FROM: Safety Compliance Institute, Ken Hillger & Associates
Surveys show substance abuse remains one of the most serious issues facing U.S. businesses, with more than 6 million active alcoholics employed and a price tag of $276 billion a year. More than 70 percent of all current illicit drug users aged 18 and older are employed.
With such a dangerous and widespread problem, it’s important to recognize substance abuse on the job before it leads to an accident.
Warning Signs
Here are some early warning signs that can alert your supervisors to the possibility of substance abuse on the job:
1. An otherwise inexplicable fall-off of work efficiency in terms of volume, accuracy, or promptness is often an early warning sign of substance abuse problems.
2. So is frequent tardiness—often explained with increasingly elaborate, but hard to check, excuses.
3. Excessive use of sick days is also a common warning sign of substance abuse. These absences often occur on a Friday or a Monday.
4. Some employees with drug or alcohol problems may come to you and ask to use vacation time—right away.
5. Another indication that you might be dealing with an employee substance abuse problem is an increased involvement in accidents and near misses and/or an increase in the employee’s error rate.
6. Yet another hint of the problem may be heavy use of breath sweeteners. Alcoholics, particularly those who drink during the working day, are heavy users of various sorts of breath mints to kill the smell of alcohol.
7. Other early warning signs of substance abuse problems may involve physical and mental characteristics or changes, such as mood swings, decline in grooming, staggering, dozing off on the job, etc.
Supervisors should be aware that one or two of these signs alone does not necessarily indicate an alcohol or drug problem, but a combination of several signs indicates it is time to speak with the employee about the possibility of a substance abuse problem.
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From http://www.epa.gov/
ALERT: Generator exhaust is toxic. Always put generators outside well away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas. Carbon monoxide (CO) is deadly, can build up quickly, and linger for hours.
Report suspected spills, contamination or possible violations.
- To report oil,chemical, or hazardous substance releases or spills, call the National Response Center 800-424-8802.
- Report a suspected environmental violation on EPA’s reporting page.
Flooding
- Limit contact with flood water. Flood water may have high levels of raw sewage or other hazardous substances. Early symptoms from exposure to contaminated flood water may include upset stomach, intestinal problems, headache and other flu-like discomfort. Anyone experiencing these and any other problems should immediately seek medical attention.
- What do I do about water from household wells after a flood? Do not turn on the pump due to danger of electric shock. Do not drink or wash with water from the flooded well until it is tested and safe to use. Read more.
- What do I do with my home septic system after a flood? Do not use the sewage system until water in the soil absorption field is lower than the water level around the house. If you have a home-based or small business and your septic system has received chemicals, take extra precautions to prevent contact with water or inhaling fumes. Proper clean-up depends on the kinds of chemicals in the wastewater. Read more
- For water and wastewater facilities: Suggested post-hurricane activities to help facilities recover.
Mold
- Mold cleanup: Mold can cause serious health problems. The key to mold control is moisture control. After the flood, remove standing water and dry indoor areas. Remove and discard anything that has been wet for more than 24-48 hours.
- Basic mold hazards
- Cleaning up mold, what to wear
- Mold cleanup in schools and commercial buildings. Information for building managers, custodians, and others who are responsible for commercial building and school maintenance.
- More about mold from Centers for Disease Control
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From http://www.epa.gov
“Prepare for a hurricane
Make any preparations that can minimize injury and property damage. Households, utilities, and businesses should plan for disaster before hurricane season starts, or make any possible preparations when a hurricane is predicted.
Drinking water and food:
- Make a kit of supplies. Keep at least a 3-day water supply per person -and don’t forget pets. What you can do to protect your household well.
- Prepare food supplies for an emergency. Get a fridge thermometer to be sure of safe storage temperatures if you lose electricity. Freeze extra containers of water ahead of time. Use ice chests in case power is out for more than four hours.
Water and wastewater systems
- Suggested pre-hurricane activities to help facilities prepare.
- Water resiliency planning tools for communities.
Planning for disaster debris:
Damage from a hurricane depends on the size, extent, and other factors. Damage debris can include destroyed structures, hazardous waste, green waste, or personal property.
Chemical or fertilizer storage:
Properly designed or modified storage facilities enhance worker safety and minimize the risk contamination.
Summary of regulatory requirements related to shutdown operations – For complex industrial processes, shutdown operations require special care beyond normal operations. Facility owners and operators are required to minimize chemical releases during process shutdown operations; and if reportable releases occur, they must be reported immediately upon constructive knowledge of occurrence. ”
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Overtime is highly popular among employees who want to squeeze those few extra dollars out of the week for a job well done. It’s far less popular among employers worried about longer work weeks stretching a skimpy budget even thinner. In many industries, overtime has become a way of life. However, eager employees and employers aren’t the only ones interested in the type of work being performed “after hours.” Workers Comp insurance companies and the IRS have developed their own standards for overtime pay — and these rules could mean trouble for companies that violate them.
Here’s an example of a company that decided to ignore the regulations set by Comp insurers and the IRS. The owner of a New Hampshire trucking business decided that instead of confusing himself and everyone else about overtime pay for some of his workers, he would “reward” them by paying the difference in cash under the table. To make a long story short, the owner got slapped with a slew of federal conspiracy charges from the IRS and the Transportation Department — not to mention an angry Workers Comp insurance company.
The bottom line: Creative schemes to cut Comp costs are never an acceptable alternative. Businesses buy this coverage to protect both themselves and their worker in the event of a workplace illness or injury, regardless of whether it occurred during the regular work week or while working overtime.
Make a call to any of our insurance professionals at Scurich Insurance and learn what your first step is in designing and maintaining an affordable Workers Compensation program that can offer the protection you need without incurring legal penalties. To learn more about this and similar topics, follow us on Twitter.
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If you have a post-injury response program for your business, you probably know that it both slashes Workers Comp costs drastically and helps get employees back on the job — quickly.
The more injuries your workers suffer on the job, and the longer they’re off, the more you’ll pay for Comp coverage (not to mention their lost productivity). However, according to a recent insurance trade press report, an effective program that focuses on containing costs after work injuries can cut these expenses in half.
The report recommends that a post-injury program should include a promise that an injured employee will receive the best medical care available and will return to the job only after they’re cleared to do so. What’s more, says the report, the program must be applied consistently, deal with every injury, and list “who reports injuries, who an injury is reported to, who transports the employee to medical providers, and how medical restrictions are obtained.” The plan should be in a format that’s easy for managers, supervisors, and employees to understand.
A post-injury program might also include creating a transitional-duty job to help an injured employee ease back into the swing of things. There are many other steps involved in creating and carrying out a successful plan.
To learn how you can avoid becoming another Workers Comp horror story, contact our insurance professionals at Scurich Insurance Services today. To learn more about Scurich Insurance Services, follow us on Twitter.
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Down through the ages Scurich Insurance Services, located on the central coast of California, has developed an expertise in Customer’s support by not working for you but working with you instead. Rather speaking about ourselves, we let our work speak by itself through our customers.In Business Review 360° our customers provide us their feedback which confirms you are at the right landmark for your insurance.
Here is a testimonial from one of our Happiest Customers from our Business Review 360° page!
“I have had Scurich Insurance cover my home, vehicles, trailer and boat for so many years I can’t remember who I had last. I haven’t spent any time shopping around because due to previous experience I have been well taken care of after many incidents in my life that required assistance, attention and insurance coverage. To me that is worth any money that I might save by leaving for a less expensive company. Thank you.”
Stacey T. Truckee, CA 3/1/2012
Scurich Insurance Services would like to invite you to take our Happy Customer Survey so that your testimonial on why you are a Happy Customer of ours will appear on our Business Reviews 360° page.
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