The Bull Stops Here Blog

Be careful…you could be tomorrow’s safety news!

What small businesses can  do right now to start 2010 with the upper hand?

Small businesses  notoriously overpay for their insurance due to lack of risk management  strategy.  If you were to commit to a strong approach to your  insurance, safety practices, risk management and forecasting, you would  be able to save money in 2010 on your premiums, as well as improve efficiency  and profitability.

Here are a few tips that you can implement today that will minimize risk and maximize profit:

1 – Get a  complete diagnostic of your safety program.  Injured employees cost  small businesses money in increased workers compensation premiums, loss of  time, and hiring or moving people to replace the injured worker.  Offices  have a huge issue with ergonomics, as this accounts for 50% of workers comp  claims in the country.  Being able to identify exposures and put safety  practices into place to alleviate them will have a direct impact on their  bottom line.

2 – Bid out insurance.  The insurance market is still  “soft,” meaning that premiums are down and competition for business among insurers is up.  Not looking at all possibilities is simply not prudent  and can be expensive.  Regardless of when their renewal is, they should  make a commitment to aggressively bid out their insurance.

3 – Get a  complete diagnostic on your property and casualty insurance.  I rarely  find a policy that can’t be adjusted to save money.  Normally, business owners leave the programming of their policies to the agent or broker without  getting involved.  This is an area that with proper attention could  immediately improve the program by cutting costs and/or preventing uncovered  claims.

4 – Consider Health Savings Accounts (HSA) for medical  insurance.  The programs will vary among states and insurers, but this is  a real option to save money for the employer and actually provide a flexible  policy for the employee.  I had a client that saved $6,000 a month making  the switch last year.

Start off this new year and decade the right way for your business. Minimize your risk and maximize your profit by implementing these strategies today!

© 2010 Dan Weedin - All Rights Reserved

A recent accident at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas left workers injured.  They fell from an icy part of the roof.  Luckily, nobody dies.  Reports are that proper fall protection wasn’t used.  Ouch!  Make sure you train and monitor your employees constantly!

Read the story.

Be safe,

Not more than about a month ago, I was in the best cardiovascular shape I’d been in for quite some time.  I was consistently running 3 to 3 and a half miles every few days.  I’d dropped about 6 pounds and was feeling great.  In fact, I was starting to think I could run a 5K!

Well, in the time since, I’ve become more inconsistent.  I’ve traveled, caught bronchitis, and just got a little lazy.  Some things I couldn’t control; some I could.

This past week, I attended Alan Weiss’ Million Dollar Consulting ® Consulting College in Rhode Island.  On the first morning, I took a run (outside as there was no gym at the facility) and went about 2 and a half miles.  Not bad for running outside and not having run in a while.  Well, the rest of the week got busy and quite frankly I didn’t make the extra effort to keep up the work.  In fact, I ate very well for the week, which I knew would come back to haunt me!

Reclamation day was this afternoon.  I am staying at the La Quinta in Warwick ready to leave for home tomorrow.  I turned on ESPN and hit the treadmill.  I could barely run 2 miles!  It seemed that all I had done (and NOT done) put me squarely back at step one.  It’s now time to start the road back to better fitness.

The same thing can happen to your safety program if you’re not careful.  You may start out with good intentions, get it going really well, and then let other factors and laziness take over.  Before you know it, your safety program is out of shape and barely running.

In your personal fitness, you can end up getting hurt and sick.  Same thing with safety.  Injuries are more likely to occur, morale dips, and workers compensation premiums increase.

If this situation looks familiar, it’s not too late to get back on the treadmill.  Start on Monday.  Start slowly, but be consistent.  Plan out your program, set expectations, delegate responsibility, and monitor progress.  Before you know it, your safety program will be back running at full steam.  The results?  Less injuries, more efficiency, and lower premiums.

You and I should both be motivated now.  See you on the starting line!

Be safe,

Memorial Day weekend is two weeks away.  What do you think about when pondering this holiday?  Barbecue, baseball, a day off from work?  How many of you think about death and destruction?

This is a topic I bring up annually for my consulting clients.  It applies to everyone who drives, though.  It’s my opportunity to jump on my soap box to help you stay safe this summer.

The 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day are the most deadly when it comes to auto accidents and fatalities.  It’s not hard to determine why.  Here are my top 7 reasons…

1. Increased alcohol.  More parties are happening and not just on the weekend.  As it stays lighter longer, so do the parties and the drinking.
2. Increased traffic.  Even in a recession you can expect more people on the roads for vacations, quick weekend getaways, and business travel.
3. Everyone’s in a hurry.  The desire to get to your trip, your meeting, your picnic, the ball game, et al seems to increase during this time.
4. Cell phones.  I understand these are always a factor, but they still contribute to distracted driving.  With the additional traffic, the number of people chatting while driving will also go up.
5. Eating while driving.  Another distracted driving vice.  Remember I said we are all in a hurry?  That means grabbing and going.  Don’t think that eating that burger while driving with one hand is any less dangerous than talking on your phone.
6. Loss of common sense.  Maybe it’s the sun.  Regardless, it seems that I see more people taking chances behind the wheel when the sun is out.
7. Road Rage.  This may be the biggest and deadliest.  All the above factors tend to lead to this increasing menace.  Just about everyone has been touched by this at some point to some level.

The bottom line is that your family is at increased danger.  Your business vehicles have a larger exposure.  What can you do to protect yourself, your family, and your financial assets?  Here are my 5 tips for summer driving…

1. Don’t drink and drive.  Duh!  Problem is that this happens on a regular basis and some of you reading this are guilty of it.  Be smart.  Get a designated driver or a cab.  It’s not worth your reputation or a life.
2. Leave early.  Give yourself extra time to get to your destinations.  Your stress level will decrease and your driving will be better.
3. Pay attention.  You’ve all heard about being a defensive driver going back to drivers ed.  Practice it.
4. Eliminate distracted driving.  That means cell phone, eating, shaving, reading the paper, texting (I’ve seen them all).  Distracted driving is leads to as many accidents as driving under the influence.
5. Be patient.  This should be our “laid back” time to enjoy life.  Don’t always be in a hurry, inpatient, and stressed when you drive.

Final thought.  If you are a business owner with a fleet of vehicles, train your drivers.  Talk to them about these issues.  Hold a safety meeting and hold drivers accountable.  You are responsible for their actions.

Okay, I’m hopping off my soap box…for now.  As we head into summer, make sure you are doing everything you can to keep our roadways safe.  You never know who’s life is at stake.  Like the old cop on Hill Street Blues used to day, “Be careful out there.”

Be safe and be well.

I was out walking my dog this morning and the new housing development we walk by had an accident on the job site.  As the ambulance and fire truck came roaring in, I asked the construction worker what happened.  One of the construction guys working on a table saw cut off his finger.  Ouch!

It’s never too late to do a safety meeting on saw safety.  If you are a contractor, this is a must.  Hey, I think I know what next month’s meetings for my clients will be!

Be safe and be well.

A large local refinery just got dinged with a fine of over $85,000 for lack of safety standards.  How are yours?  Read the story…

Be safe and be well,

Road Rage, Aggressive Driving…whatever you want to call it.  It is a reality during this time of year when everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere.  You will find it in mall and post office parking lots, highways, and even local streets.  How can you avoid being a victim?

Check out my new article on E-Zine Articles - http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1802800

Be safe out there!

As a former high school basketball coach and the current risk management consultant for the Washington State Coaches Association (WSCA), head injuries is a topic I speak and write regularly on.  In fact, I have an article in the Fall edition of “Coach”, the WSCA quarterly journal.  I will post this article on my blog tomorrow.  For today, you are encouraged to watch this ESPN “Outside the Lines” feature that recently aired.  The need for proper training and support staff is critical for all high school athletics.  This 6-minute video is a good example for why…

I read an excellent loss prevention tip in this morning’s International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) newlsetter today.  You may find great value from it…

Defective electrical wiring systems cause approximately 40,000 residential fires annually, according to a United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) study. In addition, electric cords and plugs are involved in about 7,000 fires annually. The National Electrical Safety Foundation offers numerous tips to safeguard the home against electrical fire and related losses, including the following.

* Verify that outlets and extension cords are not overloaded.

* Examine electrical cords to ensure they are not frayed, damaged, or placed under rugs or carpets.

* Verify that the proper wattage bulbs are being used in light fixtures and lamps.

* Consider installing ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) in bathrooms, utility rooms, and kitchens. This device protects people against electrocution by shutting down the electrical system if it detects any imbalance in the electricity.

* Take steps to safeguard electrical appliances from power surges. A power surge is a sudden rise of current or voltage in an electrical circuit that can last up to several seconds and can ruin electrical appliances and equipment, such as computers. You can purchase surge protection devices to safeguard against the problem.

* Consider updating the entire electrical system if the home is over 40 years old. Older homes are more susceptible to electrical fire. For example, many older homes contain aluminum wiring, which is much more susceptible to starting fires than the copper wire required by modern building codes.

* Install child tamper-resistant electrical outlets to prevent a child from inserting something into the outlet holes.

* Install arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) to avoid fires caused by arc faults. An arc fault is a discharge of electric current across a gap.

This can be caused by improper electrical connections, pinched wire insulation, and overheated wires.

Note that many insurers offer discounts for some of these electrical safety improvements.