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Safety And Hazard Inspection Survey
SAFETY AND HAZARD INSPECTION SURVEY (This articl... ] Are storage tanks adequately vented and equipped with emergency venting tha...

... it's getting cheaper. Online backup services are also a viable option. My personal data backup is performed automatically for me to a secure off-site storage facility from which I can retrieve the data at any time. The growth of broadband networks is making the act of transporting files (except movies, for now) by disk cumbersome at best. Storing important documents for later retrieval is vital! As you move to an electronic document environment, be sure that you have a plan for media obsolescence. Steve Anderson, a licensed agent, heads SteveAnderson.com, Inc. (SAI), which provides consulting services on how to maximize profits using common sense technology. He also serves as the editor of TAAR: The Automated Agency Report. He can be reached at American Insurance Consultants, PO Box 1546 Franklin ... that some die faster than others. What's going to happen to the CD-ROMs and the DVD-Rs that we're using to archive our precious data, such as our digital photos? Are they doomed? Will they become useless (except as coasters)? This is an issue that every agency should address as part of their electronic document management process. Here are some ideas to help you stay ahead of the storage curve: Avoid proprietary storage media Iomega's proprietary storage solutions offer one example of how dangerous they can be. Each new technology (Bernoulli, Jaz, Zip, Rev) has a good combination of speed, capacity, and low cost going for it — together with one huge downside: Your next computer is unlikely to support the format. These proprietary formats work acceptably for day-to-day backup, but ...

... few boxes of old computer hardware and software. Like many of you who have a ... data at any time. The growth of broadband networks is making the act of trans...

...ns: What is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) looking for, how to prepare, and an inspection checklist. If you will ... vehicles? Are all solvent wastes and flammable liquids kept in fire-resi...

...lations! This is a huge achievement and one you should be proud of. But it is...lso purchase a drill to put up shelves and other furniture and storage in your new home. Just make sure ...

...w to integrate imaging with your - and your carriers’ - automation systems. "For paper now is all the rage, and nothing else will suit the age." Howa...nce. Be prepared for resistance and pay attention to your people. "Paperless files are now the rage, and electronic workflow management sui...

...intenance to protect workers from moving machinery parts.  Review material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and labels that come with chemical product...intended as a general description only and does not carry the force of legal o...

... have a significant impact on their E&O exposure. This article by Curtis Pearsall will focus on the potential impact of agency automation on E&O claims. &# 160 &# 160 Going back to the late 70s and early 80s, I can remember a slogan "Paper free in 83." Many would argue that we're worse today than before. Yet for many agencies, the move to transactional filing has been a giant step forward. Essentially this technology involves the elimination of paper files. Paper that would normally be included in an insured's file now goes to an electronic folder marked with the date of the transaction. To review a file, you go into your computer system and examine the various transactions, with each showing the date that it was requested, handled, etc ... &# 160 Some other issues that you'll need to consider with transactional filing include: &# 160 How long should you retain copies of correspondence? Many agencies go with a seven -year period. Consider the statute of limitations when evaluating this issue. The need for a disaster plain in the event that you lose your electronic records either temporarily or permanently. Virtually every municipality has companies that offer off-site storage. Thus, if you lose power, you can be up and running with the same data fairly quickly. You should also do daily backups to ensure the quality and accuracy of your records. The agencies that I've spoken with are sold on the advantages of transactional filing. If you handle training and implementation properly, a decreased E&O exposure could be one of those benefits. & ...

... 1) . Document Priority Backlog Policies to check X New business quote requests X Client phone calls to return X Marketing submissions X Marketing follow-up X Endorsements to order X Endorsements to process X Carrier additional info requests X Figure 1: Sample priority list, which could be found on any CSR's desk. When you look at transactions this way, the solution seems easy: Take care of priority items before moving on to the backlog items. However, we all know it's never that simple. Information overload comes into play because requests come to us in so many different ways — by phone calls, voice mail, e-mail, faxes, and occasionally, in person. Organizing these requests can be overwhelming for even the most experienced CSR. The first step in dealing with information overload is to determine how ... or carrier request can be harmful from both an E&O and a client service perspective. Information overload can cause us to become lax about documenting conversations or attaching e-mails. E-mails stored in electronic folders lack the security and documentation trail provided by most agency management systems. Storing e-mails in folders is like saving a voice mail; it works for the short-term, but should never be used for permanent storage. WHAT CAN BE DONE? How can we manage our work when everyone is expecting an immediate response? Let's start by taking a look at customer (and some carrier) transactions that are conducted by phone and e-mail. The first priority in dealing with information overload as it relates to your customers is to distinguish between a priority and a transaction. Frequently, when we evaluate workload in agencies ...

... Plan for down mail service; Write possible news release; Set continued update meetings with staff; Plan for supplies: Emergency, office, claims, staff; Organize telephones: Phone system, listings, local phone vendor, isolated/dedicated lines, manual phones, forwarding phones, faxes, and cell phones; and Clear work areas. AFTER THE DISASTER Restore building: Electricity and repairs; or Move to alternate facility; Contact catastrophe sites; Detail claim process, with and without automation; Prepare non-claims staff: Frequently asked questions and temporary repairs; List repair shops; Carry out claim log, company loss and contingency purposes. Include details of Flood policy: Insured notification, exclusions, and post-flood procedures; Review Wind exclusions; Seek professional counseling services; and Document selling procedures. OTHER AREAS ... , Grace Bauer has provided an agency checklist of what needs to be done before and after a catastrophe, together with other areas to consider. BEFORE THE DISASTER Establish agreements with other insurance agencies for support; Contact associations for assistance; Determine cash necessary; Discuss possible cash flow after a disaster; Prepare computer areas: Generator, automation vendor catastrophe plans, UPS system, terminals, backup, backup storage, and powering-down instructions; Secure all files; Organize employee assistance: Relocation, additional supplies, handicapped employees, people who live within walking distance of the office, out-of-state relatives, evacuation routes, transportation needs, and shelters; Coordinate personnel duties; Seek temporary employees; Schedule coverage review workshops with staff; Review facility catastrophe plans; power, telephone, and water; Schedule fire drills; ...