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7 years ago · by · 0 comments

July Business Newsletter

Employee Drug Use Reaches 12-year High

The positive drug test rate for the U.S. workforce was 4.2 percent in 2016, according to the Drug Testing Index (DTI) released by Quest Diagnostics. This represents a 5 percent increase over the positive rate in 2015, and the largest single-year positive rate since 2004.

The DTI analyzed over 10 million workforce drug test results from 2016 and categorized employees into three categories, including employees with federally mandated drug tests, the general workforce and the combined U.S. workforce. Here are additional details about the DTI’s findings for specific drug types:

  • Marijuana—The positive test rate for marijuana increased nearly 75 percent in oral fluid testing, which is used in the general workforce. Federally mandated marijuana tests only utilize urine tests, and the positive test rate increased 10 percent in 2016.
  • Cocaine—Positive test rates for cocaine in post-accident drug tests were more than twice as high as pre-employment screenings.
  • Amphetamines—Positive test rates for amphetamines have risen 64 percent between 2012 and 2016 for the general workforce. Quest Diagnostics attributes this increase to the prevalence of prescription drugs, including Adderall.

In order to create a safe, productive workplace, you need to watch out for potential drug use at your business.

Political Discussions Hurt Job Performance

Many people can get worked up about politics, but a new survey from the American Psychological Association (APA) has shown that political discussions in the workplace can have a big impact on your employees’ job performance.

The APA surveyed U.S. employees about the impact of political discussions after the 2016 presidential election, and found that these discussions have a detrimental effect on job performance and relationships with co-workers. The survey found that 40 percent of employees have experienced a negative outcome following a workplace political discussion, such as reduced productivity or difficulty getting work done. Additionally, 24 percent of employees said they avoid some co-workers solely because of their politics.

According to the APA, social networks and constant news reports can cause individuals to adopt an “us versus them” political mentality, which can lead to conflict. As a result, it’s important to encourage respect, collaboration and courtesy in your workplace to ensure that your employees feel supported and remain productive.

New Executive Order Aims to Improve Cyber Security

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to improve the country’s cyber security and protect key infrastructure from cyber attacks. The order also emphasized the importance of strengthening the cyber security of federal agencies. According to a survey from Thales Group, a cyber security company, 34 percent of federal agencies experienced a data breach in the last year, and 95 percent of agencies consider themselves vulnerable to cyber attacks.

The executive order did not create any ongoing cyber security requirements, but instead laid out goals to assess the current state of cyber defenses and develop deterrence strategies. Here are some of the requirements of the executive order:

  • Federal agencies must draft reports on their ability to defend themselves against cyber threats.
  • The departments of Energy and Homeland Security must assess potential vulnerabilities to the country’s electrical grids. The executive order specifically mentions that prolonged power outages could pose a threat to national security or damage the economy.
  • Various federal agencies must review the cyber defense plans of U.S. allies in order to cooperate during international cyber attacks.

Apple Creates $1 Billion Fund to Support U.S. Manufacturing

Apple, the world’s largest technology company, recently announced that it will create a $1 billion fund to support U.S. manufacturing. Although the company is based in the United States, it has faced criticism for outsourcing most of its manufacturing and taking jobs from U.S. workers.

Apple’s CEO stated that one goal of the fund was to support smart manufacturing and to create a ripple effect in industries that support smart manufacturers. For more information on the manufacturing fund, visit Apple’s website.

DID YOU KNOW?

A U.S. Court of Appeals recently barred the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from requiring recreational drone owners to register their unmanned aircraft. The FAA had originally required recreational drones to be registered in order to help identify aircraft that posed a hazard, and to pass on safety information to operators. However, the court’s ruling will not impact the use of drones for commercial use, as these aircraft must still be registered with the FAA before they are used.

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8 years ago · by · 0 comments

Smooth Out The Risk Wrinkles In An Aging Workforce

Demographic changes in today’s workplace are impacting the way risk managers handle lost Productivity, the cost of wage replacement, and skyrocketing workers comp premiums that are created by the health problems their employees face. Chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, back problems, respiratory disease, and diabetes are far more prevalent among workers aged 55 and above. These workers account for an ever-greater share of the labor force, than among younger employees.

Employers who promote healthy life style choices offer an effective way to reduce health related costs. Experts recommend taking these steps:

  • Encourage workers to educate themselves about their health problems.
  • Offer health risk appraisals to employees.
  • Introduce disease management programs to promote healthy behavior.
  • Make healthy food options available.
  • Encourage exercise.
  • Discourage unhealthy habits. For example, make the workplace tobacco free.
  • If you have a fairly large workforce, provide on-site medical facilities.
  • Use employee assistance programs (EAPs) to help with family and home issues that often emerge when managing long term chronic conditions.
  • Create mobility throughout the day. Being sedentary or standing for long periods can create problems for employee with health conditions.
  • Conduct periodic ergonomic assessments.
  • Encourage breaks in concentration and focus by dividing tasks into shorter cognitive units.
  • Establish a safety committee that recognizes and rewards valuable safety suggestions.
  • Build in accountability for the workplace health and safety committee at the supervisory level.

Of course, these guidelines apply equally to all of your employees.

To learn more, feel free to give a call.

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8 years ago · by · 0 comments

RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE ‘CLOUD’ CAN BE HAZY

2Businesses are transferring more and more client information files online for storage on hard drives in remote data centers or server farms that offer convenient Internet access. Buying space in this “cloud” (a $40 billion a year business, according to the IDC research firm) is becoming as common as paying for power, water and Internet service. With corporate spies after trade secrets, hackers out to steal sensitive financial information, and the federal government demanding online communications records, protecting data in the cloud creates a serious security risk for companies of all sizes.

“It’s easy to overlook security because of the virtual nature of the cloud,” warns Thomas Trappler, Director of Software Licensing at UCLA. “Your data is going over the Internet to another computer and not to some magical world where everything’s going to be fine.” Unfortunately, businesses often seem blissfully unaware of this threat: a recent nationwide study by the Ponemon Institute found that half the firms surveyed had not considered security risks when storing data with providers in the cloud.

A major question in these deals is determining who’s responsible for the risk of compromised data. Because companies often lack security expertise, they expect cloud providers to do the job. Some providers certify that they meet government or third-party standards for data confidentiality. However, few of them let clients test their digital security – which leaves their clients feeling that they might be liable.

To minimize this risk, Trappler advises businesses to:

  1. Evaluate the provider’s reputation.
  2. Insist on reviewing its encryption and security systems.
  3. Set guidelines for immediate notification of any breaches.

You can also protect yourself from the risks of storing data in the cloud by investing in Cyber Insurance. To learn more, just get in touch with us.

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9 years ago · by · 0 comments

How to Create a Safe Workplace with a Safety Management Program

There are good reasons to take safety seriously. In 2012, there were, on average, 89 workplace fatalities a week.1 An estimated $1 billion is paid by employers in direct workers compensation costs every week.2

A safe work environment does not happen by accident. Management must be fully engaged in creating, planning, implementing, communicating and making sure safety programs work and are designed to fit the business. Most importantly, employees have to understand their role in making their workplace safer.

Eight Key Components of a Safety Management Program

Your safety management program should incorporate the following 8 key components:

  1. Demonstrate management involvement – Management must lead by example. A visible demonstration that you embrace a safety culture is imperative to its success. Provide the essential time, budget and resources to create and support a safety program.
  2. Communicate your safety plan clearly – Your safety plan must be published and available to all employees. Reminders and updates should be timely and effective. Allow employees to contribute their suggestions to making the workplace safer.
  3. Get everyone involved – A safety program is likely to be more effective when employees at all levels are involved. Standardized policies should outline responsibilities and accountability for all employees. Safety goals can become part of job descriptions and employee reviews. Safety committees can help ensure that safety practices are understood and reinforced throughout the company. Positive reinforcement of safe behaviors can be an effective way to help build the desired culture.
  4. Train your employees to work safely – Safety training should begin from the moment an employee is hired. Ongoing training is also essential to creating a safety culture.
  5. Review, revise, improve – A safety program should be dynamic, especially since most business environments continue to evolve.  An effective safety program should be flexible enough to adjust to changes. Regularly review, evaluate and identify risks that could affect safety, and make the changes necessary to keep your workplace safe.
  6. Create safety standards – Each department should set safety standards through a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) to make sure every task is done correctly and safely. Recognize good safety performance, and cite and correct unsafe practices.
  7. Investigate every incident and accident thoroughly – Properly trained staff with experience in investigation, analysis and evidence collection should conduct an accident analysis as soon as possible after an incident. Report the claim within 24 hours to help ensure prompt response and injury management.
  8. Manage every injury – Even with the best safety program, an employee injury can still occur. Planning helps you to react immediately when an employee is injured on the job. Learn about five strategies that can help you put employees on the road back to productivity.

While initiating a comprehensive program can seem like a major hurdle to safety, we can help businesses like yours take the necessary steps to begin creating a safety culture.

Get Manufacturing Resources that Can Help You Turn Risk into a Business Advantage >

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9 years ago · by · 0 comments

How to Deal With Visitor Injury in the Workplace

visitoraccidentMost states demand that businesses, regardless of size, take every reasonable action to keep their premises safe for employees and visitors. The definition of visitors is fairly loose. Basically, it is anyone not employed by the business and covered by its workmen’s compensation insurance policy. 

This means that clients, customers, delivery persons, repair persons, outside maintenance contractors and anyone who comes to the business premises needs protection from foreseeable dangers. 

There are different types of people who come into a business and each has a different level of required care for its class of visitors. 

Invitee 

This is a person whose invitation is explicit (by appointment, for example) or implicit (a customer looks at the goods and services for sale in a shop). A business owner’s duty to an invitee is to exercise ordinary care and make the property generally safe without any dangerous conditions. 

Licensee 

A licensee in not an invitee or trespasser. An example of a licensee is a party who enters the premises for their own convenience or gratification. Think of a person ducking into your entryway to avoid the rain. The duty of care is far less than for an invitee, and the business is only liable to a licensee for willful and malicious harm. 

Trespasser 

This group of people enter the premises lacking an implicit or explicit invitation. They come on the business property for their own enjoyment or benefit. The only duty of a business owner is a negative one – the business cannot build any mantraps the willfully and maliciously causes a trespasser harm. Many states have an exception to this limited responsibility; if the business anticipates, suspects or knows of the presence of a trespasser it must exercise ordinary care and avoid inflicting injury on a trespasser through any kind of active negligence. 

Common Workplace Visitor’s Injuries 

Slip and Fall Accidents 

These are the largest cause of visitor injuries. Injuries happen when a visitor trips, slips or falls and suffer injuries. These accidents often stem from things such as uneven floorboards, electrical extension cords crossing aisles or doorways, spills or liquids on the floor, and poorly installed carpet or carpeting that has tears or rips. 

Negligent Security 

It is normal that businesses have a duty to their invitees to make sure they are safe from foreseeable. A business is liable for the criminal acts of a non-employee when the business fails to keep the premises safe from criminal activity. Usually claims of negligent security stem from places such as: 

  • Hotels
  • Motels
  • Parking garages
  • Apartment complexes

Businesses in high-crime areas (a parking garage in such an area needs adequate lighting, video cameras and warning signs that video surveillance is ongoing, and other security measure as needed. 

Attractive Nuisance 

This is a legal doctrine that applied mostly to children, even if they are trespassers. Hotels with outdoor pools need adequate fencing, a pool cover, locks and lighting, as the pool is attractive for kids to try to use after trespassing. 

Defective Property Conditions 

Businesses are often liable for dangerous or defective conditions. These include faulty elevators, faulty escalators, crumbling stairways and more. 

Speak with your business insurance advisor about these risks and how to protect yourself, your business and employees from legal liability for them.

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9 years ago · by · 0 comments

Flood Protection for Your Business

Flood waters upSince 1984, Monterey County has participated in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This participation, as well as the continued compliance with federal regulations, allows county residents to purchase flood insurance. Even if your business is far from any form of water such as rivers or creeks, it could still be affected by the intricate system of drainage improvements and facilities that the county maintains in an effort to protect its residents and their properties.

Federal Mandates

If you wish to relocate your business to an area that lies within the 100 year floodplain as determined by Monterey County engineers, or build within that area, federal regulations mandate that you purchase flood insurance in order to take advantage of any federally backed financial assistance for doing so. Even if you are not planning to move your business and you are happily ensconced in your current location, purchasing flood insurance is a wise business decision.

Weather Conditions Warranted Protection

Businesses that are not located within the flood plain are still at risk for being damaged due to flooding. Weather occurrences such as El Nino, for example, can cause extreme amounts of water to be dumped in areas that are ill-equipped to deal with such an onslaught of weather. Weaken structural supports like building foundations, or even elements of the property itself such as hills, can allow water to breech the boundaries of your business and cause flooding.

Industrial Accidents Pose a Concern

Water main breaks are incidences that do not occur often but the results can be devastating if you have not prepared for the possibility prior to it occurring. Not only will you need to be concerned with paying for the costs of replacing your damaged inventory and property out of your own pocket, you might struggle with losing sales from your customers during this period of time.

Flood insurance is a way to gain peace of mind that allows you to rest easier at night. Knowing that your business – and its assets – are protected in the event of an unexpected flood is a smart business move for the longevity of your company.

 

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Company information

Scurich Insurance Services
Phone: (831) 661-5697
Fax: (831) 661-5741

Physical:
783 Rio Del Mar Blvd., Suite7,
Aptos, Ca 95003-4700

Mailing:
PO Box 1170
Watsonville, CA 95077-1170

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(831) 661-5697

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