Safety Data sheet and/or product label for the proper first aid instructions.

KNOW HOW TO USE PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

By Workplace Safety

In a fire breaks out in your workplace, the proper use of a portable fire extinguisher could mean the difference between a minor property loss and a major one. But there are several items to consider in using fire extinguishers. For instance, you must know the class of fire involved and the correct type of fire extinguisher to use.

Classes of fires and fire extinguishing agents

  • Class A – Involves ordinary combustibles such as paper, wood, cloth, rubber or plastics. The common extinguishing agents are water or dry chemical.
  • Class B – Flammable liquids, grease or gases are covered under this category. Common extinguishing agents are foam, carbon dioxide or dry chemical.
  • Class C – Live electrical fires are included in this category. Carbon dioxide or dry chemical extinguishers should be used. However, the actual burning product could be from another class.
  • Class D – Burning materials include combustible metals such as magnesium and sodium. Special extinguishing agents, approved by recognized testing laboratories, are needed when working with these metals.

How to respond to a fire

Pull the fire alarm and call the local fire department immediately if a fire breaks out. Follow your company’s procedures on responding to fires. But attempt to fight the fire only if, (1) you know the type of material burning, (2) you have been trained to use the fire extinguisher correctly, and (3) if the fire is still in the early stage. Once the fire gets out of control, evacuate the premises immediately.

Remember the PASS technique when using an extinguisher

  • P – Pull. Pull the locking pin before using the fire extinguisher.
  • A – Aim. Aim the fire extinguisher at the base of the fire. Not at the flames or smoke.
  • S – Squeeze. Squeeze the lever of the fire extinguisher to operate and discharge.
  • S – Sweep. Sweep the fire extinguisher back and forth at the base of the fire to extinguish.

A typical fire extinguisher contains about 10 seconds of extinguishing power or less if it has been used previously. Always read the instructions that come with the extinguisher beforehand and become familiarized with its parts. It is highly recommended by fire prevention experts that you seek hands-on training before operating a fire extinguisher. Most local fire departments offer this service.

Prevention is the key when it comes to firefighting. Good housekeeping, proper storage procedures and safe work practices will go a long way toward reducing the likelihood of a fire destroying valuable property and/or injuring workers in the area.