Search CompleteMarkets

...ng person. Travelers safety professionals see a broad spectrum of businesse...

Laughing appears to bring health benefits, but not always — for some, a fit of giggles can have serious consequences, according to a new study that reviewed the effects of laughter. The researchers reviewed studies on laughter published between 1946 and 2013. They found much evidence that laughing really is good for you. For example, laughing has been shown to improve blood-vessel function and reduce stiffness of the arteries, which is a risk factor for heart problems such as heart attacks. One study found that people who laugh easily have a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Laughing may also be good for your waistline. A 2006 study suggested that 10 to 15 minutes of genuine laughter a day may burn up to 40 calories. Another study, published in 2011, found that laughing increases a person's tolerance to pain, which the authors suggest is due to the release of endorphins. But in rare cases, laughing can be risky, the review found. One woman with a condition that causes a hole in the heart experienced a stroke after laughing uproariously for three minutes, the researcher said. And some people have accidentally breathed in foreign objects while trying to catch their breath during laughter. Laughing can even dislocate the jaw, studies show. And just like a cough or a sneeze, laughter has the potential to spread infectious diseases, the researchers said. "Laughter is no joke," the researchers wrote today (Dec. 12) in a special Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) — a lighthearted edition of the journal that includes real research. While laughter carries a low risk of harm, "our review refutes the proposition that laughter can only be beneficial," said the researchers, from City Hospital Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Still, it remains to be seen whether "sick jokes make you ill, dry wit causes dehydration or jokes in bad taste [cause] dysgeusia (distortion of sense of taste)," the researchers joked. Content provided by http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/13/laughter-health-risks_n_4440214.html  

...ne. Our Construction Insurance professionals stand ready to help. If you'd lik...

Pricing for workers compensation insurance continued to harden in California during the first half of 2013, according to a report published Wednesday by SNL Financial L.C. California's 10 largest workers compensation insurers by premium volume, which account for roughly 60% of the state's marketplace, increased their rates an average of 4.3% during the first half of the year, based on filings for new business effective between Jan. 1 and July 1, according to SNL Financial's report. Excluding a 7% decrease filed in March by the State Compensation Insurance Fund, which is the state's largest workers comp insurer, the average rate increase among California's market leaders through July 1 was 5.9%. Within that group, the largest rate increases belonged to American International Group Inc. and Liberty Mutual Holding Co. Inc., which submitted rate hikes of 10.0% and 10.9%, respectively. Statewide, rates for new workers compensation accounts were at their highest in February, when insurers in California filed average rate increases of 9.8% on $1.1 billion in premiums written, according to SNL Financial's report. At least 20 insurers in California included in SNL Financial's analysis filed rate increases of 15% or more for new business in the first half of the year. Seven firms — including units of Liberty Mutual, CNA Financial Corp. and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. — filed rate increases of 20% or more, while units of Hanover Insurance Group Inc. and American Financial Group Inc. filed rate increases in excess of 30%. Few decreased rates Only a handful of companies included in SNL Financial's analysis reported rate decreases in the first half of 2013. Among them was Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange, Church Mutual Insurance Co. and units of Nationwide and Utica National Insurance Group. California's workers comp market has been particularly bothersome for Tower Group International Ltd., SNL Financial said in the report. Tower Group cited market conditions in California, where roughly 44% of the company's workers compensation premiums are written, as one key driver behind the $326.7 million reserve charge it reported in its second-quarter earnings statement. Several of the company's operating units in March were granted rate hikes of 6.2% for new business in California, and one unit — Preserver Insurance Co. — filed a rate increase of 17.1%. Read the entire article here. Contact Scurich Insurance Services today at 831-722-3541 to find out how we can assist you with all of your business insurance needs including workers compensation. Content provided by http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20131218/NEWS08/131219828?tags=%7C338%7C309%7C305%7C87%7C304%7C92

In Secretary of Labor v. United States Postal Service the question was whether an employee's indication of an industrial injury on a FMLA request form triggered an OSHA recordkeeping obligation.  To make a long story short, that claimant complained she was having an allergic reaction to dust produced by machinery she worked with. Her doctor provided her a note stating she was not to return to work at that machine. She eventually filled out an FMLA leave request form. As this was going on, her complaint and that of another employee triggered an OSHA investigation. None of the inspections or analysis generated by her physician or OSHA found any kind of violation of OSHA standards or the exact allergic substance she was reacting to.  The OSHA inspector was none the less concerned the company had not recorded her allergic reaction in the OSHA injury logs, a violation for which they were cited. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission overturned a decision by the lower court and ruled due to privacy provisions associated with the FMLA, the employer was required to not share this information with the OSHA coordinator or the employee’s supervisor. The only time it would be appropriate to do so is for job accommodation purposes or emergency medical treatment. The Commission also ruled the obligation to report an OSHA injury could come from someone's position or other unique circumstances. According to the Commission no such facts existed to generate the obligation. Which is rather surprising given it was abundantly clear she claimed to be having allergic reactions to working around the machinery and told numerous people about it. The court reminded employers they should separate FMLA files from the work comp or injury ones. Take home lesson: do NOT share medical information across the organization unless that person has a “need to know”, there is an accommodation to consider, or there is some kind of emergency. Keep FMLA requests private and don’t automatically share the info with the OSHA compliance team. Don Phin, Esq. is VP of Strategic Business Solutions at ThinkHR, which helps companies resolve urgent workforce issues, mitigate risk and ensure HR compliance. Phin has more than three decades of experience as an HR expert, published author and speaker, and spent 17 years in employment practices litigation. For more information, visit www.ThinkHR.com.

If you're using "contingent workers" -- on a part-time, temporary, or contract basis -- be aware that these employees face a greater risk of occupational injuries and illness. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) reasons for this higher vulnerability include the tendency to outsource more hazardous jobs, lack of experience and familiarity with operations in a dangerous workplace, inadequate protective equipment, and limited access to such preventive measures as medical screening programs. The chances are that temporary workers have a wide variety of experience levels (due to high turnover) or have had the benefit of formal safety programs. Also, bear in mind that even though the safety of contract workers is the legal responsibility of the contractor, the OSHA General Duty Clause could be interpreted to make you responsible for protecting everyone in your workplace. To help meet this obligation, and bolster workplace safety compliance we'd recommend that you take these steps: Include safety requirements in the contract, even if only to state that the contractor must comply with OSHA requirements. If the contractor doesn't follow safety rules, you can force compliance or stop work for breach of contract. Set the safety compliance ground rules up front, during orientation or before they start work. Share accountability. Although an accident caused by a contract worker might not be your legal responsibility, it's still your problem. Don't leave safety compliance problems for the contractor to solve alone. Offer assistance. Explain all hazardous conditions or processes during the initial project orientation and stress any rules and restrictions, such as hot-work permit requirements, lockout/tagout, and confined spaces situations and needs. Document communications with contractors. Give the contractor(s) a document or form to sign when resolving specific safety problems or for conducting inspections. Read the OSHA Multi-Employer Citation Policy. OSHA published an enforcement and compliance directive (CPL 02-00-124, December 10, 1999) laying out its citation policy for multi-employer worksites, which includes contractors. Finally, don't forget that most contingent workers will only be in your workplace for a relatively short time. This only adds to the urgency of getting them up to speed on your company's safety policies and practices as quickly as possible. Contact our office today for more information. Content provided by Transformer Marketing.

There are good reasons to take safety seriously. In 2012, there were, on average, 89 workplace fatalities a week.1 An estimated $1 billion is paid by employers in direct workers compensation costs every week.2 A safe work environment does not happen by accident. Management must be fully engaged in creating, planning, implementing, communicating and making sure safety programs work and are designed to fit the business. Most importantly, employees have to understand their role in making their workplace safer. Eight Key Components of a Safety Management Program Your safety management program should incorporate the following 8 key components: Demonstrate management involvement – Management must lead by example. A visible demonstration that you embrace a safety culture is imperative to its success. Provide the essential time, budget and resources to create and support a safety program. Communicate your safety plan clearly – Your safety plan must be published and available to all employees. Reminders and updates should be timely and effective. Allow employees to contribute their suggestions to making the workplace safer. Get everyone involved – A safety program is likely to be more effective when employees at all levels are involved. Standardized policies should outline responsibilities and accountability for all employees. Safety goals can become part of job descriptions and employee reviews. Safety committees can help ensure that safety practices are understood and reinforced throughout the company. Positive reinforcement of safe behaviors can be an effective way to help build the desired culture. Train your employees to work safely – Safety training should begin from the moment an employee is hired. Ongoing training is also essential to creating a safety culture. Review, revise, improve – A safety program should be dynamic, especially since most business environments continue to evolve.  An effective safety program should be flexible enough to adjust to changes. Regularly review, evaluate and identify risks that could affect safety, and make the changes necessary to keep your workplace safe. Create safety standards - Each department should set safety standards through a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) to make sure every task is done correctly and safely. Recognize good safety performance, and cite and correct unsafe practices. Investigate every incident and accident thoroughly – Properly trained staff with experience in investigation, analysis and evidence collection should conduct an accident analysis as soon as possible after an incident. Report the claim within 24 hours to help ensure prompt response and injury management. Manage every injury – Even with the best safety program, an employee injury can still occur. Planning helps you to react immediately when an employee is injured on the job. Learn about five strategies that can help you put employees on the road back to productivity. While initiating a comprehensive program can seem like a major hurdle to safety, we can help businesses like yours take the necessary steps to begin creating a safety culture. Get Manufacturing Resources that Can Help You Turn Risk into a Business Advantage > Sources: 1 https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html 2 https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/products/topics/businesscase/costs.html

As a caring parent, you have tackled your share of difficult talks with your children, from bullying to underage drinking. Now, as your teen prepares to get behind the wheel, get ready to have “the talk” about safe driving. It may be the most critical conversation that you have with your child. Car crashes are the leading cause of death among teen drivers, according to theCenters of Disease Control and Prevention. Due to driving inexperience, teens are more likely to be involved in an accident than other drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.   Based on research, here are five tips to help your “talk” about safe driving be more effective: Be confident. Know that you can positively influence your child’s behavior behind the wheel.1    Be a safe driver yourself (if you are not already). Teens tend to follow your example.2 Know the facts about teen driving. Some teens increase their already high collision risk by speeding, drinking, driving at night, having peers as pass engers, and being distracted. Your state likely has Graduated Driver Licensing laws to discourage such risky behaviors among new drivers. Learn about them. And resolve to enforce them, along with other like-minded parents. Approach your talk like a great coach. Stay calm, and set clear expectations and consequences regarding dangerous driving behaviors mentioned above. Also, put expectations in writing in a simple parent-teen driving contract. And give lots of encouragement. Kids, including adolescents, respond best to positive reinforcement.3  Stay involved. Keep a close eye on your teen’s behavior behind the wheel – even after obtaining a license. Continue to coach them about how to drive more safely. Learning to drive safely takes time, experience, judgment and skill. You may want to consider installing a monitoring device; it provides data on driving behaviors that need improvement. And, understand that you will need to have multiple “talks” with your child. 1 B. Simons-Morton, M.C. Ouimet, “Parent involvement in novice teen driving: a review of the literature,” Injury Prevention, 2006; 12 (Suppl l)i30-i37; Ferguson SA, Williams AF, Chapline JF, Reinfurth DW, DeLeonardis DM. Relationship of parent driving records to the driving records of their children. Accid Anal Prev.2001;33 :229– 234 2 Ibid 3 A. Kazdin, “The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child,” New York, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2008.