Create a safety culture within your organization. Let every employee know safety is the number one employee benefit. The top executive takes the lead and mentions some safety news in every company meeting. Simply talking and promoting safety is time, it does not cost a great deal of money.
Some specifics:
Drivers must use seat belts, must be sober and drug free, not use cell phones or text while driving, and not pick up unauthorized passengers. At least semi-annually, drug test every driver and check their driving records. Randomly test one quarter of the drivers every three months. Establish a threshold for tickets and accidents, and stick to that standard. These minimum safety standards cost about as much as a tank of gas in a pick-up.
Supply personal safety protective equipment for employees. Although this requirement comes from OSHA regulations, it’s a great investment too. One eye wash at the local doc in the box costs about as much as a hundred pairs of safety glasses.
Harnesses to tie off workers at heights cost little next to broken bones and death from a fall.
Hard hats are about fifteen to twenty dollars each. Closing a head wound runs about five thousand.
Reflective vests or coveralls, again, cost much less than a man versus loader collision.
Now, suppose you could save five percent of your workers’ compensation premium for the next three years from reduced experience mod or lower premium rates. You can afford to make the investment in safety equipment.
Consider an incentive program like this: quarterly bonus for no injuries and perfect prompt attendance. Perhaps pay everyone who meets those criteria an extra fifty cents per hour for the quarter. This extra pay amounts to about one hundred dollars per month. Wouldn’t it be worth everyone earning it? Or, maybe one quarter the earners get a pair of Red Wing boots, a gift card to their favorite tool store, a gift card oriented towards their spouses, a flat screen television or use your imagination.
Small investments in safety awareness and loss prevention do pay large dividends in reduced losses.
Rear-end collisions are the most common accidents between vehicles.1 They occur when drivers do not have enough time to perceive and react safely to slowing or stopped traffic. Increasing your following distance can help give you time to react when someone brakes in front of you.
The Three-Second Rule
Increasing the distance between you and the car ahead can help give you the time you need to recognize a hazard and respond safely. The National Safety Council recommends a minimum three second following distance.2
Determining the three-second gap is relatively easy. When following a vehicle, pick an overhead road sign, a tree or other roadside marker. Note when the vehicle ahead passes that marker, then see how many seconds it takes (count 1-1,000; 2-1,000; 3-1,000) for you to pass the same spot. If it is not at least three seconds, leave more space and increase your following distance.
Think of following distance in terms of time, not space. With a standard of 2.5 seconds, highway engineers use time, rather than distance, to represent how long it takes a driver to perceive and react to hazards. The National Safety Council also uses this standard (plus a little extra for safety) when recommending the three-second rule for following distance.3
Sometimes Three Seconds Is Not Enough
The three-second rule is recommended for passenger vehicles during ideal road and weather conditions. Slow down and increase your following distance even more during adverse weather conditions or when visibility is reduced. Also increase your following distance if you are driving a larger vehicle or towing a trailer.
Distractions, such as texting, reaching for a drink or glancing at a navigation device, also play a role in rear-end collisions. Even if you use the three-second rule, you may not have time to react to a hazard if you are distracted. It is another reason why you should avoid distractions while driving.4
Nine out of 10 Americans drive to their travel destination.¹
If you are among those planning to hit the road, remember: safe driving starts before you even leave the driveway. Securing luggage, maintaining vehicle balance and keeping clear lines of sight from the driver’s seat is key.
Learn how to pack your vehicle for safer travels in these videos with Travelers specialist Chris Hayes — and make your road trip a memorable one, for all the right reasons.
The fastest-growing white-collar crime in the United States is identity fraud. ID fraud is when someone commits a crime or fraud in your name using your stolen personal information. No one, regardless of background or financial status, is immune to identity fraud and various cyber threats continue to grow with no sign of slowing down.
If your identity is stolen, it can affect your finances, credit history and reputation.
Take Action Immediately:
Flag your credit reports. Contact the fraud department of one of the three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). Tell them you are an identity theft victim. Ask them to place a “fraud” alert in your file and confirm that they will contact the other two companies.
Get copies. Ask for a copy of the credit report. They are required to give you a free copy of your report if it is inaccurate because of fraud.
Consider requesting a credit freeze. You might want to place a credit freeze on your credit file, which means that potential creditors cannot get your credit report. This makes it less likely that a potential identity thief can open accounts in your name. First, contact your state’s Attorney General’s office, then contact each credit reporting company.
Contact creditors. Contact your creditors about any accounts that have been changed or opened fraudulently. Ask to speak with someone in the security or fraud department.
File a report. File a report with your local police. Get a copy of the police report, so you have proof of the crime.
Keep Records. Keep records of your conversations and all correspondence.
Going online has become part of everyday life, whether it is for everyday activities such as shopping, sending email or paying bills, and managing your accounts. But data breaches, in all their forms, can potentially expose the personal information that we share online, putting consumers at risk of identity theft.
According to the 2014 Travelers Consumer Risk Index, 82 percent of Americans worry about loss of personal privacy, and 63 percent worry about identity theft. Fortunately, there are steps that consumers can take, including not opening unsolicited emails and avoiding unsecure websites, to protect their personal information while online.
The following tips can help you learn how to help stay safe online:
Online Shopping
Research potential retailers to make sure they are reputable and have a secure network and website. Try to avoid buying from a site that does not have a secure socket layer (SSL) encryption installed. In order to do this, look for the ‘s’ at the beginning of a URL – HTTPS:// instead of HTTP:// – to help determine if a site is SSL secured.
Read the site’s privacy policy to learn how the personal information you provide will be used.
Use only one credit card for online purchases. Be sure to read statements when received to check for fraudulent or unknown charges or activity.
If you receive an email regarding sales or discounts from a particular retailer, log on directly to the official website for the business. Avoid linking to it from an unsolicited email.
Emails and Attachments
Do not send personal information in email or instant messages. Emails are out of your control once sent, and can be easily intercepted.
Do not click on links you receive by email or encounter online that are suspicious or from unknown sources. Only accept and click if it:
Comes from someone you know.
Comes from someone you have received mail from before.
Is something you were expecting.
Does not look odd with unusual spellings or characters.
Passes your anti-virus program test.
Be cautious of emails you receive regarding your financial accounts. If you are not sure of the email’s validity, contact your financial institution directly.
General Online Safety
Try to limit the personal information you put on the Internet. Social media sites can be good for networking, but identity thieves can use the information you share.
Remember to keep your Web browser up to date. This can help ensure the latest security features are installed.
Avoid storing personal information, account numbers and personal identification numbers on your computer.
Install firewall and anti-virus software. This can help protect you from exposure to malicious cyber attacks.
Only one to two percent of drownings are classified as secondary or dry drownings. However, you definitely want to understand this risk and take steps to protect your kids.
What is Secondary Drowning?
When someone struggles underwater and breathes in even a small amount of water, it can trigger spasms in the airway muscles. That water can also cause pulmonary embolism, or fluid build-up in the lungs.
A victim of secondary drowning may walk away after struggling underwater and look or act fine. He or she could drown in his or her own fluids and suffer from brain injury or die within one to 24 hours later, though.
What are the Symptoms of Secondary Drowning?
A victim might show several signs of secondary drowning, including bubbling fluid around the lips, chest pain, wheezing, shortness of breath, cough or extreme fatigue. Young children may not be able to verbally express to you if they experience these symptoms, however, and you may not notice them if your child is fussy or tired after a long day. That’s why you need to be vigilant in looking out for signs of secondary drowning after your child experiences a struggle in the water.
What is the Treatment for Secondary Drowning?
Hospital staff will provide oxygen treatment or ventilation for a victim of secondary drowning. Prevention is the best treatment, though, as you:
Teach your kids how to swim with confidence and how to be safe in the water.
Supervise kids in the pool or bathtub every second.
Ensure all adults who supervise kids know CPR techniques for all age groups.
Make sure the pool is fenced in with childproof locks.
Seek medical treatment immediately for someone who experiences a struggle in the water, even if he or she shows no signs of secondary drowning.
Additionally, verify that your homeowners insurance is up to date. It can cover medical treatments required to save a child from secondary drowning.
Create a safety culture within your organization. Let every employee know safety is the number one employee benefit. The top executive takes the lead and mentions some safety news in every company meeting. Simply talking and promoting safety is time, it does not cost a great deal of money.
