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... identification effort 4. Correction and documentation 5. Training for employees and supervisors 6. Reduction of illness and injury The Maine 200 approach has proved cost effective in reducing workplace injury and illness. The program is being expanded by OSHA. Fire Causes The main hazards that result in fire are: Smoking Electrical Poor Housekeeping Grease (cooking, industrial, etc.) Spontaneous combustion Friction-for example, overheating bearings Explosion of vapors, dust, atomized liquids or gases Chemical reactions Fire requires three things: fuel, heat, and oxygen. Removal of any of these will prevent or stop a fire. There are five steps in fire prevention and protection: engineering; planning; training; inspection; and follow-up. ENGINEERING The first step in fire prevention is to engineer the site for fire prevention and protection. ... x No Thanks Loading.. Workplace Fire Safety 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Bill Grieb This content has not been rated yet. WORKPLACE FIRE SAFETY by Bill Grieb Fire safety is important business. National Fire Prevention Week in October focuses on the importance of fire safety in the home, in schools, and at work. But fire safety in the workplace is the principal focus of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)- and saving lives and preventing injuries due to fire is a key concern. According to National Safety Council figures, losses due to workplace fires exceed $3 billion. Workplace fires result in an estimated 360 deaths every year. There is a long and tragic history of workplace fires in this country. One of the most notable was the 1911 fire ...

... , Marcus Covas This content has not been rated yet. These hiring guidelines can help protect your business against the "growth industry" of employment-related litigation. Today, every business faces not only the traditional challenges of competition and rapidly changing technology, but a relatively new category of potential adversary — workers hitting them with employment-related claims. Not-for-profit corporations, public entities, and private businesses alike are experiencing an explosion of litigation alleging: Discrimination Sexual Harassment Wrongful discharge Wage and hour disputes Negligent hiring, retention, and supervision Failure to provide benefits Violations of federal and state leave-of-absence laws Whether companies win or lose such suits, they'll divert time, money, and energy from growing sales and earnings. In one Southern California lawsuit, an openly gay grocery store night manager claimed he was wrongfully terminated because of upper ... relatives with similar traits. Laid-off workers are often experienced, hard working, and grateful for a new opportunity. A staffing firm that screens candidates can be a valuable source for temporary or permanent workers. Cities and local communities may be potential recruiting sources through their workforce and economic development efforts. The Internet has become an increasingly valuable resource for recruiting skilled workers. DETAILED EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS One of the most important hiring tools is a careful review of the applicant's background. It's important to use an application with detailed questions. Also, be sure to: Require candidates to answer all questions completely. An applicant who leaves blanks usually has information they don't want to disclose. Ask an applicant why they wrote see resume' on the employment background section of the application. Were they trying to avoid answering any ...

... This content has not been rated yet. DISASTER PLANNING by Bill Grieb Disasters and emergencies can involve a single worker (for example, a heart attack on the job), several workers, or a complete plant or site. Disasters or emergencies can be caused by internal or external factors or natural disasters. Internal causes include: Medical emergency Plant malfunction, collapse, or failure Fire and/or explosion Material spills and leaks Equipment malfunction or misuse Violence or sabotage External factors include: Spills and leaks Transportation accidents Toxic release Fire and explosion Assaults and insurrection Utility malfunction (Electricity, gas, water) Natural disasters include: Fire Flood Earthquake Violence: Among the criminal activities that threaten your workplace safety and health are bomb threats, robbery, assault, hostage situations, and kidnapping. Each organization should ... Any disaster that causes danger to the public-either real or perceived- must be handled effectively. It may be a spill of hazardous materials or a malfunction of manufacturing equipment. Safety measures might even include the recall of contaminated food products. The public must be informed, reassured, and kept abreast of any actions being taken. The penalties for not doing so can be severe. BACK UP It is important to back up irreplaceable records-important documents, customer lists, accounting records, and so forth-at a separate site so they have a better possibility of being spared in the event of a disaster. In the face of disasters that affect a whole region at once, a business should consider storing additional backup in a completely different region; for instance, a west-coast business planning for earthquakes might store duplicate copies ...

... when the MSDS was prepared. 2. Hazards Ingredients/Identity-This section defines the chemicals by common names. Any safe exposure limits that have been defined are given. These include permissible exposure limit and threshold limit value. 3. Physical Chemical Characteristics-this may include boiling point, melting point, vapor pressure, vapor density, evaporation rate, solubility in water, and specific gravity. 4. Fire and Explosion Hazards-This includes flash point, flammable limits, and lower and upper explosive limits. It also defines what type of fire-fighting procedures are appropriate. 5. Reactivity-This includes information on stable vs. unstable, incompatibilities, hazardous decomposition, and polymerization by-products. 6. Health Hazard-This includes hazards from inhaling, ingestion, contact through the skin, etc. It explains whether the effects are acute, chronic, ... hazardous chemicals are present Location and availability of the written program and MSDSs How to use and interpret MSDSs Methods to detect presence of hazardous materials Physical hazards Health hazards Protective measures, including: Work practices Emergency procedures Protective equipment Identifying hazardous chemicals in the workplace UNDERSTANDING AN MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) When you look at an MSDS, you will see that it has eight basic sections. It is important to understand each one. These sections are: 1. Chemical Identity-This section defines the manufacturer and how they can be reached. It usually states when the MSDS was prepared. 2. Hazards Ingredients/Identity-This section defines the chemicals by common names. Any safe exposure limits that have been defined are given. These include permissible exposure limit and threshold limit value. 3. Physical Chemical Characteristics-this may ...

... here in large measure to eliminate the cost of adjusting small claims. Loss adjustment costs in fidelity can be extremely high because of the need for detailed accounting, which may go back many years. Auto. Auto Physical Damage is one area in which almost all companies of any size should retain the risk, using insurance only where many vehicles are stored in a single location subject to a windstorm, explosion, fire, flood, or other catastrophe. Liability. Public Liability has not often been subject to deductibles except for minor deductibles in Property Damage Liability. The rationale is that outside adjusters are necessary to deal with the claimant, and it used to be difficult to employ adjusters without an insurance policy. Now that there are many professional adjusting firms available on a fee basis for self-insureds, this ... of negotiating and supporting property claims. Of course, estimating and recording the losses are needed, as is attention to subrogation potentials. It eliminates much accounting detail for reports of values, payroll reports, audits, and so forth. It focuses attention on the need for controlling losses, enhancing loss-prevention efforts. In the field of liability and Workers Compensation, it allows more flexibility in claims administration. Important decisions regarding your claims are not pre-empted by the insurance adjuster. It allows selection of the most effective claims, loss prevention, and computer loss-reporting services rather than taking all from a single source. Disadvantages The principal disadvantage of a properly planned risk-retention program is that there may be a greater variation of costs from year to year. However, recent chaotic market conditions have demonstrated that even insured programs ...

... . My mechanic's a lousy marketer. My lawyer's a lousy marketer. My accountant's a lousy marketer. Wherever you look, most people are better at their technical trade than they are at marketing their technical trade. Only a lucky few understand that their well-developed technical skills are not the skills that get their phones ringing off the hook or customers stampeding to their door. However there are agents who experience explosive growth thanks to marketing – and their secret isn't rocket science. They've created a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that answers the most important and toughest question any agency will ever face. And more importantly, it's the question that prospects already are asking silently: If I were your prospect, why should I do business with you above any and all other options? You need to ... up with a straight-for-the-gut, honest answer that rings with truth. A plateful of empty platitudes is not an acceptable answer. You don't want answers like these: We've been in business since 1939. Fine. Does that mean if I find another agency that has been in business longer, I should go with it? (By the way, I'm a Chicago Cubs fan, so I've learned the hard way that being in business a long time does not equate to greatness!) Service. Boring. Look up service' in Webster's and you still won't know what it means. Remember, your prospect is tuned into radio station WII-FM (What's In It For Me?) . Fluffy words don't cut it. Integrity. Does that mean you won't steal my money? Is that really a selling point? ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Are You Ready for Insurance Dot Com?10/26/2018 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Edward Curry This content has not been rated yet. The insurance agency system is experiencing an explosion of new ideas and techniques as well as a changing insurance environment. Agencies must look for new ways to take advantage of the new market forces sweeping through the industry and society. One of the most important opportunity areas is the Internet. The potential for Internet growth is enormous. Unfortunately, many in the industry are fearful and confused about the Internet. Someone who wasn't is Gordon Harden, an agent in Ownings Mills, MD. Gordon is a leading expert on Internet insurance marketing. He realized early on that computers would play an increasingly powerful part in day-to-day agency operations. ... saw the need to change his agency's direction in response to the shift in the way customers do business with agents and insurance companies. The old marketing methods-door-to-door canvassing, direct mail, and telemarketing-just weren't working as well as before. The more Gordon used the Internet, the more certain he became that this was where he'd find the prospects to make his agency grow. He seriously researched the Internet, hardware, and software-and the ways these technologies could be used together to operate his agency. He found the Internet to be a great icebreaker with hard-to-reach prospects. Once he establishes contact, most prospects and customers he finds through the Internet are more than willing to talk about insurance face to face. Using the Internet allows Gordon to: Continuously increase new business writings Attract new multi-line clients Attract hard-to-reach clients ...

... activities, refer to Exhibit 10.2. 10.4 Crisis Management Plan Task Activities Exhibit 10.2 provides examples of task activities in a comprehensive corporate crisis management plan: EXHIBIT 10.2 CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN TASK ACTIVITIES Pre-Crisis Contingency Planning Alternate locations Human resources Vital record storage Risk assessment Resource availability News media plan Image enhancement strategy Response Strategy Action Guides Evacuation, including alarm procedures First aid medical emergencies Fire, smoke detection and/or explosion Earthquake Structural collapse Electrical power failure emergencies Utility power failure emergency (non-electrical) Flooding emergencies Severe weather emergencies Violence in the workplace Bomb threats Civil commotion Operations during Crisis Impairment Administration Finance/Accounting Management information systems (MIS) Communications Operations Recovery Plan Restoration Tasks Loss assessment Notice to insurers Legal considerations Credit requirement Equipment replacement Reconstruction Insurance claims Subrogation The previously identified responsibilities and assignment tasks are typical of what is ... and Operating Overview The structured development, formulation, implementation and operating strategy as well as on-going enhancement of a comprehensive Crisis Management Plan typically involves the following five sequential phases: Phase I Crisis Criteria Development Phase II Assessment Analysis Phase III Crisis Management Plan formulation Phase IV Crisis Management Plan implementation Phase V Crisis Management Plan Maintenance The above five sequential steps are expanded in detail in the following sub-section. It is important to note that this is a generic approach and an actual crisis management program could involve either substantially fewer task segments, specialized activities or even more task modules. 10.2 Plan Development and Strategic Operating Summary The following is an overview of a sequential process suitable for formulating and implementing a comprehensive Crisis Management Plan. The sequential process is composed of various phases and task modules. The following summary should not ...

... Crisis in the same industry Someone else's crisis on your property (guilt by association) Kidnap, ransom, extortion Hostile takeover attempt Key employee starts competing company Management succession Merger/acquisition Murder Negative publicity due to rumors Negative publicity relating to political contributions Reorganization/downsizing Serious cash flow problems Sudden market shift Terrorism Data/telecommunications failure/loss of critical data Design error/issue Sabotage by extremist environmental group Explosion Fire Major utility failure Neighborhood/community group opposition to a project Structural/subsidence collapse Environmental Accidents/Liabilities Groundwater contamination Air quality problem Gas leak Long-term exposure of toxic chemicals to the community Release of toxic chemicals into the air or waterways Employee/Management Misconduct Bribery/kickbacks Disgruntled employee Executive misconduct/fraud/embezzlement Lawsuits from discrimination, sexual/racial harassment Murder Price fixing Sabotage Scandal involving top ... effect on its overall financial condition, its relationships with its audience, and/or its reputation in the marketplace. If that definition sounds abstract, review this list of very real situations to identify those that could knock at your door, or knock a hole in it. (See Exhibit 1) . Keep in mind that the list is by no means complete. It does, however, suggest important questions, such as what else are you vulnerable to and which crises have the greatest potential of occurring? If you checked even one of these events, don't feel like the Lone Ranger. It's what you do with this information that's important. If you've checked a number of situations, create a Top Ten' list ranked from the most-likely crisis, ' which would be numbered as one, ...

... Policy Statement Definition of warranted crisis management plan scope Formulation of a crisis management contingency plan (Example: alternate locations and supply resources,back-up computer, etc.) Appointment of the Crisis Management Committee Organization of Emergency Response Teams Institute a media management and public relations strategy Continuous vulnerability and crisis assessment Implementation of emergency response action guides (Example: evacuation, fire, earthquake, flood, utility failure, explosion, severe weather, flood, product contamination, hazardous chemical spill, pollution abatement, violence in workplace emergency, extortion, kidnap, bomb threats, actual bombings, etc.) Preparation of a Crisis Management Manual Production of a Crisis Management Emergency Directory (Includes: vital resources, emergency numbers, non-business hours contact information, etc.) Adoption and distribution of the Crisis Management Manual Anticipated operations ... MANAGEMENT PLAN EVALUATION \/ /\ DURING CRISIS Activate Response Plan Emergency Action Tasks /\ \/ /\ FOLLOWING CRISIS Impact Assessment Contingency Operations /\ \/ AUDIT ANALYSIS CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN STRATEGY REFINEMENT \/ /\ CRISIS RECOVERY Subsequent Operations Restoration Tasks /\ The following is a summary overview of the significant activities anticipated during the four specific time periods: 7.5 Prior to Crisis Timing The most important time segment concerning Crisis Management Plan timing is the period identified as "prior to crisis" . This involves an on-going time period without any definable termination. Within this major time segment lie Crisis Management Plan formulation, implementation and on-going maintenance. At the time of a crisis, the ultimate success of the Crisis Management Plan is dependent upon the effectiveness of the strategic planning which ...