October is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management

By Eugene V. Schmitt, CSP, ARM, CHST, CFPS, Risk Control Specialist October is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of workplace deaths. In 2018, there were 276,000 people injured in distracted-driving crashes and more than 2,700 died in distracted-related crashes. Drivers must avoid visual (eyes), manual (hands), and cognitive (mind) distractions. Three ways to help make our roadways and our people safer: First – Commit to driving distraction-free: Take the NSC Just Drive Pledge*. Pledge to Just Drive for your own safety and for others whom you share the roads by not: Having phone conversations Texting or sending Snapchats Using voice-to-text features Updating Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo or other …

Dining Out During a Pandemic

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, News

Shared from the National Restaurant Association  Research conducted by the National Restaurant Association indicates that the restaurant industry has lost $120 billion in sales during March, April, and May due to the impact of coronavirus in the United States. As state mandates allow for restaurants to reopen, jurisdictions that require face coverings in public spaces present a new challenge: guests refusing to wear masks. The Association’s Law Center partnered with Jackson Lewis P.C. to develop guidance for restaurateurs when dealing with confrontational customers or those who forgot their masks. Highlights include: What if a guest refuses to wear a mask on Constitutional grounds? Guests and employees have no constitutional free speech rights in a private business or workplace. The First …

Dealing with employee stress due to the pandemic

Denise GillinHealth Benefits

Shared from ZyWave by Matt Pfeiffenberger, Vice President, Health Benefits Solutions Whether working from home or in the office, employees are experiencing stress due to the pandemic. It’s important to the well-being of employees that their stress is recognized, acknowledged, and guidance is provided. Following are some pointers employers can use to help employees manage stress as well as some coping mechanisms to share with employees. Guidance tips for employers While you can’t control the pandemic, you can help ease the stress your employees are feeling.  Following are some specific suggestions from HRInsights by ZyWave: Be open with employees about management decisions Provide as much information as possible Highlight employee benefits regarding relieving financial stress Encourage use of telemental health …

Why your company should have a safety committee

Denise GillinRisk Management

By Timothy M. Murray, GSP, Risk Control Consultant Safety committees are a great tool in helping to keep your employees safe, accident free, and on the job happy and healthy. This is also a good way to bring workers and managers together to create a forum to discuss health and safety concerns throughout your company. There are two major positives for a company to have a state certified safety committee: 1) the decrease in accidents; and 2) lower loss injury costs. Also, having a safety committee significantly impacts the cost of workers’ compensation insurance. There is a five-percent discount credited to your company’s workers’ compensation premium as a reward from PA Labor & Industry for becoming a state certified safety …

Telemedicine Gains Importance During Pandemic

Denise GillinHealth Benefits, News

Shared from ZyWave, Inc. by Matt Pfeiffenberger, Vice President, Health Benefits Solutions As the number of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases rises daily, hospitals and medical care providers are overwhelmed with phone calls and in-person visits. Telemedicine and telehealth services are emerging as viable solutions to help lessen the burden on health care facilities and staff, while still providing individuals with the care they need. What is telemedicine? Telemedicine is a form of technology-based communication that allows you to connect and communicate with a doctor without being in the same physical space. How can telemedicine be beneficial in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? The symptoms of COVID-19 are close to the symptoms of the seasonal flu, cold, and allergies. As …

September 14 – 18 is National Safety Stand-Down Week

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management

By Eugene V. Schmitt, CSP, ARM, CHST, CFPS, Risk Control Specialist According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees. Those deaths are preventable.  It is critical that fall hazards such as holes and leading edges are recognized and employees are protected by guardrails or Personal Fall Arrest Systems. If an employee is working from a ladder above guardrails, fall protection is required. Also, anytime an employee has to wear a fall harness, a rescue plan is needed. Make sure your foreman know how to best protect employees from fall hazards. Use this information for a Toolbox Talk with your crew. For more information …

Protect Wildlife When Trapping Spotted Lanternflies

Denise GillinAgribusiness, News

We are starting to see the more and more Spotted Lanternflies everywhere around us. They are invasive and a threat to plants, people, and because of popular trapping methods – wildlife. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture outlines the serious damage the Spotted Lanternfly causes in trees and quality of life, including: Oozing sap Wilting Leaf curling Tree dieback Growth of black sooty mold due to excretion of a sugary substance called honeydew Swarming in the air Honeydew coating decks and play equipment Additionally, the Spotted Lanternfly is a threat to Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry. They threaten billions in economic impact and hundreds of thousands of jobs for those in the grapes, apple, hops, and hardwood industries. The pervasiveness of the Spotted …

September 8 – 11 is Respiratory Protection Week

Denise GillinNews, Risk Management

September 8 – 11 is Respiratory Protection Week. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is dedicated to applying the best scientific approach to determine proper respiratory protection practices, innovative respirator designs, and maximizing the availability of respiratory protection (Find more information at Respiratory-Protection-Week-2020). Click here for a toolbox talk you can use to bring awareness to the importance of using respirators properly. Contact your Murray Risk Control Consultant at 717.397.9600 for additional assistance on resources and tools for prevention, including materials contained in the Succeed / KPA risk management platform.    

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month

Denise GillinLife Insurance, Wealth Management

By Nicole Snavely, Associate Wealth Coach Life insurance is important to protect your family and is especially vital if you own a business. That makes Life Insurance Awareness Month the perfect time to review your financial plan to make sure you and your family are adequately protected from any unexpected monetary downturn. You protect your property; have you protected YOU? According to the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association (LIMRA), the pandemic has made us all aware that life is fragile and financial situations can change quickly. While the value of life insurance is generally recognized, 46% of Americans are uninsured and many more do not have enough coverage. Prior to the pandemic, almost one in three families said if …

OSHA’s $afety Pays Program: ROI on Workplace Safety

Denise GillinRisk Management

By William J. Foehlinger, III, Assistant Vice President, Senior Risk Control Consultant Money is the language of business. The majority of workplace decisions are made to enhance profitability through greater productivity, efficiency, and quality. In many instances, business owners are slow to commit resources to suggestions for corrective action unless they include quantifiable data, useful information they understand. What’s my Return On Investment? Return On Investment (ROI) is not a term that’s typically associated with the concept of workplace safety. We need to shift the paradigm to include more intangible measurements in safety ROI calculations as a reflection of human costs like loss in quality of life after an accident, employee retention and workplace reputation that are much harder to …