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... Personal and Commercial Umbrellas vary widely, so make sure that your company doesn't exclude UM on the policy. If an insured refuses the higher UM limits, many states and companies require that they complete a sign-off form. Even if prospects tell you verbally that they don't want the coverage, never sign the form on their behalf. You may want to check with the company to see if all Named Insureds should sign, or just the first Named Insured. Here's an example of an Uninsured Motorist claim that illustrates many of these points. The case involves allegations that an agent failed to advise a client properly of the availability of higher limits of UM coverage and that the agent failed to obtain a written waiver of UM benefits equal to Liability limits as required by the state's Financial Responsibility Act. An ambulance owned and operated by one of the agency's clients was struck head on by an uninsured vehicle that had crossed the centerline of the highway. A nurse and patient were killed, and the driver was seriously injured. The insured's Business Auto policy had Liability limits of $500,000 but UM limits of only $35,000. The nurse's estate sued the insurance agency, contending that the Uninsured/Underinsured coverage should have been $500,000 and that the agent was negligent in not providing it. Each policy year, the client had been advised that the limits for Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage would be equal to that of Liability coverage unless he chose a lower option. His priorities were to maintain high Liability limits but to keep premium costs down. He reasoned that his employees ...

... , she says, so it takes about twice as long for a producer or customer service representative to become seasoned. Travel and advertising expenses are greater than they are for more conventional property and casualty lines, too. One added expense is industry conventions. Seven years ago, I had no idea what a convention expense was, ' Regnier says. Now, we attend several firemen's and EMS conventions a year. We generally take three people-myself and two other producers-and that's very expensive. But we've seen a good return on that investment. The people in this field like to see you, slap you on the back and buy you a beer. The best advertising is word-of-mouth, and the conventions are one way to get that. Regnier recently added two more dbas to her agency-Municipal Services Agency of Texas and Ambulance Insurance Services of Texas-after CIGNA opened two new markets: municipalities with less than 10,000 people and privately owned ambulance companies. Nobody wants to mess with small municipalities, but after Glatfelter designed a program for them, ' she says. We think this will let us pick up a few of the fire departments and emergency organizations that have to be insured through their municipalities, too. That is where our network of agencies will help. We need people in these small towns who know the firefighters, who know the mayor, who can rub elbows with these people. Cities want to do business with a local agent. So far, the agency has only signed about a dozen municipalities and a few private ambulance companies. But Regnier says the agency is receiving so many inquiries that it will ...

... get upset when our finger gets sticky. When my mother-in-law was in the hospital, the sign on her door read "No BP/Venipuncture to left arm." A nurse walked into the room and began to inject something into her left arm. When asked about the procedure and its apparent conflict with the sign, the nurse said, "I didn't read it!" Develop and use your Common Sense (read the signs), especially in situations where the people you work with or who "work on you" don't. Episode # 2 — Unmet Needs Motivate. Pyschologist Abraham Maslow was a bright guy. His pyramid of human needs began with Survival, followed by Security, Social Acceptance, Self-Esteem, and Self-Actualization. Shortly after my mother-in-law arrived at the hospital from a long ambulance ride, the pain medication she had been given wore off. She started to hurt. When she asked for pain medicine, the hospital staff (who had been alerted about her pending arrival hours earlier) announced that the doctor hadn't ordered it yet. The system might have anticipated that an 80-something-year-old traveling in an ambulance for more than 12 hours might need pain medication when she arrived (while you're reading this, picture your mother screaming in pain) . When I encouraged the staff to call the doctor, they did. But that call only created the authority to give a pill; it didn't produce the pill. Unfortunately, the computer can't deliver the pill to the patient — only humans do that. Humans take breaks and change shifts, computers don't. Since my mother-in-law was so ...

... , and more! Communications Marketing Customer Service Planning Finance/Accounting Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All Back 21 Things To Do To For A Safe Workplace 12/10/2014 12:00:00 AM by Don Phin This content has not been rated yet. 21 THINGS TO DO TO FOR A SAFE WORKPLACE Offer employees a share of insurance premium reductions which result from a reduced number of accidents. Match the applicant carefully to the job. Test their skills and physical abilities. Install alarm systems for theft, entry and fire purposes. Make sure that all threats of violence are reported and investigated immediately. Maintain a first aid cabinet, post first aid information, including fire, police, and ambulance numbers, and a poster on how to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Comply with all Federal and State OSHA IIPP requirements. Comply with all hazardous materials reporting requirements, including identification of hazardous substances. Clearly mark and keep clear all your exits, aisles, and passages. Provide stairs with slip resistant surfaces, handrails and proper lighting. Make sure your equipment contains safety guards, electrical grounding, readily available and easily identifiable power shut off switches and emergency stop buttons. When appropriate provide your employees with, and require them to wear, protective clothing including: safety glasses, gloves, hard hats, steel toed boots, headphones, hearing protective equipment, wrist braces, back support belts, and the like. Do not allow productivity pressures to compromise safety. Make sure the furniture and equipment you ...

... accidental chemical splashes, falling objects, flying particles, unknown atmospheres with inadequate oxygen or toxic gases, fires, live electrical wiring, or similar emergencies need personal protective equipment, including: Safety glasses, goggles, or face shields for eye protection. Hard hats and safety shoes. Properly selected and fitted respirators. Whole body coverings, gloves, hoods, and boots. Body protection for abnormal environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures. Medical Assistance Employers not near an infirmary, clinic, or hospital should have someone on-site trained in first aid, have medical personnel readily available for advice and consultation, and develop written emergency medical procedures. It is essential that first aid supplies are available to the trained medical personnel, that emergency phone numbers are placed in conspicuous places near or on telephones, and prearranged ambulance services for any emergency are available. Further Information More detailed information on workplace emergencies is provided in "How to Prepare for Workplace Emergencies" (OSHA 3088) available free from OSHA Publications, Room N3101, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210, telephone (202) 219-4667, or local OSHA offices. This is one of a series of fact sheets highlighting U.S. Department of Labor programs. It is intended as a general description only and does not carry the force of legal opinion. Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands of other great articles. Need more reasons to join? Need insurance for you, your business or your family? Get quality appointments - Save yourself a whole lot of time & ...

... training should be provided to employees so that action can be taken immediately, rather than after calling a safety manager or other delays. Emergency Action Plans should be developed for evacuation, criminal activities, earthquake, flood, and snow. Emergency Action Posters Posters should be conspicuously displayed at appropriate sites throughout the workplace. These posters should warn of potential hazards and dangers and provide emergency action information. Such a poster might say, Don't use elevators in the event of an emergency. These posters should provide response information and emergency phone numbers. Other information might include first-aid measures: 1. Airway open and breathing 2. Circulation and bleeding 3. Poisoning 4. Severe burns 5. Shock When in doubt, dial 911. Here are some other phone numbers that you should have at hand: 1. Ambulance 2. Fire rescue 3. Poison control center 4. Physician 5. Alternate physician 6. Police 7. Hazardous materials 8. National Response Center: (800) 424-8802 Disaster Response Rules 1. Remain calm 2. Assess the situation. Identify the hazards and determine who is threatened. 3. Sound the alarm. Quickly notify others who may be affected and inform your supervisor of the emergency. Activate fire alarms or other warning devices. 4. Get help. The quickest and easiest way to obtain professional help for any type of emergency not specifically covered by available procedures is to CALL 911. When calling, remain calm and carefully describe the nature of the emergency and the location. 5. Plan and take action. In the event of a hazardous material incident you should: ...

... and other sources of business owners who have a list of customers. These are known as responsive lists because each person on the list has responded in some way to an offer. They're generally highly targeted and cost more than a simple compiled list. Most of the time, these lists are worth the extra money because the people on them fit exactly the profile of the type of prospect you've identified. Finally, there are federal, state, and local government lists. They're generally free or next to free and can be highly targeted to a specific type of business. Lists of individual consumers are also available. WHERE TO FIND GOVERNMENT LISTS The main problem with government lists is that they're hard to find. My company developed a marketing program for an Emergency Medical Service (EMS), or ambulance service, in Texas. When we first began looking for prospect names, we called the state government offices in Austin. We began with a phone number that provides general information. The people there directed us to the Texas Department of Health. After talking with several people about what we were looking for, we learned that the department had a list of every EMS provider licensed in the state. We purchased the entire list for only $27.50. It included 1,300 names, which we narrowed down to the 350 prime prospects for the program. These names were used as the basis for a very successful marketing program. The only other cost was the expense to type the names into the database. Most agents don't obtain lists this way because the process is much harder that it ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. 21 Things To Do To For A Safe Workplace 12/10/2014 by Don Phin This content has not been rated yet. 21 THINGS TO DO TO FOR A SAFE WORKPLACE Offer employees a share of insurance premium reductions which result from a reduced number of accidents. Match the applicant carefully to the job. Test their skills and physical abilities. Install alarm systems for theft, entry and fire purposes. Make sure that all threats of violence are reported and investigated immediately. Maintain a first aid cabinet, post first aid information, including fire, police, and ambulance numbers, and a poster on how to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Comply with all Federal and State OSHA IIPP requirements. Comply with all hazardous materials reporting requirements, including identification of hazardous substances. Clearly mark and keep clear all your exits, aisles, and passages. Provide stairs with slip resistant surfaces, handrails and proper lighting. Make sure your equipment contains safety guards, electrical grounding, readily available and easily identifiable power shut off switches and emergency stop buttons. When appropriate provide your employees with, and require them to wear, protective clothing including: safety glasses, gloves, hard hats, steel toed boots, headphones, hearing protective equipment, wrist braces, back support belts, and the like. Do not allow productivity pressures to compromise safety. Make sure the furniture and equipment you use at the work is ergonomically designed. This includes chairs, computer keyboards, computer screens, as well as other equipment involving repetitive physical use. Address indoor pollution problems through proper ventilation and inspection ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. First Aid 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Bill Grieb This content has not been rated yet. FIRST AID by Bill Grieb This article discusses medical assistance and first aid requirements. GISO 2400 requirements are listed at the end. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE Employers who are not near an infirmary, clinic, or hospital should have someone on-site trained in first aid, backed by medical personnel readily available for advice and consultation. Written procedures should be developed for medical emergencies. It is essential that first aid supplies are available to the trained medical personnel, that emergency phone numbers are placed in conspicuous places near or on telephones, and that prearranged ambulance services are available for any emergency. FIRST AID KITS Every organization should have a first aid kit available. It does not need to be expensive and complex, but it should provide the basics, including supplies for large and small wounds and pain medication. A complete first aid kit should meet OSHA requirements and the CDC's recommendations for isolating rescuer from victim. There are over a dozen first aid regulations in the California Code of Regulations, and other states may have as many. In California's case, a committee is working to draft a single regulation for all industries. One approach being considered is a first level that requires a basic first aid kit and persons adequately trained in standard first aid. A second level would require plant and process evaluation, hazard identification, special need definition and augmentation of training and materials. Currently a licensed physician must be consulted regarding the contents of an employer's first aid kit. Many physicians ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Discovering New Niche Programs In Commercial Lines 4/30/2013 by Andrew Barile , CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. Niche programs in Commercial Lines are an outgrowth of the Property/Casualty insurance industry's efforts to tailor insurance products for designated insureds. Some examples are accountants' Errors & Omissions (E &O ) Liability, Tax Preparers' E&O , and programs for public libraries, ambulance companies, homes and services for the aging, auto repairs, contractors, car washes, boards of education, credit unions, contractors who install water-based sprinkler systems, law firms, school bus operations, and loggers. New niche programs in Commercial Lines are created in response to legal events, as opposed to regulation (e.g., Prop. 103) . A case in point: The July 1995 California Supreme Court opinion of Montrose Chemical Corp. v. Admiral Insurance Co. caused contractors' defect claims to be covered, even though they had not been covered previously. From an underwriting perspective, many carriers and their reinsurers said, We don't write contractors in California because of the Montrose decision. Others, however, saw an opportunity to design a General Liability insurance product for California residential contractors that build condos or tract houses. As an agent, you must be aware of opportunities in the marketplace. The best way to discover new niche programs in Commercial Lines is to pay attention to market voids. Listen for consistent exclusions by all carriers. The new niche program is created by changing the language of the policy. Using policy language to ...