Author: Randy

Fraud and Identity Theft

fraud-alertjpgIt’s not always easy to spot con artists. They invade your home through the telephone, computer, and mail; advertise in well-known newspapers and magazines; and come through your door. Most people think they’re too smart to fall for a scam, but the opposite is true.

The National Consumer League’s National Fraud Information Center reported that from January to September 2005, online auctions accounted for 42 percent of all complaints received. Far worse, the average loss was an astounding $1,129. The loss to consumers from identity theft was $5 billion in 2004, with an average loss of $400, $1,440 if the crime was committed online.

One particularly insidious type of crime preys on the goodwill of the American public: charity fraud, which increases at times of national tragedies and natural disasters. (According to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, Americans gave $200 billion to charity in 2000.) Anyone can fall victim to these crooks: Almost without fail, they’re well-mannered, friendly, and helpful—at least at first.

via Fraud and Identity Theft — National Crime Prevention Council.

Incident Investigative Should Answer Six Key Questions

138011062Six key questions should be answered: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Fact should be distinguished from opinion, and both should be presented carefully and clearly. The report should include thorough interviews with everyone with any knowledge of the incident. A good investigation is likely to reveal several contributing factors, and it probably will recommend several preventive actions.

You will want to avoid the trap of laying sole blame on the injured employee. Even if injured workers openly blame themselves for making a mistake or not following prescribed procedures, the accident investigator must not be satisfied that all contributing causes have been identified. The error made by the employee may not be even the most important contributing cause. The employee who has not followed prescribed procedures may have been encouraged directly or indirectly by a supervisor or production quotas to “cut corners.” The prescribed procedures may not be practical, or even safe, in the eyes of the employee(s). Sometimes where elaborate and difficult procedures are required, engineering redesign might be a better answer. In such cases, management errors — not employee error — may be the most important contributing causes.

All supervisors and others who investigate incidents should be held accountable for describing causes carefully and clearly. When reviewing accident investigation reports, the safety department or in-house safety expert should be on the lookout for catch-phrases, for example, “Employee did not plan job properly.” While such a statement may suggest an underlying problem with this worker, it is not conducive to identifying all possible causes, preventions, and controls. Certainly, it is too late to plan a job when the employee is about to do it. Further, it is unlikely that safe work will always result when each employee is expected to plan procedures alone.

via Safety and Health Management Systems eTool | Module 4: Creating Change – Safety and Health Program Management: Fact Sheets: Accident/Incident Investigation.

When Do You Conduct an Incident Investigation?

incident_investigationAll incidents, whether a near miss or an actual injury-related event, should be investigated. Near miss reporting and investigation allow you to identify and control hazards before they cause a more serious incident. Accident/incident investigations are a tool for uncovering hazards that either were missed earlier or have managed to slip out of the controls planned for them. It is useful only when done with the aim of discovering every contributing factor to the accident/incident to “foolproof” the condition and/or activity and prevent future occurrences. In other words, your objective is to identify root causes, not to primarily set blame.

via Safety and Health Management Systems eTool | Module 4: Creating Change – Safety and Health Program Management: Fact Sheets: Accident/Incident Investigation.

Staying Alive After an Auto Accident

  • car_accidentIf your car will move, get it out of the flow of traffic and as far from traffic on the shoulder as possible. Turn on your flashers and stay inside the vehicle.
  • Keep your seatbelt on in case your vehicle is struck.
  • Call 911. Get the other driver to pull off to a safe place so you can exchange information when help arrives.
  • If you smell gas, get out. There could be a leak and risk of fuel-fed fire. If you have the engine running to stay warm in extremely frigid temperatures, be aware that the accident may have caused an exhaust leak putting you at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning, and you may not smell the exhaust coming in.
  • If you must wait outside the vehicle, because you cannot get it out of traffic or you smell gas, get as far from the road as possible. Never stand behind or in front of the vehicle.

via 5 Tips for Staying Alive After an Auto Accident – AccidentAttorneys.org.

Ice Safety Tips

c40914c74b3edc218c68f2c4335f0c38What to know about ice:

  • You can’t always tell the strength of ice simply by its look, its thickness, the temperature or whether or not it is covered with snow.
  • Clear ice that has a bluish tint is the strongest. Ice formed by melted and refrozen snow appears milky, and is very porous and weak.
  • Ice covered by snow always should be presumed unsafe. Snow acts like an insulating blanket and slows the freezing process. Ice under the snow will be thinner and weaker. A snowfall also can warm up and melt existing ice.
  • If there is slush on the ice, stay off. Slush ice is only about half as strong as clear ice and indicates the ice is no longer freezing from the bottom.
  • Be especially cautious in areas where air temperatures have fluctuated. A warm spell may take several days to weaken the ice; however, when temperatures vary widely, causing the ice to thaw during the day and refreeze at night, the result is a weak, “spongy” or honeycombed ice that is unsafe.
  • The DNR does not recommend the standard “inch-thickness” guide used by many anglers and snowmobilers to determine ice safety. A minimum of four inches of clear ice is required to support an average person’s weight on the ice, but since ice seldom forms at a uniform rate it is important to check ice thickness with a spud and ruler every few steps.

via DNR – Ice Safety Tips.

NASA Workforce Maintenance Program

nasaNational Aeronautical Space Agency (NASA), an executive Federal Agency dedicated to Space flight, highly values exploration. The Agency’s exploration success depends on employees’ detailed attention to the safety and health of the astronauts and their fellow Earth-bound employees. For decades NASA’s occupational health programs have maximized the opportunities of national health initiatives as well as internal resources. And, they have led the way to improve internal programs for the maintenance of a workforce that operates at its highest level of physical and mental well-being.

via CDC – NIOSH – Total Worker Health™ in Action – February 2014.

Signs of Identity Theft

credit-card-scamClues That Someone Has Stolen Your Information

  • You see withdrawals from your bank account that you can’t explain.
  • You don’t get your bills or other mail.
  • Merchants refuse your checks.
  • Debt collectors call you about debts that aren’t yours.
  • You find unfamiliar accounts or charges on your credit report.
  • Medical providers bill you for services you didn’t use.
  • Your health plan rejects your legitimate medical claim because the records show you’ve reached your benefits limit.
  • A health plan won’t cover you because your medical records show a condition you don’t have.
  • The IRS notifies you that more than one tax return was filed in your name, or that you have income from an employer you don’t work for.
  • You get notice that your information was compromised by a data breach at a company where you do business or have an account.

via Signs of Identity Theft | Consumer Information.

Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention

sudden-hearing-lossOccupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States. Approximately 22 million U.S. workers exposed to hazardous noise levels at work, and an additional 9 million exposed to ototoxic chemicals. An estimated $242 million is spent annually on worker’s compensation for hearing loss disability.

via CDC – Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topi.

Wind Chill Danger

feature_windchillAs temperatures fall and the wind howls, we begin hearing about the danger of “wind chill.” The wind chill index combines the temperature and wind speed to tell you how cold the wind makes it “feel.” Even though the chill is given as a temperature, it’s not really a different kind of temperature. Low wind-chill numbers shouldn’t keep you from going out; they should encourage you to dress properly.

via USATODAY.com – Wind chill is a guide to winter danger.