Practical Tips for Business Owners and Managers
| This newsletter offers practical tips to help protect yourself from unexpected accidents, injuries, natural disasters, and other adverse events that might expose your business to loss. This months issue features:
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SITE FOCUSES ON SMALL BUSINESS SECURITY
An overview of the site explains, “A commitment to planning today will help support employees, customers, the community, the local economy, and even the country. It also protects your business investment and gives your company a better chance for survival.”
The site addresses such topics as crisis communications, employee health, utilities disruptions, building air protection, and insurance coverage. The recommendations on the Ready Business Web site reflect the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Standard developed by the National Fire Protection Association and endorsed by the American National Standards Institute and the Department of Homeland Security.
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| CELL-PHONE DRIVING COSTS LAWYER, FIRM MEGABUCKS
A number of lawsuits have targeted employers whose employees have been accused of being involved in car accidents while making business-related calls. Although federal law does not prohibit using cell phones behind the wheel, some states and municipalities have banned such use. Some companies, such as ExxonMobil, have barred employees from using handheld devices while driving on company business.
We'd be happy to review your company's exposure to this risk. Just give us a call.
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HOME-BASED WORKERS FACE ERGONOMIC WOES
Employees who telecommute, run a small business from home, or take work home from the office might lack the resources to create ergonomically safe and comfortable work environments.
According to the International Telework Association and Council, about 24 million people work at home at least one day a month — and about the same number of self-employed people work from home. Although these workers have the freedom to create offices of their choosing, they don't often consider ergonomics until they're in pain. One physical therapist reports that about 15% of his patients suffer from working at their home computer.
Another problem: Workers might be reluctant to pick up the tab for expensive chairs, modifications, or doctors' visits.
If your company is using home-based workers, it makes sense for you to have an ergonomist assess their home workstations and be ready to make the recommended changes. We'd be glad to assist you.
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Feedback |
To
help small businesses plan for terrorist attacks, the Department
of Homeland Security has developed the 
A Virginia jury has ordered
an attorney to pay $2 million to the family of a teenager that she
ran over and killed while driving and talking to a client of her
law firm on her cell phone. The firm, which was named as a defendant
in the case, settled the suit for an undisclosed amount. 
As
the number of people working from home keeps growing, so does concern
for their ergonomic well being.| |
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EMPLOYERS IGNORE WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
According to the “ASSE 2004 Workplace Violence Survey & White Paper,” only one percent of respondents said that their company has a written policy on workplace violence. The study also found that more than two in five businesses (42%) surveyed had not trained employees on how to identify the warning signs of violent behavior.
Although no one can predict human behavior accurately or describe a profile of someone about to explode, researchers have identified a set of traits that can help determine whether a worker is unstable:
Not all on-the-job violence is preceded by warnings. But being aware of the signals that employees send out in everyday interactions can help you maintain a safe workplace.
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DRUG TESTING: A MATTER OF DOLLARS AND SENSE
Consider these statistics on workplace drug usage:
It makes sense to make drug testing an integral part of your risk management program. As always, our professionals stand ready to assist you.
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Ó Copyright IMMS 2004. The material presented here is general
in nature. Due to local and state laws and ordinances, an individual
article might not apply in every jurisdiction. |
Although
homicides were the third highest cause of on-the-job deaths (based
on 2002 Bureau of Labor Statistics data), a recent study by the
American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) found that many businesses
have yet to address the problem of workplace violence. 
In
today's fast-paced environment, it's all too easy to overlook the
impact of drug and substance abuse on the job. With the inconvenience
of having to send workers to a lab, together with lost time and
production, some managers believe that it's easier to let them keep
working. This type of thinking can be dangerous. Businesses that
do not conduct employee drug testing are leaving themselves wide
open to serious risks from litigation and customer dissatisfaction.