As part of your organization’s risk management program, the first duty is to eliminate possible exposures. This includes the use of candles. Unless your traditions require the use of candles, it is recommended that they not be used, or that flameless candles be substituted. Flameless candles are very realistic, battery operated, widely available, and some even come with timers. As with all electrically powered devices, ensure that electric candles are UL listed, so not to trade one fire hazard for another.

If tradition dictates that candles must be used, very strict controls must be in place. These controls should be written as part of your policies and procedures and a responsible staff member should always oversee the usage of candles anywhere on the property. Groups using the meeting spaces must also be aware of the controls (or the no flame candle use policy).

According to the National Fire Association, 85% of candle fires could be avoided by following these basic safety rules:

• Never leave a candle burning in an unoccupied room
• Never leave a candle burning for more than four hours
• Keep all candles away from any combustible items – fabric, clothing, paper, etc. If possible, use a glass container (votive candle) to provide separation from combustibles
• Candles must be placed in sturdy, non-tipping candlesticks, and these should be placed on steady surfaces, preferably not wood, but made of non-combustible materials
• Make sure that wicks are trimmed down to one quarter inch, and that the candle is not allowed to burn to less than a two inch height
• Always use a candle snuffer; this will avoid injury
• Never use candles in a power outage and keep an adequate number of flashlights for emergencies
• Be mindful of air flow – keep candles away from drafts, open windows, or HVAC system vents

Read about a real life tragedy involving a candle started fire.

Our program includes a Package, General & Professional Liability, Property, Umbrella, Auto (some restrictions may apply) and Abuse & Molestation. Our pro- gram also offers Coverage Endorsements & Enhancements such as Volunteers & Independent Contractors as Insureds, Optional Key Employee Replacement Endorsement and Optional Extended Coverage Endorsement with Blanket Additional Insured. We also offer Workers Compensation, Accident & Health, D&O and EPLI.
The Humanity Plus Program is a national program written through an Admitted “A” Rated carrier with available coverage in all states except Hawaii and Alaska. For more information, call 877-239-0067.

Risk Control Tips for Frequent Claims

Different types of claims will vary with each social service risk, but there were a few similar types of claims that stood out to underwriters when writing Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers.
These claims happen frequently and there are ways to avoid the risk from becoming more serious.

Suicide often occurs at an Addiction Treatment Center. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), research shows that a substance abuse disorder can be a risk factor for suicide. NIMH also explains that usually the substance abuse disorder is associated with other mental disorders.
According to The Canyon, An Exclusive Co-occurring Treatment Program by the Foundations Recovery Network, 25 percent of people who committed suicide had been abusing drugs and/or alcohol at the time and 50 percent of youth that committed suicide had a history using alcohol and drugs.
Since alcohol and drugs have the ability to inhibit the mind and emphasize emotions, it is not uncommon for suicidal thoughts, attempts and occurrences to take place at an addiction treatment center. Treatment centers like The Canyon are aware of this and offer what they call “dual diagnosis” to treat some- one simultaneously for addiction and mental illness.

Fire is also a claim that is seen often by addiction treatment centers since many clients will turn to cigarettes instead of alcohol and drugs. To prevent fires from happening, make sure your insured has a strict policy on cigarette disposal. Try to keep a “smoking section” to a limited outside area away from the building with cigarette-specific disposal containers. Many of our insureds have actually started to enforce a non-smoking environment to eliminate the risk altogether.

Sexual Abuse & Molestation claims arise at addiction treatment centers, specifically when a relationship connection is built between a member of the insured’s staff and a client. To help avoid situations like this, advise your insureds to have a strict no-tolerance policy against fraternizing or socially communicating with clients. Advise your insured to include this policy in their Employee Handbook and reiterate the importance of it during staff meetings.

Insureds should also meet with their employees to discuss the progress of clients and to explain any problems that may be occurring between the client and employee.
Advise your insured to determine accept- able client-and-client behavior as well. There should be written guidelines explaining what is acceptable and this should be posted throughout the building.

WE UNDERSTAND YOUR GENERAL LIABILITY HAZARDS

• Training modules for unique risks such as flagging/traffic control
• Risk control specialists to assist in analyzing digging sites for pipe-laying hazards
• Coverage available for failure-to-supply services and sewer back-up liability
• Utilization of immunities and tort caps where applicable
• Coverage for members of boards, commissions and sewer authorities

WE HAVE AN INDUSTRY-LEADING WORKERS COMPENSATION PROGRAM

• Co-located medical and claims professionals promptly handle, thoroughly investigate and fairly resolve claims, with a focus on return-to-work
• Discounts and savings through carrier’s preferred medical provider network

WE KNOW YOUR MACHINES

• Specialized equipment breakdown  coverage and certified boiler and machinery inspections and consultations through carrier’s Boiler & Machinery

WE PROVIDE SERVICES FOR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

• Complimentary EPL hotline provides access to EPL attorneys* to answer your questions
• Discounts for employee training to help protect against “failure to train” exposures

WE UNDERSTAND EMOTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SEWER BACKUP

• Our dedicated Sewer Backup Claim Unit  understands the importance of balancing residents’ emotional reactions to water backup events with prompt claim handling
• Specialists work with sewer backup adjusters for valuation of residents’ personal items, antiques, etc.

WE OFFER CYBER LIABILITY PROTECTION

• Coverage to protect against cyber and ID fraud for entities that store data electronically

Our carriers offer water and sewer districts a variety of tools and services – from workers compensation support to bill paying options – to meet your unique needs. Our underwriting, claims and risk control teams are staffed with knowledgeable professionals dedicated solely to serving public entities. Below is a quick rundown of what  we can provide for water and sewer districts:

Underwriting

Underwriters stay abreast of public affairs and evolving legal and social issues in your area. They’re devoted to creating balanced, effective insurance solutions that address your unique needs.
They can provide:
• Broad coverage forms tailored for publicly-owned utilities (such as underground piping and pumps)
• Broadened pollution provision to address chlorine/sodium hypochlorite in water or sewage purification processes as well as sewer backup incidents
• Failure-to-supply limits applicable for water, gas or electric operations

Claim

Our claim professionals are dedicated solely to handling public entity claims. They understand state-specific issues and have extensive knowledge of the immunities and special defenses afforded to public entities. Other claim highlights include:
• 24/7 claim reporting online or our toll-free number
• Dedicated claim professionals assigned to manage and coordinate your claim
• Quick service and local expertise from one of a number of claim offices situated nationwide
• State-of-the-art workers compensation claims technology
• Access to unique workers compensation web site dedicated to injured employees

Risk Control

The risk control team can help strengthen your risk management program with a number of special tools and services:

• Online products and services
–– Assistance with continuity of operations planning
–– Training modules for unique risks like flagging/traffic control
–– Property, Preservation, a one-stop shop for valuable program guides, checklists and technical bulletins
–– Safety self assessments through Virtual Risk Manager
• Certified Boiler & Machinery inspections and consultations
• Risk control specialists to assist in analyzing digging sites for pipe-laying hazards
• Nationwide network of fire protection specialists with experience serving public entities
• Workers compensation specialists available for post-injury management
• Local risk control specialists
• Robust website with broad array of information to help address challenges specific to water and sewer districts

Bill Pay

We offer direct bill and agency bill plans on an annual, semi-annual or quarterly basis in order to fit your cash flow needs.

Backed by Financial Strength
And, as always, you’re backed by the financial strength. Our carriers are a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and have received consistently high ratings for financial strength and claims paying ability from independent ratings services, including A.M. Best, Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s.

For more information, call Diana Motseniat at 877-239-0067 ext. 111.

After nearly a decade of rate declines, insurers also are typically seeking to raise rates on umbrella and excess liability insurance of between 8 and 10 percent, according to Marsh’s August 2012 Construction Market Update.

According to the report, rates for project-specific general liability, general liability wraps, controlled insurance programs, builders’ risk, environmental insurance, and contractors professional insurance, have generally remained flat or up only slightly in 2012.

Although the workers’ compensation market has been relatively stable for good quality risks, rates have increased in many states as underwriters continue to grapple with deteriorating combined ratios and escalating medical costs, Marsh said in its report. Forthcoming changes to the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s experience modification calculations—which help to determine workers’ compensation rate.

Paperless Insurance Services provides insurance quotes for construction companies from A+ rated insurers to B+ rated risk retention group. Get instant quote now at www.paperless-insurance.com

Easy Way to Quote and Bind Online

We offer an advanced and intuitive online application that allows to facilitate the quotation, binding and policy issuance process for our customers. For qualified applicants, a quote and policy may be processed in minutes.

Coverage Features

We’re confident that our program will bring you superior underwriting and service. That said, the policy’s coverage will remain packed with coveted features and include 2 free hours of access to a toll-free, confidential risk management hotline and, for qualifying risks, new coverage endorsements, may be available, including:

• Mold endorsement
• Franchise endorsement
• Subpoena Coverage endorsement
• Network Security and Theft of Data endorsement

Learn More

To learn more about our Real Estate Errors and Omissions, check out our Real Estate E&O page or contact Paperless Insurance Services today at:
Phone: 877-239-0067
E-mail: re@paperlessgroup.com
Web: paperless-insurance.com/get-a-quote-now/

Ohio ranks 7th among the 50 states in longshore and harbor worker activity based on total tons of waterborne domestic cargo handled through a state’s ports.

The Marine Industry Fund provides coverage for injuries, disease and death resulting from longshore and harbor worker duties for Ohio employers with employees who work on or about navigable waters, as required by the Federal Longshoremen and Harbor Workers’ Act.

The Act requires employers with workers engaged in maritime employment to have this type of insurance. This includes pier, wharf, dry dock, terminal, building way, marine railway and other adjoining areas customarily used by an employer in loading, unloading, repairing, or building a vessel.

Ohio employers may choose to participate in the Marine Industry Fund, purchase insurance from a private carrier, or self insure if approved by the U.S. Department Labor.

Source: Ohio BWC

Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson announced a new online tool designed to educate and assist Ohioans in finding auto insurance that fits their needs. The Auto Insurance Sample Premium Calculator, available at www.insurance.ohio.gov, can be used to compare sample premium quotes voluntarily provided by participating insurance companies as well as obtain contact information for these companies.

It was developed through the combined efforts of the insurance department and members of the auto insurance industry in Ohio.

Here is how the Auto Insurance Sample Premium Calculator works:

The consumer is asked a series of questions designed to collect some of the information that is considered when insurance companies determine the premium rates they charge, including the location, how much the consumer operates the vehicle and the type of coverage needed.

Once the information has been entered, a list of the participating insurance companies and sample premium estimates will appear on the results page.

The results page includes sortable columns with insurance company contact information including company name, phone number, email address, as well as the annual premium estimates and the date the premium estimates were last updated.

It is important to note that the sample premiums shown are not exact insurance quotes. The actual premium is based on the consumer’s specific circumstances and more than likely will be higher or lower than the sample premium quotes shown in the results page. The Calculator is designed to give the user a basic idea of how much their premiums may be. Those who use the Calculator will still need to contact their insurance agent or insurance company directly to receive an exact premium quote.

There are also educational links and information in a “helpful links” box to help research all insurance companies and shop for the insurance that suits a person’s needs.

Source: Ohio Department of Insurance

Paperless Insurance Services Comment: We at Paperless Insurance understand the value of instant quotes and coverage comparison. That’s why for the past several months we’ve been working hard to build such system for insurance shoppers around our glorious country. Check back later for more announcements.