The following guide will provide tips for preventing claims with alternative heating within your home.
To download the guide, click here.
Risk Management Guides, Aides, Tips & Tricks
Risk Management Guides, Aides, Tips & Tricks
The following guide will provide tips for preventing claims with alternative heating within your home.
To download the guide, click here.
The following information comes from FirstComp Insurance. The full article can be found here.
Employers are required to protect their employees from workplace hazards through the use of engineering and/or administrative controls. The purpose of engineering controls is to prevent employee exposure to potential machine, equipment or work environment hazards. Administrative or work practice controls remove exposure to potential hazards by changing the way employees perform their jobs. When these controls are not feasible or do not provide adequate protection, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. PPE may be used alongside, but not in place of, engineering and/or administrative controls.
To determine which personal protection is appropriate you must:
Eye and Face Protection
There are five basic types of eye and face protection available: safety glasses, goggles, face shields, welding helmets and laser eyewear. Wearing eye protection correctly is as important as choosing the right equipment. Safety glasses, which provide front and side protection, should grip your head snugly and sit comfortably on the bridge of your nose. Goggles, which can be worn over prescription and safety glasses, should also fit snugly and seal the entire eye area. Face shields, welding helmets and laser eyewear should also fit snugly. Always wear safety glasses or goggles underneath shields and helmets for extra protection. Contact lenses and phototropic (variable-tint) lenses are often prohibited in some work environments, so check your employer’s rules.
Hearing Protection
Protect yourself from repeated exposure to excessive noise by wearing earplugs or ear muffs. Disposable earplugs are made from many types of material. The denser the material, the higher the Noise Reduction Rating. Throw away disposable earplugs as soon as you remove them. Earmuffs are filled with liquid or foam. When worn with earplugs, they offer the best protection from sound and flying debris. Make sure there’s a good cup seal around your ear. Store reusable hearing protection away from damaging substances and conditions after you clean them.
Head Protection
Use head protection such as hard hats whenever working in areas where falling or flying objects are possible and when working near exposed electrical conductors and moving machinery. Hard hats approved by the American National Standards Institute are tested to withstand a 40 foot-pound impact which is the equivalent of a 2 pound hammer falling about 20 feet. There should always be a space between the top of your head and the inside shell of the hat. This space allows the suspension system to absorb most of the impact from a striking object, and allows for air circulation. Check for a good fit by bending over with the hat on and shaking your head. The hat shouldn’t fall off because of its own weight. The suspension systems should be washed and inspected monthly. If any part is frayed or worn, replace it immediately.
Hand Protection
Hands and fingers are the most vulnerable part of the body. Knives cause most injuries to the hands, but working around chemicals, abrasive or corrosive materials, electrical equipment, machinery and hand tools can also be dangerous. Cut-resistant gloves should be worn when working with sharp objects or sharp tools. Wear appropriate gloves to protect against specific workplace hazards since no one glove will protect you against all hazards.
Foot Protection
Safety footwear protects you from compression, impact, punctures and chemicals. Types of foot protection include work shoes or boots and specialty items. Work shoes or boots are for long term use around heavy machinery and wet, muddy, frigid or high heat conditions. Specialty footwear includes spikes and chains, thermal socks and liners, leg, foot and metatarsal guards. For work around water, chemicals, oil or grease wear rubber or plastic foot protection with slip- and oil resistant soles.
Special Protective Clothing
When working around open flames or sparks, flame retardant clothing is required. Special protectors such as leather aprons protect against hazards posed by heavy, sharp or rough materials.
Fall Protection
Every year, many workers are injured in falls that could have been prevented if they had been using fall protection. The most effective piece of fall protection, when correctly secured, is the full body harness. A properly adjusted full body harness will spread the shock load over your body in the event of a fall. The shock absorber will lower you to a safe, slow stop.
The following information comes from the Utah Safety Council:
Use of ladders was associated with an estimated 161,940 injuries treated in hospital emergency departments.
The legs and feet were injured most often and the most common injury to them were strains and sprains.
Fractures were the most common injury type, usually involving the arms and hands. Sprains and strains were the most common injury to the lower body area; contusions and abrasions for the upper body area including shoulders and neck; lacerations and abrasions to the head and face.
SELECTION: When choosing a portable ladder, consider:
• Type (step ladder, straight or extension ladders)
• Length (convenient height without reaching)
• Strength (determine the weight and stress the ladder has to bear)
• Material (wood is non-conductive, heavy, and rots; metal is light, weather-resistant, but conducts electricity; and fiberglass is light, long-lasting, non-conductive, and has good traction.)
Inspect all ladders before using them. Have them look for loose, broken, or missing parts, slippery rungs, skid-resistant features, movable parts, and ample oil on metal bearings. Don’t use damaged ladders. Instead have the ladders repaired or destroyed.
SAFE USE: A few precautions for safe ladder use include the following:
• Do not use metal ladders near electrical lines.
• Don’t tie ladders together.
• Set the ladder on a firm, solid surface.
• Place a straight or extension ladder at an angle so that the ladder’s base is about one foot out for every four feet of ladder working length (support point to base).
• Face the ladder and use both hands to grip the side rails when climbing or descending.
• Don’t carry tools up a ladder—hoist tools up to you or wear a tool belt.
• Do not stand on the top two steps of a stepladder or the top four rungs of a straight ladder.
• If your belt buckle goes outside of the side rails, you are reaching too far. Reposition the ladder.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE: Here are a few pointers on your ladder care and maintenance:
• Avoid makeshift portable ladder repairs.
• Do not try to straighten or use a bent ladder.
• Always have a qualified person perform repairs.
• Store ladders in areas with good ventilation, no tripping hazards, no nearby sources of heat or moisture, and in an area that lends itself to safe withdrawal of any ladders you need.
The Importance of a Seatbelt Policy
Implementing and enforcing a seatbelt policy can save lives, minimize injuries and protect your company against financial losses.
Accident Costs Have a Snowball Effect
After an accident, most employers expect to see increases in workers compensation premiums and vehicle liability insurance costs. However, they don’t anticipate the many indirect costs such as hiring and training a replacement or covering sick leave.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), a vehicle crash with non-fatal injuries costs an employer $68,100, while a fatal crash costs $1,290,400.
The two primary areas where employers bear the costs of vehicle crashes are fringe benefit costs and non-fringe benefit costs. Fringe benefit costs are those paid as a result of an injury or fatality. Non-fringe benefit costs are more indirect costs, such as administrative costs, decreased productivity and replacement training.
Fringe benefits costs include:
Seatbelt Policy Basics
A safe driving program including mandatory seatbelt use can save a lot of money. A report from the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety shows that for every million miles of company travel, a safety program can save $50,000.
Establish a Seatbelt Policy
Develop a strict seatbelt policy that includes training and awareness, enforcement, evaluation — and even employee incentives.
Create Seatbelt Usage Rules
Establish the details of your policy. Make sure it requires employees (both drivers and passengers) to buckle up 100% of the time. This policy should apply regardless of how big or small the vehicle or how quick the trip.
Make Training Mandatory
Even though your employees probably know how to properly fasten seatbelts, don’t leave it to chance. Train all employees on proper techniques for cars, pickups and any other vehicles your company operates. This training lets you make sure all employees understand what’s expected of them.
Raise Internal Awareness
Create an annual or semi-annual awareness campaign. There are plenty of organizations that offer free materials on seatbelt campaigns. This is one of the easiest, cheapest and most convenient ways to support your seatbelt policy.
Enforcement
Be vigilant in enforcing your seatbelt policy. Let employees know that violating the policy carries the same consequences as violating any other company safety rule. Always take progressive disciplinary action for unbuckled drivers.
Evaluation
Create a baseline for comparison of current seatbelt use. Then regularly evaluate your company’s progress toward a 100% buckled-up goal.
This article was taken from a Family Safety & Health article entitled “Easy as A B C” from the Spring 2013.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration nearly 375,000 residential building fires are reported each year. Half of these fires are considered “confined,” which means they are smaller, do not spread and are limited to, say, a cooking pot.
The other half of reported fires are considered “non-confined” – blazes that spread beyond a limited area. The vast majority of the annual 2,600 fire deaths and 13,00 fire injuries occur in these “non-confined fires.”
Proper use of a fire extinguisher on a small fire can help save lives by preventing the fire from growing larger. Here are some things to remember about the selection, use and storage of fire extinguishers.
Please Note: Extinguishers should only be used for small fires, such as a fire in a pan or waste can. A fire can spread quickly and in minutes may grow so large that a fire extinguisher is not adequate. Only trained firefighters can properly and safely extinguish such a blaze. Additionally, consider visiting your local fire department to receive hands-on training the proper use of fire extinguishers.
Selection and Use
Now all fire extinguishers will work well on every type of fire. Fires are identified by classes based on the materials involved in the fire, and fire extinguishers have labels noting which class of fire they can put out.
Class A fire extinguishers are used on combustible materials. Class B extinguishers are used on flammable liquids. Class C extinguishers are used on electrical equipment.
However, some fire extinguishers may be used on more than one type of fire. An extinguisher labeled B-C could be used on both grease fires and toaster fires. An extinguisher labeled A-B-C could be used on most home fires, according to the USFA.
The Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends buying a multi-purpose extinguisher large enough to be effective in putting out small fires and light enough to handle without much difficulty.
Before using an extinguisher on a fire, alert other people in the area and have someone call the fire department. Don’t use an extinguisher if a lot of smoke is in the room or if your instincts are telling you it would not be safe to do so, the USFA warns. In these situations, evacuate the building and wait for trained firefighters to put out the blaze.
When you decide it is safe to use a fire extinguisher, take precautions to identify an escape route and ensure the fire is not blocking it, the USFA advises.
People should remember “PASS” to safely use fire extinguishers, according to the National Fire Protection Association:
Maintenance and Storage
Store fire extinguishers near room exits so you can easily escape if the flames grow out of control or the room fills with smoke. Also, make sure access to the extinguisher is not blocked during an emergency. The National Safety Council recommends keeping an extinguisher near the furnace, garage and anywhere else a fire may start, including the kitchen. Regularly check the pressure gauge on the extinguisher to make sure it is at the recommended level. Extinguishers with gauges indicate when the pressure is too high or too low. Check the extinguisher to ensure all the parts are undamaged and the nozzles are free of insects or other debris, as well as for signs of damage such as dents or rust.
Take a look at the following checklist to ensure you protect yourself from potential hazards in your home.