Randy – Page 13 – Risk Management 365

Heating Safety Tips

Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths. Half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February. Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening.

Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
Never use your oven to heat your home.
Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
Test smoke alarms monthly.

via Heating safety tips.

The Perils of Workers Comp Claim Handing in Silo’s

The overlapping and often conflicting requirements of ADA, FMLA, Workers’ Comp and a plethora of state laws are an administrative nightmare. There are differences in eligibility, leave lengths, job reinstatement requirements, access to medical information, fit-for-duty certifications and so on. More than one law can affect the same situation and each must be considered. For this reason, a “silo” structure in which separate areas manage Workers’ Compensation, disability and health can be problematic, inefficient and duplicitous. Yet,at the same time, this quagmire adds to the challenge of integrating occupational and non-occupational RTW. Ultimately, the entire organization is responsible for the knowledge possessed by any part of the organization and an employer needs to determine the best process for its needs and circumstances.

via IWCP: Institute of WorkComp Professionals.

10 Commandments of Firearm Safety

The Ten Commandments of Firearms Safety should be etched in your memory forever. Let them govern your actions wherever and whenever you’re involved with firearms. In the woods. On the range. Or in your home. Please take time to review and understand these rules.

Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use.
Don’t rely on your gun’s safety.
Be sure of your target and what’s beyond it.
Use proper ammunition.
If your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, handle with care.
Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting.
Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before shooting.
Don’t alter or modify your gun and have it serviced regularly.
Learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of the firearm you are using.

via 10 Commandments of Firearm Safety – Hunting Safety Tips – Hunting Safety Rules.

How Can Total Worker Health Help My Business or Workplace?

“Today leading companies have learned that because of lost workdays and diminished employee productivity, poor health costs them more than health benefits do.”

Safe and healthy employees are less likely to be injured while on the job and are vibrant, engaged, and high performing.

Safer and Healthier Employees…

… Are good for business and help improve the bottom line. Companies that have exemplary safety, health, and environmental programs outperformed the S&P 500 by between 3% and 5%.

… Create a happier, less stressful, and more prosperous business environment. According to a survey by Aon Hewitt, the National Business Group on Health, and the Futures Company, employees who reported having a strong culture of health at work were more likely to report being happy, less likely to report that stress has a negative impact on their work, and less likely to cite the work environment as an obstacle to health.

… Do better at their jobs and contribute more. Employers that have high employee engagement performed better than employers with low employee engagement in profitability, customer ratings, turnover, safety incidents, productivity, and quality. Engagement includes feeling like someone at work cares about the employee as a person and having the materials needed to do work right.

… Are absent from work less and more productive when at work. For every dollar spent on worksite wellness programs, absentee day costs were reduced by $2.73, and medical costs were reduced by $3.27.9 Research on chronic conditions and productivity estimates that presenteeism causes 18-91 lost work days per year and absenteeism causes 1-10 lost work days per year. Presenteeism costs more than absenteeism and medical expenses combined.

… Enjoy their jobs more, reducing turnover costs. Employees who feel supported by their employers are more likely to want to keep their jobs and will help attract and retain the best employees for the business. A study by the World Economic Forum found that 64% of employees who reported that their workplaces were active promoters of health intended to stay with their companies at least five years.

via CDC – Making the Business Case – NIOSH Total Worker Health.

Winter Driving Safety

If you find yourself driving in the snow, stay alert, slow down and stay in control. These are the three key elements to safe driving in the snow.

Here are a few other tips for driving in the snow:

If you think you may be heading into snow or there is a possibility of driving in the snow, make sure you do a maintenance check on your vehicle before making the trip. Check the vehicle battery, belts and hoses, anti-freeze, oil, lights, brakes, heater and defroster and check the exhaust system for leaks which may allow carbon monoxide to enter the vehicle.
Plan your route ahead of time and give yourself extra travel time. Make sure someone knows your travel plans.
Wear comfortable clothing that does not restrict your movement while at the wheel. Keep warm clothing available for when you exit the vehicle.
Always clear any snow and ice from all windows, lights, mirrors and the roof before driving. After starting the vehicle wait for the interior windows to clear of fog so you will have appropriate visibility.
Make sure there is sufficient windshield washer fluid in the vehicle reservoir and that it is rated for freezing temperatures.
It takes longer to stop on slippery surfaces, so add additional time to the three-second rule.
Know the proper handling procedures for a skidding vehicle.
Slow down in snow and icy conditions, make turns slowly, and make all starts slow and smooth.
Remember that bridges and overpasses may freeze before the regular travel lanes of a roadway. Watch out for black ice, areas of the roadway that appear black and shiny and where your vehicle can suddenly lose traction. Slow down in these areas and keep your foot off the brakes.
If you get stuck or stranded, don’t panic. Stay with your vehicle for safety and warmth. Wait for help to arrive. If you have a cell phone and are in an area with cell phone service, try calling for help. Try to always know your exact locations while driving.
Keep your clothing dry. Wet clothing can lead to dangerous loss of body heat.

via Winter Driving Safety.

Embrace 4 Habits to Be An Effective Boss

To become a highly effective boss, embrace the following four habits:

1. Focus on improvement. Although it’s tempting to only scrutinize the numbers when measuring a company’s progress, qualitative matters count. Look at how employees try to boost their efficiency or learn from past mistakes.

Creating successful employees involves managing them as people, not as numbers or assets. The level of sales a department brings in doesn’t necessarily reflect all the work employees do and their efforts.

2. Be available to employees. Don’t just tell employees what to do; be approachable when employees need help. Promote transparent communication and position management as a resource to employees.

Welcome employee feedback and encourage staffers to ask questions. Demonstrate that employees’ queries and comments are listened to.

3. Help employees accomplish their goals. Extraordinary bosses focus on the success achieved by every employee. Instead of trying to create a few rock star employees, effective bosses want each individual to achieve results.

Effective bosses also ensure that every employee sets up goals to support the company’s progress as a whole. Encourage employees at every level to use their talents to help the entire team achieve more success. This way, no one is left behind and each employee can reach his or her highest potential.

4. Be a coach and supporter. Don’t assume employees know how to do everything. Leadership in the workplace is about helping employees grow, improve and succeed.

Coaching employees can be effective because a boss gives real-time feedback and guidance. Research by Towers Watson shows highly engaged employees receive feedback from management regularly.

If employees are struggling in a certain area, step in and guide them. Sometimes employees can become easily overwhelmed by a new project, so don’t hesitate to lend support.

Management effectiveness can determine a company’s success. Great bosses make employees want to stay at their jobs, while bad ones prompt them to leave.

via Join the League of Extraordinary Bosses: 4 Habits to Cultivate.

Before You Celebrate—Plan Ahead

Of course, we don’t intend to harm anyone when we get behind the wheel during the holiday season. Yet traffic fatalities persist and myths about drinking live on—even though scientific studies have documented how alcohol affects the brain and body.

Because individuals are so different, it is difficult to give specific advice about drinking. But certain facts are clear—there’s no way to speed up the brain’s recovery from alcohol and no way to make good decisions when you are drinking too much, too fast.

So this holiday season, do not underestimate the effects of alcohol. Don’t believe you can beat them. Here are some tips to keep in mind if you choose to drink:

Pace yourself. Know what constitutes a standard drink and have no more than one per hour.
Have “drink spacers”—make every other drink a nonalcoholic one.
Make plans to get home safely. Remember that a designated driver is someone who hasn’t had any alcohol, not simply the person in your group who drank the least.

Have a safe holiday season!

via Publications | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism | New Year, Old Myths, New Fatalities: Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths Jump During Christmas and New Year’s.

Helping a Smoker Quit: Do’s and Don’ts

I quit smoking 30 years ago after my father had his first heart attack at age 50. To quit was not easy but since then I’ve enjoyed good health and saved thousand of dollars not buying cigarettes.

Here are some general hints for friends and family to help a smoker quit:

Do respect that the quitter is in charge. This is their lifestyle change and their challenge, not yours.
Do ask the person whether they want you to ask regularly how they’re doing. Ask how they’re feeling – not just whether they’ve stayed quit.
Do let the person know that it’s OK to talk to you whenever they need to hear encouraging words.
Do help the quitter get what they need, such as hard candy to suck on, straws to chew on, and fresh veggies cut up and kept in the refrigerator.
Do spend time doing things with the quitter to keep their mind off smoking – go to the movies, take a walk to get past a craving (what many call a “nicotine fit”), or take a bike ride together.
Do try to see it from the smoker’s point of view – a smoker’s habit may feel like an old friend that’s always been there when times were tough. It’s hard to give that up.
Do make your home smoke free, meaning that no one can smoke in any part of the house.
Do remove all lighters and ash trays from your home. Remove anything that reminds them of smoking
Do wash clothes that smell like smoke. Clean carpets and drapes. Use air fresheners to help get rid of the tobacco smells – and don’t forget the car, too.
Do help the quitter with a few chores, some child care, cooking – whatever will help lighten the stress of quitting.
Do celebrate along the way. Quitting smoking is a BIG DEAL!
Don’t doubt the smoker’s ability to quit. Your faith in them reminds them they can do it.
Don’t judge, nag, preach, tease, or scold. This may make the smoker feel worse about him or herself. You don’t want your loved one to turn to a cigarette to soothe hurt feelings.
Don’t take the quitter’s grumpiness personally during their nicotine withdrawal. Tell them that you understand the symptoms are real and remind them that they won’t last forever. The symptoms usually get better in about 2 weeks.
Don’t offer advice. Just ask how you can help with the plan or program they are using.

via Helping a Smoker Quit: Do’s and Don’ts.

Employer Healthcare Focus of the Future

We, as Americans, have created the best healthcare system in the history of the world. But this “best” system faces some daunting challenges. The current employer must rethink their healthcare focus from just buying an insurance policy to a managed, data driven healthcare strategy.

Current Strategies used by Employers for the Past Five Years

Employers cost shifted to employees or absorbed the cost themselves.
Employers monitored discounts (price) but not utilization.
Employers received claims data as reports.
Employers had no comparative information on the quality and cost of providers.
Employers reviewed large claim activity.
Employers sponsored health fairs and wellness screens for healthy well.
Employers focused on negotiating the 10-20% fixed costs.

Future Employer Strategies Going Forward

Employers will be directly involved in helping manage the healthcare delivery system.
Employers will closely monitor utilization patterns and cost of the 25% of the population driving 90% of the cost.
Employers will receive Executive Reports analyzing trends, demographics, actionable clinical information, chronicle disease reports, healthcare index factors, etc.
Employers will focus on Healthcare Provider Process Improvement Programs and know the value of specific providers.
Employers will know the healthcare index of their population and focus on large claim prevention.
Employers will implement chronic disease management programs, predictive analysis, nurse navigators, nurse practitioners and wellness coaches.
Employers will focus on managing the 80-90% of their health benefit cost which is claims.

Employers that make effective positive changes to the way they manage their healthcare will be rewarded with healthier more productive employees and lower cost for them and their employees.

How to Have a Stress Free Holiday Season

The holidays are officially here and the season for giving begins. It’s a wonderful time of year, but with all the activities, excitement and family obligations taking place at once, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed and even a tad bit gloomy. Here are 8 simple steps to relax, let go and really enjoy a truly happy holiday!

Focus on your connections. This holiday, reflect on the meaning and closeness of your relationships. It’s not the amount of money you spend, but how much love and joy you share that will create the quality of the season. The beautifully wrapped presents and bows are far less important than the people in your life.
Entertaining? Make a time line and list. Being organized and prepared will save you from a lot of stress hormones. Prioritize and delegate tasks when you can. Enlist the help of professionals if need be (cleaning? catering?).
Keep it simple. The food doesn’t have to be fancy and you don’t have to spend a small fortune on decorations. A fire in the fireplace can set the mood and fresh flowers or greens are beautiful anywhere in the house. The people make the party.
Involve the whole family in your holiday planning and preparation. Children love to be a part of the process. Let them help with frosting cookies, making place cards, decorating your home or holiday table. Let go of perfection and have fun!
Get plenty of sleep and eat healthy foods. Sleep may seem like an indulgence this time of year, but it is essential to good health and a positive holiday outlook. Rest, slow-down and take time to reflect. There will be plenty of treats and sweets – eat healthy meals to counteract the unhealthy choices.
Let go and go with the flow. If you’re overwhelmed, imagine what would happen if you didn’t do “it”. What is the worst case scenario? Not sending your holiday cards on time probably won’t matter in the long run.
Give out of joy vs. obligation. Don’t stress your budget. Be creative and come from your heart. It makes the gift much more meaningful.
Perform a small act of kindness without expecting anything in return. A smile will spread some holiday cheer.

via How to Have a Stress Free Holiday Season: 8 Steps (with Pictures).