Grill the Safe Way!

Grilling is a great way to enjoy the summer weather and bring the family together. But grills can be dangerous, and are responsible for approximately 2,900 structural fires and 5,000 outdoor fires on residential properties every year. To keep you and your family safe, keep these grilling tips in mind at your next cookout.

• Do not allow children or pets to play near the grilling area until the grill is completely cooled and you have a chance to put it away in its designated spot.


• Place the grill at least three feet away from other objects, including your house, trees and outdoor seating.


• Check the connection between the propane tank and the fuel line to make sure it is not leaking and is working properly before using a gas grill.


• Use starter fluid for grills that use charcoal only. Do not use starter fluid for gas grills.


• If you suspect that your gas grill is leaking, turn off the gas and repair the leak before lighting the grill again.


• Never use a match or any flame to check for leaks.


• Do not bring your grill into an unventilated or enclosed space such as your garage. This is a major fire hazard and also a carbon monoxide hazard.


• Use proper grilling utensils to remove and flip foods from the grill to prevent burn injuries. These cooking utensils have longer handles to minimize the need to place your hands too close to the hot surface of the grill.


• Scrub your grill after every use with a wire brush. This will prevent bits of leftover food from dropping through the grate and creating carcinogen-filled smoke.

The Importance of Terrorism Insurance

The risk of terrorism remains a serious concern for global companies. Despite signs that there has been progress worldwide in curbing major terrorism attacks, networks still exist, and the United States remains a target, of which we are reminded by recent attacks in New York’s Times Square and on a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas day 2009. Securing adequate financial protection against the catastrophic loss associated with terrorist events is of crucial importance for every company.

The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) of 2002, which created a federal terrorism insurance backstop, has been extended twice and is now set to expire at the end of 2014. However, terrorism remains a serious risk, especially in metropolitan areas, and according to a recent report by global broker Marsh, companies of all sizes and across all industries continued to purchase terrorism coverage in 2009.

How You Dress For Work Can Affect Your Career

Are you a fashion offender and don't care if you are? You may want to take a careful look at yourself before you leave for work. What you wear can determine your chances for job advancement.

According to an online survey of over 7,000 people on Monster.com, visible undergarments and tank tops are the worst items to wear in the workplace when the weather is warm. In another poll by CareerBuilder.com, over 1,100 employers agreed that employees who dress more professionally tend to be promoted more often.

CareerBuilder.com also reported that over 33 percent of employers have sent their workers home because of inappropriate clothing such as flip-flops, mini-skirts and jeans.

Confused about what is deemed acceptable? For casual workplaces, stick with casual button-down shirts, khaki pants, knitted shirts made out of breathable fabrics, and/or long skirts. If you are not sure about a certain item, err on the side of caution and choose something else.

No matter what the temperature is outside, dress appropriately for the work environment. You can put on that tank top and shorts the minute you get home!

Traveling With A Pet

The summer or holiday season often means traveling to places far away to see loved ones. If you plan on bringing your pet(s) along, ensure you have all your bases covered to make the trip as pleasant as possible:

• Before the trip, make a checklist of all the things your pet typically needs (such as a water bowl, medication or a favorite toy). Then use the checklist as you are packing for the getaway.


• Also before you leave, look up the nearest emergency centers along the route you are traveling, as well as at your final destination.


• Purchase a pet carrier that is large enough for your pet to stretch out and sleep. Label it with your name and contact information in several areas using permanent marker and waterproof labels.


• If traveling a long distance via car, bring cleaning materials and plastic bags in case he/she gets sick. It might be wise to avoid feeding your pet a full meal until you arrive at your destination (if it is a one-day trip.)


• Make sure your pet gets plenty of exercise before boarding a plane or getting in the car for a long trip. Also make sure to stop the car frequently to allow for bathroom breaks.
  

Pack a Healthy Lunch!

Everyone needs a healthy lunch. Many diseases can can be prevented just by eating the right foods. If you have children, you have the additional responsibility of making sure they eat nutritious meals and develop healthy food habits for the future. This means paying more attention to what your child eats for lunch on a daily basis. Sure, those prepackaged treats are convenient, but are you paying attention to their nutritional content?

So, what to put in your child’s lunch? Try the following options:

• Mini boxes of raisins


• Baby carrots


• Cheese cubes or sticks


• Leftovers from dinner


• Yogurt


• Celery and peanut butter


• Use pita bread instead of regular sliced bread for a sandwich


• Deviled eggs


• Cherry tomatoes


• Bagels (look for whole grain or whole wheat)


• Cereal bars (make sure to check the sugar content)

No time to prepare lunches in the morning? Try doing it the night before!

School cafeterias are also getting progressively healthier, which is great news for your kids! According to the School Nutrition Association, 99 percent of school districts now offer fat-free or low fat-milk, 98.8 percent offer fresh fruits and vegetables, and 96.3 percent have whole grain items on the menu.

Many schools offer their lunch menus ahead of time in the newspaper or online. Before you send your child to school with money in hand for lunch, check out the menu for the day and ensure it is the best choice.

These guidelines need not apply to just your child’s lunch! Use these same principles when making your own lunch for work as well. For more information on current events related to school nutrition, visit www.schoolnutrition.org.

Starting a Summer League or Camp? You Need Amateur Sports Insurance.

Organizing or sponsoring amateur sports leagues or camps can be a rewarding way to promote physical fitness in both youth and adults. As you prepare for these activities, remember that as the coach or administrator, you are faced with the risk of injury or personal loss. It is your responsibility to provide coverage for all participants, staff and facilities of the insured group for all activities that include participation in scheduled or supervised events, practice sessions and travel.

Amid the many challenges associated with organizing a league or camp, building a risk management plan and navigating the complicated web of insurance options might seem overwhelming. Your insurance professional or industry specialist can help you understand the specific risks associated with the activity you will be controlling and ensure that you purchase the right amount of coverage, which might include:

• Accident medical coverage, which applies to medical expenses incurred as a result of an injury sustained while participating in the insured activity. This coverage is typically written on an excess basis over other collectible medical insurance.


• Workers’ compensation insurance may apply to injuries sustained by staff members, depending on state laws.


• Liability coverage protects coaches, volunteers, officers, directors, teams, associations or leagues against claims of bodily injury, property damage, advertising and personal injury, plus the litigation costs to defend against such claims. Legal liability to participants generally responds to suits made against you by a participant involved in an athletic or sports-related activity that you control, promote or sponsor.


• Equipment floater policies can insure the transportation of league equipment or even portable concession stands.
  

How Employers Can Control Health Care Costs

>Employer-sponsored health care costs are expected to continue growing. Here are several strategies you may use to control your health care costs.

1. Conduct a dependent eligibility audit to weed out ineligible dependents. Begin with an amnesty period to allow employees to voluntarily remove ineligible dependents without penalty.
   
2. If you have retirees on your health plan, make sure your claims administrator is correctly integrating with Medicare.


3. Audit your claims administrator to ensure that all claims eligible for stop-loss reimbursement have been accurately reported to your excess risk carrier.


4. If self-insured, negotiate changes in your ASO fees to reflect probable changes in your company’s wages and salaries next year.


5. Consider offering a Consumer-Driven Health Plan (CDHP). This often comes in the form of a high-deductible health plan paired with a health savings account (HSA).


6. Examine your prescription drug plan and consider adding alternate drug plans, such as a CDHP option. Or, if you have a three-tier Rx plan, redesign the tiers to encourage lower-cost generics. Consider adding a fourth tier for pricey “lifestyle” drugs.


7. Analyze carrier data to identify common chronic diseases or conditions within your company, and implement a disease management program.


8. Routinely educate employees on smart consumerism strategies, the importance of preventive care, and the availability of low-cost medical or prescription options in your area.


9. Raise your employee deductibles, copayments and/or out-of-pocket maximums. This will encourage employees to think twice about their health care expenditures, plus will save you money.


10. Increase your use of health and wellness incentives. Offer incentives for behaviors such as taking a health risk assessment or participating in a smoking cessation, weight management or fitness program. Incentives may include gift cards, cash or discounted premiums.

Dealing With Workplace Bullying

Bullying may have been tolerated on the grade school playground but should have been left behind when playing hopscotch and four-square became juvenile. Unfortunately, workplace bullying is a dilemma that many people still face as grown adults.
Bullies use words and actions to intimidate others through humiliation and taunting. While at work, no one deserves to be uncomfortable, especially when simply trying to do good work.

Here are some useful suggestions for resolving problems with a workplace bully:

• Confront the bully in a professional manner if you are not being physically threatened. While doing so, do not yell; simply explain that the behavior is unwanted.


• Do not try to rally others on your side. Instead, handle the problem without causing unnecessary conflict.


• Do not allow the bully to intimidate you or make you feel bad about yourself.


• Do your job as well as you can and try not to let him/her affect your performance.


• Keep the contact that you have with other staff members consistent. Do not allow the bully to isolate you.

If you cannot resolve the situation on your own, seek out assistance from the Human Resources department or a supervisor. After all, if people are wasting time bullying others, they are not doing their jobs!

Cutting Corners May Be Dangerous

If you are in the habit of taking safety shortcuts at work, it’s time to break it! Exposing yourself and others to the dangers associated with taking shortcuts can be deadly. Even if the task will only take a few minutes, or you’ve done it many times before, it’s not worth risking your health and safety by taking a shortcut.

The safe way may not be the shortest, but safety procedures are in place for a reason. And ignoring them could result in disaster. The following rules are some of your best safety tools.

• Do not take an unsafe entrance or exit into a jobsite or work area; it may pose unseen hazards.


• Never remove or tamper with a machine safeguard.


• Wear the proper personal protective equipment.


• Use the right tools for the job, such as scaffolds for work in high areas or the appropriate power tool.


• Can’t reach something overhead? Get a ladder!


• Moving an awkward load? The buddy system will help save your back!


• Be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially when moving a load.


• Always maintain a safety-first attitude and alert your supervisor if you witness unsafe practices.

Take a minute to think about the consequences of taking a shortcut. Remember, the fastest way to do something isn’t always the safest.

Breaks for Nursing Mothers Now Law

Among its many components, the recently passed health care reform bill included a provision that modifies the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to require employers to provide reasonable break time and a private place for female employees to express milk after giving birth. There are five requirements that employers must abide by:

1. Employers must provide reasonable break time for nursing mothers.


2. A private place other than a bathroom must be provided for the breaks.


3. Compensation during the breaks is not required.


4. Small employers need not comply if doing so would present an “undue hardship.”


5. State laws that provide greater protection to nursing mothers still apply.

The section of the law with this provision took effect on March 23, 2010, so employers must immediately take action to comply with this law (except those in a state that already mandates breaks for nursing mothers). Employers should:

• Identify one or more private locations for nursing mothers.


• Review and modify relevant policies and procedures, including break policies, breast-feeding policies and employee handbooks.


• Communicate with managers supervisors about the changes.

Combat Heavy Equipment Theft With Proper Policy

In many parts of the country, spring and summer months mean more than just warm weather – they also mean construction season. As temperatures begin to rise, so do occurrences of heavy equipment theft.

Businesses engaged in construction, road maintenance and agriculture are all subject to loss because of stolen equipment. Heavy equipment used in these industries is vulnerable because it is valuable, cases are hard to investigate, it is difficult to recover, easy to steal and relatively easy to re-sell after theft.

To prevent equipment theft, be sure to register all your company’s machines on the National Equipment Register, which provides a large database of equipment ownership and theft reports in addition to providing theft prevention advice and reference materials.

Also, be sure your insurance policies are current and that your most valuable equipment is covered.

Most commonly stolen equipment include:
- Tractors
- Skid steer loaders
- Backhoe loaders
- Excavators
- Dozers

Group Health Insurance Rates Are Still Climbing

A survey released recently by the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers reveals that group health insurance rates are increasing on a wide scale for 2011 renewals.

• For small accounts (50 or fewer employees), 86 percent saw increases and half of those increased 11 to 20 percent.


• 58 percent of medium-sized accounts (51-500 employees) are seeing increases of 6 to 15 percent.


• Of large group accounts (501 or more employees) 51 percent saw rate increases of 6 to 15 percent.

Employers of all sizes are looking at plan design changes in response to the rate increases, including strategies to shift more cost to employees and implementing consumer-driven plans.

New Regulations for Grandfathered Health Plans

The recent health care reform law provides that certain “grandfathered” plans are exempt from some of the new requirements under the law. Recently, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury issued regulations to clarify which plans could retain grandfathered status.

Making significant changes to reduce benefits or increase costs will cause a plan to lose its grandfathered status, including the following changes:

• Significantly cutting or reducing benefits - such as no longer covering care for certain diseases


• Significantly raising co-payment charges - cannot raise more than $5, adjusted annually for medical inflation


• Raising co-insurance percentages


• Significantly raising deductibles - can only increase by a percentage equal to medical inflation plus 15 percentage points – based on recent inflation rates, about 19-20 percent annual increases would be allowed


• Significantly reducing employer contributions - cannot decrease these contributions by more than 5 percentage points


• Adding or tightening an annual limit on what the insurer pays - plans without an annual limit cannot add one, and plans with a limit cannot decrease it


• Changing insurance companies switching insurers removes grandfathered status

Combustible Dust Hazards: Educate yourself and your employees

According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Department of Labor (DOL) statistics, more than 130 workers have been killed and 780 injured in combustible dust explosions in the last 30 years. In 2008, a dust explosion killed 14 workers in a Georgia sugar factory, which resulted in more than $8 million in fines from OSHA.

Combustible dust is a particularly dangerous hazard because it can be hard to see and comes from many different sources. Recent fatalities have drawn attention to the issue, and OSHA is currently conducting stakeholder meetings to discuss implementing strict regulations pertaining to combustible dust. In addition, OSHA put in place a combustible dust national emphasis program following the sugar factory catastrophe.

Since OSHA has its gaze set on combustible dust, now is a good time to learn whether your business is at risk and what actions you can take to prevent accidents and costly fines.

In short, combustible dusts are solids that are ground into extremely fine particles, suspended in air and easily ignite under certain conditions. Explosions can be exceptionally powerful because in some workplaces, and without proper housekeeping procedures, combustible dust can be suspended over vast areas of the workplace. Solids ground into slightly larger particles, such as chips, chunks and flakes, are also at risk of combustion when they become suspended.

Another reason combustible dust is particularly hazardous is because it is present in a vast number of workplaces. The most common types of combustible dust include:

• Metals, particularly aluminum and magnesium
• Wood
• Plastic and rubber
• Coal
• Biosolids
• Other organic dust like sugar, flour, paper and soap
• Certain textile materials

Businesses in the following industries have the greatest need to be aware of combustible dust hazards and develop safety and awareness plans:

• Agriculture
• Food products
• Chemicals
• Textiles
• Forest and furniture products
• Metal processing
• Tire/rubber manufacturing
• Paper products manufacturing
• Pharmaceuticals
• Wastewater treatment
• Recycling operations
• Coal handling/processing

Any number of things can ignite a cloud of combustible dust, including electrostatic discharge, friction, equipment arcing, hot surfaces and fire. The wide range of ignition sources illustrates the need to engage in good housekeeping practices because many of the sources are uncontrollable. Post-explosion, it is often impossible to pinpoint a source. In these cases, the explosions are often attributed to static electricity.

Poor or inadequate ventilation can also be a problem in facilities susceptible to combustible dust. Take the following measures to ensure your system is up to par.
• Make sure dust collectors, ductwork and other containers are equipped with the popular explosion prevention and mitigation controls.
• Make sure ventilation is sufficient for the size of the room or space it serves.
• Have design information on dust collection systems readily available to prove compliance and good faith efforts if necessary.
• Listen to all warning signs or alerts that equipment may not be functioning properly.
• Eliminate all ignition sources from areas of high susceptibility.
• Find out whether electrical equipment in the area is specially designed for use in a hazardous location.

OSHA has the authority to issue citations for several violations as they relate to combustible dusts that expand far beyond proper housekeeping. Reference the list below to ensure you have all your bases covered in case of an inspection.

• General duty clause violations
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) violations
• Process safety management (PSM) violations
• Electrical violations
• Hazard communication violations
• Powered industrial truck violations
• Welding, cutting and brazing violations
• Warning sign violations
• Egress violations
• Fire protection violations

Click here to access OSHA’s safety and health topic section on combustible dust, and contact CLG with any further questions or concerns

"Short-cuts" can be unsafe

Which of the following “hurry up” facts have you caught yourself doing?

• Skipped wearing safety glasses because the job should only take a few minutes.


• Used the wrong ladder because the proper one was too far away.


• Reached “just a little bit further” on the ladder so you did not have to get down and move it.


• Took a short cut between machinery or stockpiles of materials.


• Used a wrench instead of a hammer because your hammer was in your toolbox on the other side of the room.

Do any of these sound familiar? When hurrying on the job, you do not end up speeding up the work you are trying to complete – you are actually just speeding up your chance of having an accident! The list of risks are endless when you put safety on the backburner to get things done faster.

Practice safety ⎯ don’t learn it through accidents.

Summer Safety Tips: Protect yourself, your family and your employees

The combination of heat and humidity can be a serious health threat during the summer months. People who work or stay outside during the day are susceptible to heat stroke, heat exhaustion and sun poisoning when they are exposed to excessive amounts of sun. To beat the heat:

• Drink plenty of water before you get thirsty.


• Wear light, loose-fitting, breathable clothing, such as items made of cotton.


• Eat smaller meals before work activity.


• Ask your doctor if the heat will aggravate your body because of any medications you are taking, and take the proper precautions.


• Be aware that equipment such as respirators or work suits can increase heat stress.


• Don’t forget to use sunblock of at least 15 SPF, which blocks out 92 percent of harmful UV rays. 

Do You Know the Warning Signs Of Dehydration?

You can lose up to 10 cups of water a day by sweating, breathing and eliminating waste. This is potentially harmful to your body since water and electrolytes are essential for proper body functions. To combat heat-related illnesses, re-hydrate immediately when you experience one or more of these symptoms:

• Excessive thirst


• Sleepiness or fatigue


• Dry mouth


• Muscle weakness


• Headache


• Dizziness or lightheadedness


• In warm weather, skip the soda or coffee, which contain caffeine, and go straight for H2O!

Stay Alert for Cargo Theft

Studies show that supply chain protection is one area that businesses usually forget about until they experience a physical loss.

International and cross-country transport is a large part of today’s business world. It is not only how companies move their product to consumers, but also how they get raw materials to conduct their day-to-day business.

For every item created, packed and shipped, there is likely a criminal who would steal it. It is a crime that the FBI estimates costs the United States upwards of $15-30 billion each year and affects every company’s bottom line. Prevent cargo theft of materials to minimize your risk and save you both time and money in these tough economic conditions. Use these tips:

• Be alert, especially if you see unknown vehicles parked outside your facility or following a company truck.


• Respond immediately to any suspicious activity.


• Manage your inventory carefully – know what and how much is entering and leaving your facility.


• Carefully screen and train employees.


• Know your supply chain and your carriers, and whether the cargo is incoming or outgoing.


• Use basic safety practices, such as locks and alarms on all trucks.

In addition to physically protecting your cargo make sure you also have the appropriate insurance coverage.