Risk Management Update

 

 

Captive Insurance  
A captive can be a powerful tool for your organization to take complete control of its risk while gaining greater financial flexibility and coverage.
Watch this short video to learn if a captive is right for you.

Risk Management Association - Case Study
Sample: A carpentry contractor in Illinois joined the RMA to seek a more proactive claims management process to manage workers’ compensation incidents.
When a severe incident occurred onsite, they turned to their RMA partnership for guidance.
Read the entire Case Study

llinois Contractor’s Risk Management Association
Do you qualify as one of Illinois’ best in class contractors?
If you answered yes, you deserve an insurance program that takes your superior operations into account.
Read an exclusive program for the industry’s best contractors.  

More Information https://rcecusa.org/rma.html

Air Contaminants

 

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29 CFR 1910.1000 Air contaminants protects employees from occupational exposure to air contaminants. The regulation applies to all workers who may be subjected to workplace air contaminants.

§1910.1000 lists various substances along with permissible exposure limits (PELs) for an eight-hour period. Your employer has a responsibility to notify you of potential hazards in the workplace, including air contaminants.

What must my employer do?

Your employer:

• Is responsible for controlling sources of air contamination by using engineering controls, or, if necessary, by using personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Must let you know what air contaminants are in the workplace and how you can protect yourself from them.
• Will discuss any necessary PPE with you and demonstrate proper use, cleaning, and storage of the equipment.

Must periodically test the air in the facility for the presence of air contaminants.  You, or your representative, have a right to see the results of those tests.

If your employer chooses to use PPE in addition to engineering and work practice controls, the PPE must be provided free of charge

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.assuranceagency.com

Heavy Equipment Overview

 The OSHA rules for heavy equipment are broken down into two sections: motor vehicles and materials handling equipment. The motor vehicles section covers off-road vehicles, and on-road vehicles such as dump trucks and pick-ups when they are off-road. The materials handling section is further broken down into: earth moving equipment such as scrapers, loaders, and dozers; and materials moving equipment such as forklifts and telescopic handlers. This handout will help you get the big picture of how OSHA approaches the safety rules for heavy equipment.

General safety and health provisions
Using any machinery, tool, material, or equipment not in compliance with OSHA standards is prohibited. They must be identified as unsafe by tagging or locking the controls, or be physically removed from the jobsite.
 

Only employees qualified by training or experience can operate equipment and machinery.

Motor vehicles and mechanized equipment-General requirements
This section covers equipment in general. It discusses:
• Leaving equipment unattended at night.
• Using safety tire racks and cages when inflating tires.
• Suspending, blocking, and cribbing equipment to prevent falling or shifting during maintenance.
• Moving in the vicinity of power lines or energized transmitters.
• Parking brakes, safety glass, and other safety equipment.

Motor vehicles
This section covers motor vehicles that operate at off-highway jobsites, not open to public traffic. This section discusses:
• vehicle safety equipment such as brakes and lights,
• horns and reverse signal alarms,
• windshields and seat belts, and
• inspections.

Earthmoving equipment
These rules apply to earthmoving equipment such as scrapers, loaders, crawlers, wheel tractors, bulldozers, off-highway trucks, graders, and similar equipment. This section covers:
• seat belts,
• roadways and grades,
• brakes,
• fenders,
• rollover protective structures, and
• horns.

Materials handling equipment
These rules apply to lift trucks, stackers, forklifts, handlers, and similar equipment. This section covers:
• rated capacities,
• modifications and additions,
• steering mechanisms,
• overhead guards, and
• personnel platforms attached to forks.
The OSHA regulations and your operators manual, together, are good companions and give you the tools you need to make your equipment operations and your jobsite safer.

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.assuranceagency.com

Electrical Grounding

 

Why Electrical Grounding Is Important
Electricity can kill if not used properly. Power tools and other electrical equipment can easily cause electrical shocks if they’re not in good condition, if insulation is inadequate or if they come into contact with water or moisture. The most important thing you can do to ensure your safety around electricity is to properly ground all electrical tools and equipment.

Grounding Tools and Equipment
When there’s a current leakage from a tool or piece of equipment, the current will flow through any available conductor until it reaches the ground. If your body is in contact with that tool, you are the nearest conductor, unless the tool is grounded.

To prevent ground-fault hazards, all electrical tools should be connected by a three-pronged, grounded plug. If grounding is not available, always use double-insulated tools, which are covered with a nonconductive surface to protect you from contact with the circuit. Another device, a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), is required at most construction sites. It shuts off electricity if a ground fault occurs.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
A ground fault circuit interrupter provides extra protection from electrical shock, especially when you work in wet or outside areas.

A GFCI is a fast-acting circuit breaker that senses small imbalances in a circuit caused by current leakage and, in a fraction of a second, shuts off the electricity. A GFCI protects against shock, overheating, fires and destruction of wire insulation. However, it won’t protect you against line-to-line contact hazards, such as direct contact with two live wires.

Install GFCI outlets where power tools are used or wherever electrical equipment is used near water or dampness, such as outdoors. GFCIs can be wired into circuits at a panel box or used to replace ordinary outlets.

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.assuranceagency.com

Designated Path

 

Overview
All buildings must have a way of allowing occupants fast exit to the outside or a safe place of refuge in case of an emergency. These exits can be hallways, corridors, balconies, ramps, stairs, or lobbies.

The designated paths of exit must be arranged and maintained to provide a free and unob¬structed means to exit all parts of the building at all times. Employers must also ensure that these paths are accessible to occupants who have impaired mobility.

Exits must lead directly outside, to a refuge area, or to an open space with access to the outside. The area beyond the exit has to have enough room to accommodate the people who are likely to use the exit.

Exit doors:

   • must be able to be readily opened without having to use keys, tools, or special knowledge.

   • cannot have any alarm or device that would restrict emergency use of the exit if the device fails

What must my employer do?
Your employer will explain how to locate exits in your facility, and what you should do if you are required to exit the building in an emergency

What must I do?
You must become aware of at least two exits from your area of the workplace.

You have the duty to not block exits or paths of exits, and alert your employer if you notice exits that are blocked.

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.assuranceagency.com

Sexual Harassment on the Job

 

Do you have nude pictures in your workplace? Tell dirty jokes? Make suggestive remarks to other employees? If you answered yes to any of these questions you may be guilty of sexual harassment. Since enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the development of guidelines by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 1980, sexual harassment is considered to be a form of sex discrimination-a Federal offense.

To discriminate against a person is to deny them rights, benefits, wages, or opportunities because that person belongs to a certain group. Sexual harassment is defined as:

· "Unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors, or any verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when submission to such conduct is expressed or implied as a condition of employment;

· Submission to or rejection of such conduct, used as a basis for employment decisions;

· When such conduct substantially interferes with a person's work performance;

· The creation of an intimidating, hostile or offensive* working environment."

Basically, sexual harassment is any inappropriate and unwelcome behavior with a sexual overtone that causes a negative effect on a person's work environment. Examples of sexual harassment, if carried out in the workplace include:

1. Displaying obscene or offensive pictures or reading materials

2. Making suggestive gestures or sounds

3. Whistling or leering

4. Exerting unwanted pressure for dates

5. Sending letters or making telephone calls not wanted by the receiver

6. Inappropriate touching, patting, etc.

7. Telling dirty jokes

8. Extorting sexual favors from a subordinate

We usually think of an injury as a traumatic event resulting in broken bones, or blood gushing from open wounds. People also suffer injuries that have no outwardly observable signs. These are psychological injuries which can be just as devastating, disabling and scarring as any visible injury. Victims of sexual harassment often suffer from embarrassment, loss of reputation, fear of retaliation, criticism, blame, loss of their jobs, stress, low productivity, absenteeism, and low morale.

Everyone-the harasser, the victim, and the employer suffer when sexual harassment exists in the workplace. Think about your behavior around other employees for a moment. Are you guilty of sexual harassment? If you are, stop now. And if you are the victim of sexual harassment, you do not have to put up with this. Report it to your supervisor immediately.

* Some behaviors may not seem offensive in your view, but they may be offensive to others.

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.assuranceagency.com

Electrical Safety- Extension Cords

 

Extension cords are one of the most misused pieces of electrical equipment. When exposed to “normal” construction use, extension cords can experience rapid deterioration. When you subject the cord to additional misuse, such as removing the ability to ground the cord, the cord can be a ticket to the emergency room or even the morgue.

3-prong connectors
One of the most common tricks to get extension cords to work faster is to remove the third prong from a 3-prong connector. Removing this third prong can result in electrocution because the path to ground is now lost.

Repairing extension cords with electrical tape
Another common mistake is to use electrical tape to repair extension cords. OSHA doesn’t recommend it for a couple reasons: If the tape is applied too thickly if could change the cord’s original flexibility and lead to internal damage: also, the depth of the abrasions and cuts cannot be monitored to see if they get worse (unless of course you remove the tape).

Hard or Extra Hard Service cords
OSHA often cites construction companies because they fail to use extension cords that are rated correctly. For instance, a two wire ribbon type cord is not designed for hard usage. OSHA requires that construction extension cords must be either Hard or Extra Hard Service cords. Hard Service or Extra Hard Service cords are marked with one of the following designations: S, ST, SO, STO, SJ, SJO, SJT, and SJTO.

Strain relief
Another common citation OSHA issues deals with the lack of strain relief on extension cords. The plug area of an extension cord is one of the weakest areas of the cord.  When devices or fittings designed to relieve cord strain are not used, insulation tends to pull back and expose conductors.

What you can do to prevent accidents when using extension cords

• Visually inspect all electrical equipment prior to use. Any defects such as frayed cords, missing ground prongs, etc., should be corrected by taking the tool out-of-service.

• Frequently inspect electrical systems to insure the path to ground is continuous. Continually audit extension cords at your jobsite. Take any cords that are not Hard or Extra Hard out-of-service immediately.

• Use only cords that are equipped with strain relief.

• Remove cords from receptacles by pulling on the plug, not the cord.

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.assuranceagency.com