June 2014 – Page 3 – Risk Management 365

Eat Well, Exercise, Moderate Alcohol Intake, Don’t Smoke, And Live Longer

Following four healthy behaviors was associated with a lower risk of death in this analysis of data from 16,958 people who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study. Researchers collected information on lifestyle behaviors from the participants between 1988 and 1994 and followed the group until 2006 to determine who died. Each healthy behavior was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of death during the study follow up, but people who had all four healthy behaviors had some dramatic reductions in their risk of death. People who ate a healthy diet, got enough exercise, drank moderate amounts of alcohol, and did not smoke had a 63% lower risk of all-cause death, 66% lower risk of death from cancer, 65% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and 57% lower risk of death from all other causes during follow-up compared to people who did not have any of these healthy behaviors. While many people had at least one healthy behavior, only 4.8% of the participants had all four.

via Eat Well, Exercise, Moderate Alcohol Intake, Don’t Smoke, And Live Longer | Rodale News.

The 4 Hiring Practices of Highly Successful Organizations

A new survey by human resource consulting firm Development Dimensions International and web-based recruiting resource Electronic Recruiting Exchange (ERE) reveals what keeps successful organizations on top. They don’t just glance at a resume and then hire whoever looks good in a suit, but instead use four modern hiring practices to find top talent.

Keys to success

“The survey strongly suggests that specific hiring practices and tools are linked to an organization’s success,” says Scott Burton, vice president of staffing and assessment consulting for DDI. The study shows that in the past year the organizations with the more effective hiring systems ranked higher in financial performance, productivity, quality, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and retention. “This is further proof of what HR professionals have long said: Success is based on finding the right people for the right jobs.”

“The survey offered still more evidence for the power of web technologies within the recruiting industry,” says ERE president David Manaster. “In fact, the results show that the Internet has superseded the hallmark of recruiting success, employee referrals, as the most widely used and effective recruitment tool for many professionals.”

Four hiring practices of highly successful organizations. The study revealed that the organizations with the most effective hiring policies were more likely to use the following four practices:

Job interviews in which candidates are asked to describe specific examples of their skills
Automated resume screening and search
Assessments that predict whether candidates are motivated by the factors associated with a particular job or a company’s values and ways of doing things
Simulations that gauge specific job-related abilities and skills

“Organizations should be using the four key hiring practices more, because they make it much easier to find the best candidates,” Burton says. “The current news of layoffs may be creating the illusion that it will be easier to hire good people, but that’s a mistake. It may be easier to get a mound of resumes, but it will continue to be difficult to find the right people for the right job.”

via The 4 Hiring Practices of Highly Successful Organizations, Recruiting Article | Inc.com.

How Can I Protect Skin From the Sun?

Nothing can completely undo sun damage, although the skin can sometimes repair itself. So, it’s never too late to begin protecting yourself from the sun. Follow these tips to help prevent sun-related skin problems:

Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or greater at least 30 minutes before sun exposure and then at least every 2 hours thereafter, more if you are sweating or swimming
Select cosmetic products and contact lenses that offer UV protection
Wear sunglasses with total UV protection
Wear wide-brimmed hats, long sleeved shirts, and pants
Avoid direct sun exposure as much as possible during peak UV radiation hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Perform skin self-exams regularly to become familiar with existing growths and to notice any changes or new growths
Eighty percent of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is acquired before age 18. As a parent, be a good role model and foster skin cancer prevention habits in your child
Avoid tanning beds

via Sun Safety Tips.

Workplace Injury Reports to Go Online

For many workers, their jobs may be the most dangerous activities they engage in on a regular basis. On average, twelve people died each day last year from workplace incidents—amounting to over 4,300 deaths. Moreover, nearly 3 million workers suffered injuries or became ill at work last year.

These statistics actually represent some of the lowest workplace mortality and injury rates in decades, but Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez has urged that the government “can and must do better.” To Perez, the statistics “aren’t just numbers and data – they are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, who will never come home again.”

In an effort to reduce workplace hazards and prevent injuries, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently proposed a new rule that would add requirements for the electronic submission of workplace injury and illness information. In announcing the agency’s proposal, David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, indicated that the new requirements should provide “better access to data that will encourage earlier abatements of hazards and result in improved programs to reduce workplace hazards and prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities.”

via Workplace Injury Reports to Go Online | RegBlog.

5 Easy Steps to Living Long and Well

Living past 90, and living well, may be more than a matter of good genes and good luck. Five behaviors in elderly men are associated not only with living into extreme old age, a new study has found, but also with good health and independent functioning.

The behaviors are abstaining from smoking, weight management, blood pressure control, regular exercise and avoiding diabetes. The study reports that all are significantly correlated with healthy survival after 90.

via Gentlemen, 5 Easy Steps to Living Long and Well – New York Times.

A Comprehensive Fall Protection Program Can Reduce Risk and Insurance Costs!

The National Safety Council estimates that falls in the workplace account for over 100,000 injuries annually, and that falls are one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities. The Centers for Disease Control reports that workers’ compensation and medical costs associated with occupational fall incidents are approximately $70 billion annually in the United States (Source: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/falls/).

Statistics like these make the benefits of implementing a comprehensive fall protection plan in your workplace easy to see. Not only do such programs provide the obvious benefit of protecting workers from injury, they can substantially reduce workers’ compensation claims, reduce your insurance premiums, increase productivity, reduce OSHA fines, and boost worker morale.

via A Comprehensive Fall Protection Program Can Reduce Your Risk and Your Insurance Costs! | Rigid Lifelines.

Home Swimming Pool Safety Tips for Kids & Adults

Maintaining a Safe Environment Around Your Home Swimming Pool

Millions of us enjoy warm weather every year by swimming in our backyard pools and relaxing in hot tubs. Tragically though, over 200 young children drown in backyard swimming pools each year. The American Red Cross suggests owners make pool safety their priority by following these guidelines:

Secure your pool with appropriate barriers. Completely surround your pool with a 4-feet high fence or barrier with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Place a safety cover on the pool or hot tub when not in use and remove any ladders or steps used for access. Consider installing a pool alarm that goes off if anyone enters the pool.
Keep children under active supervision at all times. Stay in arm’s reach of young kids. Designate a responsible person to watch the water when people are in the pool—never allow anyone to swim alone. Have young or inexperienced swimmers wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
Ensure everyone in the home knows how to swim well by enrolling them in age-appropriate water orientation and learn-to-swim courses from the Red Cross.
Keep your pool or hot tub water clean and clear. Maintain proper chemical levels, circulation and filtration. Regularly test and adjust the chemical levels to minimize the risk of earaches, rashes or more serious diseases.
Establish and enforce rules and safe behaviors, such as “no diving,” “stay away from drain covers,” “swim with a buddy” and “walk please.”
Ensure everyone in the home knows how to respond to aquatic emergencies by having appropriate safety equipment and taking water safety, first aid and CPR courses from the Red Cross.

The American Red Cross and National Swimming Pool Foundation® have partnered to create an online Home Pool Essentials course that describes steps home pool owners can take to prevent tragedy and keep a well maintained pool or hot tub. The course is available at www.HomePoolEssentials.org.

via Home Swimming Pool Safety Tips for Kids & Adults | Red Cross.