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How to Onboard and Train Employees into a Safety Culture

How to Onboard and Train Employees into a Safety CultureOnce you attract and hire qualified job candidates to your open positions, having an onboarding and training process can help employees work safely and effectively. A continuous onboarding program will help orient employees not only to the functional details of employment, such as appropriate safety procedures, but also to the safety culture of the organization.

Employee retention strategies, such as onboarding and training programs, can also help protect the considerable time and expense invested in recruiting and hiring new employees. According to the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) at the University of California at Berkeley, the costs of replacing an employee are approximately 9% of an employee’s annual wage. In addition to any lost productivity and institutional knowledge, those costs include recruitment, selection, the costs of learning on the job and any separation costs.Read More »How to Onboard and Train Employees into a Safety Culture

Contractor Insurance Requirements – A Primer

This article was originally published by AmWINS Group, Inc. It was edited and rewritten to simplify the content. To read the original article please click here.

primerWhen risk management department is assigned to focus on the major project, including construction, with particular attention to the insurance requirements to be imposed on the general contractor and any subcontractors, it’s very important not to make the insurance requirements so onerous that contractors are discouraged from bidding on the project.For those of us, who has not been involved in such projects before, let’s review insurance requirements from different projects and how those may affect our company (let’s call it ABC company – the one who impose insurance requirements).
Outdated Insurance Terminology
What may strike us about the old insurance requirements is the insurance terminology used. There is reference to “comprehensive general liability insurance” including endorsements listed as “broad form property damage,” “broad form blanket contractual liability,” “cross liability,” “XCU” and “additional named insured.” The limits are also listed as split limits – one applicable to bodily injury, and another lesser limit applicable to property damage.Similarly, the auto insurance requirement refers to “comprehensive auto liability” and workers’ compensation insurance includes the “broad form all states endorsement.” Further, all of the requirements are to be evidenced by a certificate of insurance that provides certificate holder a 30 days advance notice of cancellation. It becomes readily apparent that these requirements are so outdated as to be virtually useless – the coverage, endorsements and limits listed are obsolete and are no longer available. We must start from the beginning.Read More »Contractor Insurance Requirements – A Primer

Study: Opioid-Related Deaths Cut by 25% in Medical Marijuana States

Medical Marijuana InsuranceOpioid-Related Deaths Cut by 25% in Medical Marijuana States according to a new multi-institutional study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine and led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, which examined the rate of deaths caused by opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2010. Results reveal that on average, the 13 states allowing the use of medical marijuana had a 24.8 percent lower annual opioid overdose mortality rate after the laws were enacted than states without the laws, indicating that the alternative treatment may be safer for patients suffering from chronic pain related to cancer and other conditions.

Opioid analgesics, such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin, are prescribed for moderate to severe pain, and work by suppressing a person’s perception of pain. Approximately 60 percent of all deaths resulting from opioid analgesic overdoses occur in patients who have legitimate prescriptions. Additionally, the proportion of patients in the United States who are prescribed opioids for non-cancer pain has almost doubled over the past decade, indicating the need to do a more focused examination on the safety and efficacy of these and other treatment options. In states allowing the use of medical cannabis, the drugs may be prescribed as an alternative to opioids.
Read More »Study: Opioid-Related Deaths Cut by 25% in Medical Marijuana States

Report: New Emerging Risks

Report New Emerging RisksSwiss Re has released a report – ”New emerging risk insights,” which is based on the reinsurer’s SONAR process, described as a “unique tool which uses Swiss Re’s internal risk management expertise to observe and evaluate new and emerging risks.”

Some of the other emerging risks examined in the SONAR report includes the following:

  • Cloud computing security
  • Contagious emerging market crisis
  • Eurozone crisis leading to deflation
  • Short-termism of macro-policy measures
  • Air pollution as mortality driver
  • Concussion crisis in sports
  • Democratisation of genetic testing
  • Digital slander
  • E-cigarettes
  • Financial consumer protection regulation
  • From closed to open business models
  • Food and water safety: trade-offs with growthRead More »Report: New Emerging Risks

Top 10 States and Cities for Job Growth

According to Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business that provides rankings and analysis of the winners and losers based on the latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – overall, 12 states showed job growth of at least two percent last year, the same pace as in 2012. The number of jobs added nationwide last year was 2.26 million. Final, revised numbers on state and city job growth for the year 2013 shows top 10 states for non-agricultural job growth, comparing 2013 to 2012:

1. North Dakota – up 3.6%
2. Utah – up 3.2%
3. California – up 3%
4, 5. Texas and Colorado– 2.9%
6. Nevada – up 2.7%
7. Idaho – up 2.6%
8. Florida – up 2.5%
9. Washington – up 2.2%
10. Arizona – up 2.1%Read More »Top 10 States and Cities for Job Growth

Negative Review and Freedom of Speech

Are you buying a fair amount of goods or services online and sometimes wish to leave a negative review? Do you always read the ToS fine print? Have you heard of a so called “disparagement clause”?

If you own a business and are exposed to online reviews think twice before adding disparagement clause to your ToS contract, as such can be found as violating rights of free speech.

Read More »Negative Review and Freedom of Speech

Commercial Kitchen Fire Safety

commercial grade kitchen equipmentOperation of a commercial grade kitchen, many safety considerations should be addressed, including food safety, employee and volunteer safety, and fire safety. This blog post addresses the specific issues associated with providing adequate fire safety for your kitchen.

Commercial cooking operations are defined as kitchens that have cooking equipment that produce grease and grease laden vapors. This includes flat grills, char broilers and deep fat fryers. The typical residential range (electric or gas) would not be considered a grease producing appliance. Other equipment, such as ovens, microwaves and steam kettles also fall into the non-grease producing appliance category. The following is information regarding two of the most common types of equipment that produce grease and/or grease laden vapors.

Deep Fat Fryers

Deep fat fryers are a major cause of kitchen fires. Oil can splash and easily come into contact with an open flame from an adjacent piece of cooking equipment, such as a gas-fired range top. A 18-inch clearance must be maintained between the deep fat fryer and the open flame cooking equipment. If a 18-inch clearance is not possible, a vertical steel barrier extending 12 inches above the top of the deep fat fryer or open flame appliance(s) can be used as an alternative means of protection.Read More »Commercial Kitchen Fire Safety

Protect your personal information from online risks

Going online has become part of everyday life – whether for shopping, sending emails or paying bills, or managing accounts. However, many worry that technology-related issues, including unsolicited emails and unsecured websites, can affect information stored online. The 2013 Travelers Consumer Risk Index shows that 41% of Americans worry about computer and technology issues. These were ranked second among the top five risks causing the most concern. Taking precautions when browsing the Web can help reduce your risk of a cyber attack. Read these tips to learn how to help stay safe online.Read More »Protect your personal information from online risks

Coverage options for your barber and beauty business

Beauty Salon Parlor InsuranceCoverage for barber and beauticians professional liability is automatically included for your “employees” under the commercial general liability coverage form. We have the ability to provide professional liability coverage for barbers and beauticians that are independent contractors – this optional coverage is available for $25 per independent operator under the Additional Insured-Independent Operators form -CG T567 (11-03).

The form does require each operator be scheduled. For additional information, contact us via email or call 877-239-0067

Read More »Coverage options for your barber and beauty business

How to Prepare Your Home Before Your Vacation

Vacation is a time to escape for a little rest and relaxation, but it’s also the time thieves increasingly break into empty homes. According to recent claims data from insurance company Travelers, theft increases during the summer months largely because more people are away. But it’s not only criminals you have to worry about while you are kicking back, you also have to be concerned about…
Read More »How to Prepare Your Home Before Your Vacation