You’re probably doing everything you can (from detailed job descriptions through physical exams to comprehensive workplace safety programs) to minimize job-related injuries.
However, accidents happen, despite your best efforts. The sooner employees injured on the job return to work, the less it costs your Workers Compensation insurance company to treat them, the lower your “experience mod” – and your premiums.
The first step in the process is to make sure that workers report any injuries to their supervisor as soon as possible – definitely before the end of their shift.
Once an injury is reported, it’s essential to get the proper treatment. To find a list of board-certified occupational physicians in your area, go to www.acoem.org. If no specialist is available, choose a doctor who is familiar with the physical demands on workers in your business and knows what type of jobs you can provide to transition injured employees back to their full-time positions. If the doctor knows you will offer transitional duty to these workers, he or she will be far more likely to let them go back to work, rather than send them home to sit on the couch and watch infomercials for attorneys at 1-800-SUE-THEM.
Once these employees return to transitional jobs, they’ll be far more likely to work hard so they can get back to their full-time position – which means they’ll be more productive. The bottom line: a “rapid return” program can turn transform injured workers from liabilities into assets. What’s not to like?
Our agency’s Workers Compensation specialists stand ready to offer their advice on developing such a program tailored to your needs. Just give us a call at Scurich Insurance Services!
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Retail businesses are in the cross hairs of hackers, according to a recent report from Trustwave, a provider of data security and payment card compliance solutionto businesses.
Retail businesses – specifically the cardholder data they possess – were the primary target of cyber criminals in 2012, says Trustwave. About 45% of the company’s investigations were in the retail sector, followed by food and beverage (24%), and hospitality (9%).
“Cyber could very well be the largest part of the exposure picture for these retail businesses,” says John O’Connor, Vice President of Strategic Product & Platform Development for Travelers Insurance.
What makes the retail industry so appealing to cyber thieves? The sheer volume of payment cards used in these businesses make them obvious targets. Also, stores are relatively easy targets because they tend to focus primarily on customer service, rather than data security.
Widespread reporting of costly and embarrassing data breaches have made retailers increasingly aware of the exposures they face when storing customers’ data and swiping their credit cards.
Although hackers are targeting retailers of all sizes, smaller firms are particularly vulnerable because they often find it more difficult than their larger counterparts to keep their systems secure and to afford the heavy costs of notifying their customers about data breaches.
One insurance agent said, “A lot of these businesses aren’t the types that can absorb these costs. A data breach is one of those things they might not think about – but it can shutter their doors if it happens.”
The good news: our agency can help you protect you against these risks by offer a variety of comprehensive, competitively priced Cyber Liability policies. Just give us a call.
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Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) in the workplace are all too common – and a single accident can cost you thousands in medical payments and lost productivity.
To help businesses reduce STFs, Brian Roberts, Director of Workers Compensation and Ergonomics for CNA Insurance, has developed this six-point strategy, based on Japanese workplace practices:
- Sort. Organize and straighten the workplace to make sure that aisles and walkways are free of trip and fall hazards.
- Set in order. Analyze the efficiency of motion and workflow on the job (for example, review employee walking patterns and chart the results).
- Shine. Eliminate all forms of contamination – such as dirt, fluids, or liquids – that could cause bone-breaking slips. This includes assessing floor surfaces for wear and pitting, and “transition points” (from concrete to tile, tile to carpet, carpet to marble, etc.) and eliminate or alter them. Make sure that you have the right floor cleaning products and that your maintenance staff understands how to use them properly, if they have limited English skills.
- Standardize. Organize the workplace by prominent postings of such “visual management” tools as signs and warnings of potential STF hazards.
- Keep lights clean. Dusty and dirty lights obscure lighting conditions, which increases the risk of STFs.
- Sustain. Maintain the progress that you’ve achieved through the other strategies in order to make these improvements systemic and long-lasting.
Scurich Insurance Services safety management experts would be happy to recommend expert who can help you create – and maintain – an “STF-free workplace.” Feel free to get in touch with us at any time
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Last summer “Gangnam Style” became a viral sensation.
This summer that sensation might have been a “Monkey Style” burger — if only it existed.
An Internet hoax targeting devotees of In-N-Out Burger fooled more than a few customers and even mainstream news outlets this week, despite the restaurant’s insistence that there is no such thing as “Monkey Style” — a burger jammed with grilled onions and french fries.
The hoax, which first appeared on Foodbeast, got mentioned on some blogs, on a newspaper website and even garnered a tweet and photograph from an ESPN and ABC News reporter who declared that the fictional burger appears on In-N-Out’s “secret menu.”
“In-N-Out new secret menu order: Monkey Style (animal style fries in a burger pic.twitter.com/Kqbok4WL6i (H/T @jordynhall4, @foodbeast),” reporter Darren Rovell wrote.
But, there’s no such thing.
So how does one cook up a media frenzy?
It began at 8:51 a.m. on Friday. Foodbeast’s Elie Ayrouth wrote
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If your business rents an office, store, warehouse, or other commercial premises, you’re responsible for any property you use or store there, as well any damage you cause to the rented property. Commercial Renters insurance (also known as Business or Commercial Property coverage) will repay you if your equipment or stock is stolen or damaged, or if you damage the premises inadvertently.
Some Commercial Renters policies also provide limited protection for possessions of your employees on premises. You might also want to buy additional coverage for flood damage, and/or glass windows and displays, as well as Business Interruption insurance (which will reimburse you if fire or theft keeps you from operating).
The premium depends on the risk factors facing your business. For example, the risk of fire depends upon how the premises you’re renting is constructed, whether it has a sprinkler system, and its distance from the nearest fire station. If you rent in a high-crime area or have particularly valuable or desirable inventory or equipment, you’ll pay a higher premium.
You can reduce the premium by increasing your deductible and/or installing fire and theft alarms and other safety devices.
When insuring equipment and inventory, you can choose either replacement cost or present value coverage. Replacement cost, which is more expensive, will reimburse you for the full cost of buying new items. Present value reduces your reimbursement by calculating depreciation based on the age of the property.
If you run a home business from a rented dwelling, see if your Renters insurance covers property and liability for business activities. Although most policies don’t include this, you can obtain coverage through a policy rider.
To learn more, just give us a call at any time.
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