Flagger holds up stop sign for traffic in construction zone

OSHA’s Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Violations

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management

By Toby Graham for KPA Hot off the press… the new OSHA Top 10 list is here! Every year OSHA compiles a list of the ten most-cited standard violations from the previous fiscal year.  OSHA publishes this list to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so they can take necessary steps to find and fix recognized hazards before OSHA shows up. The 2021 fiscal year statistics, which ended Sept. 30th, have just been released. They show some slight changes from the 2020 list. Not surprisingly, the list’s actual violations stayed the same as the previous year, though some standards moved up or down. Click to see the complete list>>>

To Pay or Not to Pay: Is That the Question?

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, News, Risk Management

By Scott Sinder for LeadersEdge We are on the heels of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and many of us lived the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act debates that followed. The widely shared expectation at the time was that 9/11 was just the first of what we thought would be a long litany of terrorist events on U.S. soil. But those never materialized, and, to date, not one claim has been paid through the TRIA program. The recent exponential growth in “ransomware” claims, however, seems to have bucked that trend. There is a spate of more well publicized cases—Colonial Pipeline and CNA?—but as Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, recently noted, the overall “rate of ransomware attacks …

The Cost of Distracted Driving – A Reminder

Denise GillinRisk Management, Transportation

By Tyson Keith for AssuredPartners Distracted driving continues to be one of the most dangerous hazards on our roads. Whether it is eating, drinking, scanning the radio, fiddling with the navigation system, or texting on a cell phone, distracted driving causes thousands of accidents every year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019 there were 3,142 lives lost due to crashes resulting from distracted driving. By taking their eyes off the road for just five seconds, while traveling at 55mph, their vehicle can travel the distance of a football field. Please do your part by reminding your drivers of how dangerous it is to drive while distracted. The Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA), recently shared a video produced by the Minnesota …

National Farm Safety Week

Denise GillinAgribusiness, Risk Management

By Gina Ekstam for AssuredPartners Fall harvest can be one of agriculture’s busiest and most dangerous times of the year. National Farm Safety and Health Week is observed the third week of September to promote safety throughout the ag industry. While agriculture, forestry, and fishing make up one of the largest industry sectors in the U.S., most operations are small, with nearly 78 percent employing fewer than ten workers and most relying on family members and/or immigrant, part-time, contract, and seasonal labor. Many workers in these small operations are excluded from labor protections, including many of those enforced by OSHA. In 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 573 fatal work injuries in the Ag, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting sector. This represents the …

Does Your Insurance Program Cover All Insurance Requirements in the Contracts You’re Signing?

Denise GillinConstruction, Insurance, Risk Management

By Gary Semmer for AssuredPartners A great question to stop and ask yourself – how certain are you that in the event of a claim your insurance program will trigger coverage? Often, contracts get signed, excited to have that piece completed and ready to get moving with the next part. But, if you aren’t checking your insurance program’s fine print ahead of signing a contract you may be signing something that could be the beginning of a major problem later on. Let’s examine 3 problematic areas: Indemnification Additional Insured Requirements Coverage Restrictions or Exclusions Click to read more>>>

Is a Group Captive Right for Your Business?

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, Risk Management

If your organization has a strong business culture that prioritizes employee health and safety and a history of low claims, you can: Have greater control over claim management. Know every penny spent on insurance is accounted for. Take the surprises out of renewal time. In less than four minutes, this video can help you determine if a captive is a good fit for your company. To further discuss the captive options we have available, contact Lori Harris, AAI, CPIA, Captive Director / Account Executive at 717.381.3477 or email her at lharris@murrayins.com. Murray is proud to be a part of AssuredPartners, committed to providing Power Through Partnership.

September is National Preparedness Month

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management

According Ready.gov, National Preparedness Month is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2021 theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” Weekly Themes: For more information and resources to regarding National Preparedness Month, go to Ready.gov/september. Questions? Contact a member of the Murray Risk Management Team at 717.397.9600

Oklahoma Producers Explore New Approach to Farming, Ranching

Denise GillinAgribusiness, News, Risk Management

By Evan Onstot for Koco.com We grow things here in Oklahoma. Our state’s farming and ranching heritage is as strong here as anywhere. But are most of the state’s producers doing it wrong? Some producers swear there’s a better way: regenerative farming. All producers want to grow better crops and raise healthier animals. And they want to make more money. All of these things are happening for a small group of Oklahoma ranchers who’ve basically thrown out the plow – and decades of tradition. At the entrance to his sprawling Western Oklahoma ranch, not far from the Texas border, Jimmy Emmons has posted his favorite saying: Long Live the Soil. Everything that Emmons does is focused on making his soil …

DOT: Red Flag Violations and the Worst 1%

Denise GillinInsurance, News, Risk Management

By Andy Engardio for AssuredPartners.com The DOT Auditor is on the lookout for any potential violations. They will build your carrier profile before they even arrive at your office for audit. In that profile, they will compile all public and non-public federal data available regarding your company. There are several reports that they will pull and review to build this profile. Two of the reports the DOT will review: Red Flag Violations Worst 1%ers Both reports are federal programs, which means they are non-public, and they are based on road-side inspections. Also, since they aren’t public, there is no real way to prepare for the results of these. The Red Flag Violations report highlights 16 violations that are considered to …

Seven Critical Risks Facing the Agriculture Industry

Denise GillinAgribusiness, Insurance, News, Risk Management

By Autumn Demberger for RiskAndInsurance.com Everyone needs to eat — it’s right there at level one on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, after all. But how often do we take the time to think about where our food comes from? What needs to happen to bring us together around the table each night to share our stories and connect with our loved ones? Those in the agriculture sector know a thing or two about the process behind stocking the grocery store shelves. There’s sowing and weeding and watering and raising livestock, for one thing. And then there’s managing the risks. Click here to find out more about the key critical risks facing the agriculture industry, from a hardening property insurance market …