Randy – Page 74 – Risk Management 365

What’s Next After Lean?

Definition of Lean:

Doing more with less by employing “lean thinking.” Lean manufacturing involves never ending efforts to eliminate or reduce ‘muda” (Japanese for waste or any activity that consumes resources without adding value) in design, manufacturing, distribution, and customer service processes.

So what’s “beyond lean” or the “next lean”. I have found that applying “lean” thinking to employee health and productivity eliminates waste in the cost of health care, work comp, absenteeism and presenteeism (at work but not productive). To be successful you need a process or road map. The process is the five steps of risk management. They are:

Identify Risk
Analyze Data
Control Risk
Finance Risk
Measure Results

Don’t make the mistake of thinking insurance is risk management. Insurance is not risk management; in fact it is the 4th step of the process. Skipping (or poor execution of) the first 3 steps leads the waste (higher cost) and poor results in step 5.

Payroll, Benefits and Work Comp are typically the highest cost a business has yet in many cases this area is often overlooked for waste.

Dental Health of Children

Dental decay is one of the most common chronic infectious diseases among U.S. children. This preventable health problem begins early: 17% of children aged 2-4 years have already had decay. By the age of 8, approximately 52% of children have experienced decay, and by the age of 17, dental decay affects 78% of children. Children and adults who are at low risk of dental decay can stay cavity-free through frequent exposure to small amounts of fluoride. This is best gained by drinking fluoridated water and using a fluoride toothpaste twice daily. Children and adults at high risk of dental decay may benefit from using additional fluoride products, including dietary supplements (for children who do not have adequate levels of fluoride in their drinking water), mouth rinses, and professionally applied gels and varnishes.

via CDC – Family Health – Parents: ABCs of Raising Safe and Healthy Kids.

Hazard Communication | What is Hazard Communication?

Chemicals pose a wide range of health hazards (such as irritation, sensitization, and carcinogenicity) and physical hazards (such as flammability, corrosion, and reactivity). OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is designed to ensure that information about these hazards and associated protective measures is disseminated. This is accomplished by requiring chemical manufacturers and importers to evaluate the hazards of the chemicals they produce or import, and to provide information about them through labels on shipped containers and more detailed information sheets called material safety data sheets (MSDSs). All employers with hazardous chemicals in their workplaces must prepare and implement a written hazard communication program, and must ensure that all containers are labeled, employees are provided access to MSDSs, and an effective training program is conducted for all potentially exposed employees.

via Safety and Health Topics | Hazard Communication | What is Hazard Communication?.

Keeping Children Safe Online

There are several ways to safeguard children. Undoubtedly the most effective is to educate them from an early age about the risks they may encounter when online … what these risks are, how to spot them and what action to take. There are a number of online age-appropriate educational resources available to parents/guardians and teachers, and children themselves, covering every aspect of online safety for children.

You should also take the following measures. Remember that these factors will change as children grow up and should be reconsidered regularly.

Set ground rules about use of the internet, email and texts. They should learn to take responsibility for their own actions and develop their own judgement.
Make children aware that online contacts may not be who they say they are.
Children must keep personal details private.
Ensure that they use a family email address when filling in online forms.
They must never meet unsupervised with anyone they have contacted via the internet.
Get children to report concerns about conversations, messages and behaviours to you or another known and trusted adult. Encourage them to share their internet experience with you and make it a shared family experience.
Get children to report bullying online, by text or phone immediately to you.
Use the parental control settings on your browser, search engine and internet security package.
Alternatively, consider buying specialist parental control software.
Block pop-ups and spam emails.
Consider enabling online access from only a family computer located in a shared room.
Always sit with younger children when they are online.
Consider choosing a child-friendly home page in your browser settings.
Learn the language of chatrooms and log on yourself so you know how it works.
Consider setting up a family e-mail account which can be used specifically to register for websites, competitions etc.
Tell your children not to illegally copy copyrighted content such as music, films or software.
Ensure that your children do not have access to your logon account so that they cannot access, alter or delete your files.
Take care to limit children’s access to credit card and bank information. Similarly, ensure they cannot gain access to an online shop or other website where your details are stored.
Set limits on when they can use the computer, and for how long.

Remember that a lot of the above advice also applies to your children’s use of mobile phones, tablets and games consoles.

via Safeguarding Children | Get Safe Online.

The Role of HR in Risk Management

Human resources have two roles in risk management.

First, people are a source of risk, e.g., shortage of employees, people doing sloppy work, an employee refusing to take on additional responsibility, or a key employee leaving two months after completion of a one-year training program.

Second, people are important in handling risk, e.g., people using their ingenuity to solve unexpected problems, employees going the extra mile for the good of the organization, a key employee redesigning her own job to avoid unnecessary delays in getting work done, or an employee persuading a talented friend to apply for a position in the business.

via The Role of Human Resource Management in Risk Management – eXtension.

Safety Tips: New Year’s Eve

If you are hosting a New Year’s Eve party, following a few simple rules could prevent a tragedy:

Plan ahead by naming a “designated driver.” Make this your responsibility as the host.
Contact a local cab company to provide rides for your guests.
Serve non-alcoholic beverages as an option to your guests.
Stop serving alcohol to your guests several hours before the party ends.
Provide your guests with a place to stay overnight in your home.
If you are attending New Year’s Eve parties and celebrations:
If you drink, don’t drive.
Plan ahead and always designate a sober driver before the party or celebration begins.
If you are impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit, or get a sober friend or family member to come pick you up.
Or, stay where you are until you are sober.
Take the keys from someone if you think he/she is too impaired to drive.

via USA.gov: Safety Tips: New Year’s Eve.

How can workplace violence hazards be reduced?

In most workplaces where risk factors can be identified, the risk of assault can be prevented or minimized if employers take appropriate precautions. One of the best protections employers can offer their workers is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. This policy should cover all workers, patients, clients, visitors, contractors, and anyone else who may come in contact with company personnel.

By assessing their worksites, employers can identify methods for reducing the likelihood of incidents occurring. OSHA believes that a well written and implemented Workplace Violence Prevention Program, combined with engineering controls, administrative controls and training can reduce the incidence of workplace violence in both the private sector and Federal workplaces.

This can be a separate workplace violence prevention program or can be incorporated into an injury and illness prevention program, employee handbook, or manual of standard operating procedures. It is critical to ensure that all workers know the policy and understand that all claims of workplace violence will be investigated and remedied promptly. In addition, OSHA encourages employers to develop additional methods as necessary to protect employees in high risk industries.

via Safety and Health Topics | Workplace Violence.

The Risk of Surgical Error

After a cautious and rigorous analysis of national malpractice claims, Johns Hopkins patient safety researchers estimate that a surgeon in the United States leaves a foreign object such as a sponge or a towel inside a patient’s body after an operation 39 times a week, performs the wrong procedure on a patient 20 times a week and operates on the wrong body site 20 times a week.

The researchers, reporting online in the journal Surgery, say they estimate that 80,000 of these so-called “never events” occurred in American hospitals between 1990 and 2010 – and believe their estimates are likely on the low side.

via Johns Hopkins Malpractice Study: Surgical ‘Never Events’ Occur At Least 4,000 Times per Year – 12/19/2012.

Worksite Wellness – Sustainability

Quality Work and Quality Living

A positive wellness culture in the workplace contributes to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of workers. The workplace becomes more productive and constructive when employers integrate breaks for rejuvenation. It also helps to establish clear and reasonable roles and responsibilities and respect the time and talents of individuals and their non-work demands. These steps provide the organization with more opportunity to reduce the number of sick days and health-associated costs. Are you working to make your office a healthy place for yourself and your colleagues?

Worksite Wellness at a Glance

Helps employees take responsibility for lifestyle choices
Educates workforce about hazards and opportunities for wellness
Enhances employee productivity
Reduces absences and idleness
Reduces health care costs
Shifts health care paradigm from treatment to prevention

For Employers

Establish programs for exercise during the workday
Implement a no-smoking policy and provide resources for tobacco cessation
Allow flexible work schedules and telecommuting
Encourage personnel to take the stairs
Select worksites close to public transportation, walking trails, fitness facilities, and other amenities

via CDC – Worksite Wellness – Sustainability.

Clean Hands Save Lives

The most important thing that you and your kids can do to help keep from getting sick is to wash hands, especially after coughing and sneezing, before preparing foods or eating, and after using the restroom. By washing your hands often, you wash away germs that you have picked up from other people, from contaminated surfaces, or from animals and animal waste. Everyone should wash their hands for 20 seconds (about the length of a little tune) to remove germs. It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps dislodge and remove germs. Rinse well and dry your hands. It is estimated that one out of three people do not wash their hands after using the restroom.

via CDC – Family Health – Parents: ABCs of Raising Safe and Healthy Kids.