The New Zealand Department of Labour will visit 100 major hirers and sellers of forklifts within the next couple of months to raise awareness of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning when fuel-powered forklifts are used in poorly ventilated areas like cool stores.
The visits will ensure that hirers and sellers are aware of the risk, and that they are warning their customers about it. (WCxKit)
“Carbon monoxide can kill without warning,” says the Departments Chief Adviser Health and Safety, Dr Geraint Emrys.
“The gas can quickly build up when fuel-powered forklifts are used in confined spaces or where there is poor ventilation. People can be overcome without realizing they have been exposed to it.
“Carbon monoxide is the most common form of poisoning in New Zealand workplaces and in recent years there have been a number of cases where groups of employees have suffered from the buildup of the gas in warehouses and cool stores.”
According to officials, those selling and hiring out forklifts have a legal responsibility to tell their customers about the dangers of carbon monoxide
“If customers intend to use their forklifts in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces then the first option hirers and sellers should suggest is an electric-powered forklift. This eliminates any risk of poisoning,” Dr Emrys continued. (WCxKit)
“If this isn’t possible and a fuel-powered forklift is to be used, the customer should be informed that they will need to put in place a safety plan to prevent poisoning. This plan should cover things like information and training for staff, restricting use of the forklift in poorly ventilated areas, keeping them tuned to reduce emissions and installing carbon monoxide alarms,” Dr. Emrys added.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing.
Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
A Birmingham-based university in Great Britain has been fined, along with a security systems firm, after two workers were exposed to dangerous asbestos fibers while fitting CCTV cameras.
The worker and a 17-year-old trainee were installing the cameras in the reception area at Aston University's Recreation Centre in July of 2009 when they drilled into material containing asbestos fibers. (WCxKit)
Both the university and Warwickshire-based Access Fire and Security Ltd – the contractor carrying out the work – were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident.
Birmingham Magistrates Court heard the university failed to follow its own procedures on managing, planning and preparing for the installation and the arrangements were unclear and not widely known within the university.
Aston University, of Aston Triangle, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5(1) of the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 and Regulation 4(9) (c) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and was fined $6,297.20 and ordered to pay $ 3,148.60 costs.
Access Fire and Security Ltd, which operates from a unit in Henley Court, Henley-in-Arden, and is registered at an address in Yardley Wood, Billesley, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5(a) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and was fined $ 1,574.50 and ordered to pay $ 1,574.50 costs.
Karl Raw, the investigating inspector at HSE, noted, "While the amount of asbestos involved in this incident was small, two people now have to live with the knowledge that they may become ill from lung disease in the future.
"Aston University failed to ensure university employees and others working across the site were aware of the presence of asbestos fibers.
"Surveys on the location and conditions of asbestos and materials containing asbestos had been carried out across the university but there was no procedure for communicating the details to contractors.
"Access Fire and Security Ltd, a long-term contractor with the university, had never been given any information about asbestos – and had never asked for it. They also failed to assess whether asbestos was present, what type of asbestos was involved and what condition it was in, before undertaking work." (WCxKit)
Asbestos is the biggest single cause of work-related deaths in the UK, with an estimated 4,000 people dying every year.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
Usually workers compensation insurance centers around who is required to buy workers comp insurance and why. And — what happens to employers who fail to do so — they end up in jail, in law suits and pay huge fines. However, there are culturally religious groups who may be exempt from purchasing workers compensation insurance.
One of these groups is the Amish community. Largely an agrarian society, modern times force many Amish off their farms into the “real” world of industry and manufacturing. In Michigan, for example, many own woodworking companies providing services to others in the community at large (not only Amish).
As a community the Amish fought for and received an exemption from paying social security payroll taxes (for themselves and Amish employees) considering it to be an
insurance plan for caring for the elderly, sick and infirmed. Their religious beliefs forbid them to participate in government welfare programs or the paying of insurance for benefits received. Instead they see caring for the older members of the community and other Amish in need, as a religious duty and, in fact, implement numerous methods to provide for needy members. (WCxKit)
The same thinking holds true for buying insurance for workers compensation. Even when an Amish business carries workers comp insurance, it is usually never used as doing so would compromise religious belief.
Many states such as New York, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania provide a “religious exemption” to the Amish from purchasing workers compensation insurance.
So, what happens if a workplace injury occurs? The Amish pay into a church operated aid fund or, amazing thought – injured workers pay their own medical bills.
According to a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer this workers comp exemption is causing a huge uproar in the construction and contracting business since the economy tanked. Non-Amish employers are claiming an “unfair” business advantage, citing the Amish’s ability to provide much lower bids. They say hiring the Amish is comparable to a company outsourcing work to another country.
On the other hand, Amish contractors say they provide a superior product in a very timely manner and experience high customer satisfaction with their work which of course is probably beside the point. In addition, it’s well known the Amish do not pay for all the “perks” of modern life.
Could it be said the main point is: Employers are required to purchase government provided Workers Compensation Insurance to insure injured workers receive care when a workplace injury occurs? Since the Amish community does pay into a fund to take care of their injured workers does not paying the government-mandated WC insurance really give them an advantage? (WCxKit)
Every business has its own unique costs of doing business. Employers must constantly review their workers comp usage, workplace safety, injury rates and return to work policies in addition to other factors designed to reduce their overall cost of doing business of which workers comp can be a huge cost if not properly managed. See:
http://www.LowerWC.com for essential cost cutting tools.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker and Website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. www.LowerWC.com
Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
THE AGING WORKFORCE WEBINAR (FREE)
Prepare your company and your department for the maturing of America’s workforce. Join us for information on accommodating your aging employee population.
In 2000, there were 18.2 million workers over the age of 55 in America.
In 2008, there were 25.2 million, a 38% increase.
In 2025, AARP estimates there will be 31.9 million, a 75% increase.
The presentation covers:
- An overview of our country’s aging demographics and what it will mean for your company.
- The ramifications of these growing numbers on operations.
- Safety issues for older employees and customers.
- Controlling workers compensation costs.
- Ways to return more mature employees to work.
AGING UP
A WEBEX ON WORKING WITH MATURE EMPLOYEES
December 14, 2010 at 11:00 AM EST
Contributor: Broadside: Providing workers compensation third-party administrative services. For more information, contact Broadspire by calling 1-866-625-1662 or email us at Broadspire_Info@choosebroadspire.com; http:// www.choosebroadspire.
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
The United Steelworkers (USW) recently issued an urgent call for a strategy meeting about occupational lung cancer medical screening.
In November, the National Cancer Institute released the results of a 10-year national study involving over 53,000 people that demonstrated that annual medical screening with a low dose helical chest CT scan lowered mortality due to lung cancer by 20%. (WCxKit)
“We are now presented with an enormous opportunity to save workers from dying from lung cancer,” said USW International President Leo Gerard. “Millions of workers have been exposed to asbestos, silica, chromium, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, nickel and combustion products – and all of these exposures are firmly established as causes of human lung cancer.”
Work-related lung cancer claims 10,000 to 20,000 workers annually and is the leading occupational cancer in the U.S.
The landmark study is the first ever to prove that a screening method now exists that detects lung cancer at an early stage, one that permits early treatment and cure. The results were so convincing that the NCI halted the study early in order to inform participants and the general public about the effectiveness of applying low dose chest CT scans for the detection and treatment of lung cancer.
The USW currently sponsors the largest occupational lung cancer screening program in the United States, apart from the NCI trial. It is the CT scan-based Early Lung Cancer Detection Program and is co-sponsored by Queens College (City University of New York), and the Atomic Trades & Labor Council.
This program, funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), uses the same CT scan technique as the NCI trial and has screened over 10,000 nuclear weapons workers in three states between 2000 and 2010. Some 70 lung cancers, three-quarters of which are at an early stage, have been detected.
“Union health and safety leaders and others need to meet in the very near future in Washington DC to devise a strategy for assuring that high risk workers are among the first to obtain the benefits of this new screening method,” said Gerard.
Topics for discussion would include: identifying and notifying workers at high risk of lung cancer; revising OSHA medical surveillance standards to include lung cancer screening; stimulating NIOSH to use its educational and research mechanisms to promote and apply the science of lung cancer screening; engaging professional organizations, government agencies, and health insurers to ensure that high risk workers are a priority in establishing lung cancer screening programs; disseminating current knowledge about lung cancer screening throughout labor and allied organizations; and, identifying and promoting funding for CT-based lung cancer screening. (WCxKit)
“The goal is straightforward but urgent,” added Steven Markowitz, MD, the occupational medicine physician who directs the USW’s Early Lung Cancer Detection Program. “Workers at high risk of lung cancer should have rapid access to a high quality, appropriate, comprehensive CT scan-based lung cancer screening services without financial barriers. We can save many lives.”
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
A group of employees for a car dealership in San Diego has taken the fight over mold in the workplace to a new level. In August, 2010 the five employees who had all previously submitted workers' compensation claims for mold related illnesses, filed criminal fraud charges against the dealership, the owners of the dealership and the insurance carrier due to the denial of their work comp claims. The group has accused the employer, the workers' compensation insurer, the insurer's legal counsel and the medical providers in engaging in a criminal scheme to deny them workers' compensation benefits.
In the 1990's enterprising lawyers and willing complainants starting bringing mold related lawsuits against property insurers for people who alleged injury due to exposure to mold. By 2003, almost all property insurers had mold exclusions in their policy that excluded coverage for mold. Mold, as a source of income for attorney, declined sharply. Now, mold is making a comeback of sorts, as lawyers look to make work comp claims based on exposure to mold. (WCxKit)
The employees and their attorneys who pursue a workers' compensation claim for mold have two hurdles to overcome. First, there extensive debate in the medical community as to the type and extent of injuries caused by mold. For every doctor who is willing to testify that mold is the cause of a person's medical problems, there is another doctor who is willing to testify that mold is not the cause of the medical problems. Second, proving the illness was caused by exposure to mold in the workplace, as opposed to exposure to mold in the home or elsewhere creates an obstacle for the attorneys of the employees. They have to deal with proving a cause and effect relationship between the job and the employee.
Mold is not one specific organism. Mold is a fungus with approximately 1,000 different species of mold in the United States. Mold can grow just about anywhere as long as there is moisture, oxygen and an organic source for food. While most people think of mold growing on the wood framing of a house or building, it can grow on paper, carpet, drywall, insulation, ceiling tile and even on dust and dirt. Mold produces very tiny spores that float through the air until they land on a new surface. If the new surface is stays wet for 48 hours, the mold will begin to grow.
While the scientific debate continues on the extent of injury mold can cause to a person. There are some definite known facts about human exposure to mold. The most common medical issue is an allergic reaction to the mold with hay-fever type symptoms including a runny nose and reddens eyes. The onset of the allergic reaction to mold can be immediate, but a delayed response happens as well. Asthma attacks happen to some individuals who are allergic to mold. This also causes irritation to the nose and eyes, plus irritates the throat and skin in some people.
The most serious medical conditions caused by mold is in people with an impaired immunity system, uncontrolled diabetes, AIDS or who are taking immune suppression drugs for a medical condition. In these people the mold can skin infections and mucosal infections, but mold does not normally cause systemic infections in humans.
Therefore, unless the employee has a prior medical condition that makes them a high risk when exposed to mold, most employee illness claims related to mold exposure should be minor. That does not prevent an enterprising attorney taking an employee with the sniffles and sending them to their handpicked “world renown” mold doctor who declares the employee to be permanently totally disabled.
The best way to protect you as an employer from a workers' compensation claim for mold is to prevent the mold in the first place. Mold needs moisture or high humidity to grow. Be depriving mold of moisture you can prevent its growth. Steps you can take to stop mold in the workplace include:
1. Repair all roof leaks promptly
2. Repair all plumbing leaks promptly
3. Maintain indoor relative humidity between 25% and 60%
4. Keep air conditioner drip pans clean and flowing freely
5. Prevent indoor condensation by increase surface temperatures or by reducing the amount of moisture in the air with the use of a dehumidifier
6. Properly vent bathroom and kitchen areas
7. Vent dryers and other moisture generating equipment to the outside
8. Provide proper drainage around the building
If you do discover mold in the workplace, eliminate the source of the moisture. After the source of moisture or water is eliminated, remove the moldy building materials from the premise. Note: the more you disturb the mold, the more mold spores you will release into the air. After the repairs are complete, you will want to thoroughly clean and vacuum the area to remove the remaining mold spores. Do not run your HVAC system during the repair process, as the HVAC system could spread the mold spores throughout your building. If you have a serious mold problem, consult the EPA's publication “Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings”. (WCxKit)
Protecting your employees from exposure of mold in the workplace is the right thing to do. Even if your workers' compensation insurer denies a mold illness based work comp claim, your group medical insurer will pick up the cost, plus you still lose the employee's productivity while the employee is out of work due to the mold related illness.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing.
Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
In a continuing bid to improve its health and safety record, Alberta's labor minister has announced that a safety blitz targeting commercial construction sites will take place in the province.
The blitz, which was announced and initiated earlier this month, will take place for at least a month and will target commercial construction projects over five storeys, confirms Chris Chodan, a spokesman for Alberta Employment and Immigration (AEI) in Edmonton. "We've had a number of incidents, primarily in the Calgary area, but there have been one or two incidents in other cities," he says. "We thought it was just a good idea to make this a reminder to employers." (WCxKit)
The increased inspections will focus on ensuring that proper fall protection is in place and that workers have secured all materials when working at heights. Chodan reports that the blitz has been dedicated to the memory of Michelle Krsek, a three-year-old girl who was killed last year after metal sheets fell on her while she was walking down a Calgary street with her family.
The enforcement blitz is in line with the province's 10-point safety plan, released in July, which promised to implement updated compliance and enforcement procedures. Robin Kotyk, chief operating officer of the Alberta Construction Safety Association in Edmonton, suggests that the blitz will be "beneficial to the industry," but argues that it is needed in all sectors
Construction, he suggests, is a particularly visible industry, which makes it a strong candidate for a high-profile blitz. "Construction is basically in the forefront of your observations when you drive down streets. It's out there," he says.
Ron Harry, executive director of the Building Trades of Alberta, which represents over 60,000 construction union members province-wide, also endorses the blitz. "You're going to have a lot of workplaces that are safety oriented, but you're going to have those that are not, and that's the enforcement part of that," he suggests.
While Harry supports the blitz, he is opposed to the idea of on-the-spot ticketing for workers, an idea that Minister Thomas Lukaszuk is currently considering. "Right off the top of my head," Harry says, "I'm not in favor of fining employees simply because the employees are subordinate to the employers."
But Bob Robinson, president and general manager of Westcor Construction in Calgary, argues that both parties are potentially liable for safety violations. "There's always the human element that's part of the equation and tough to put your finger on," he notes.
If a worker is found to have been properly trained, he suggests, the individual error should be corrected. "If individuals can be ticketed for not working safely, putting themselves or others in danger, if they're aware that that's a possibility, there is a handful out there that needs that motivation."
However, he points out, employers must be held to the same standard. "If the company just hasn't looked, if the worker hasn't been told, hasn't been orientated… the company's at blame, and they should be ticketed."
Kotyk supports both increased enforcement and ticketing, as well as a renewed focus on education for both workers and employers, endorsing "education of the workforce in general, education of the owners themselves on what they need to know for compliance." If a worker or employer is found to be in violation of a safety regulation, he says, they should be given the chance to receive education on the subject, and if it recurs, a fine should be levied.
Harry, however, suggests that the industry move away from assessing safety according to what he calls a behavior-based system. "The environment itself on a job site, each and every thing that occurs on that job site, whether it be the actions of the employer, whether it be the actions of someone delivering material…all contribute to the safety factor," he argues.
In August, Robinson and the Calgary Construction Association published a best-practices guide for construction sites in the city, focusing on four areas of safety: hoarding of a construction or demolition site; managing vehicular and pedestrian traffic adjacent to sites; lifting and hoisting operations; and securing construction materials and equipment on site. (WCxKit)
The guide represents "the accumulation of ideas from over 1,000 man-years of hands-on construction experience from a great number of companies, specifically focused on the interface between construction sites and the public," Robinson reports.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
FREE TOOLS
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
A new report from the European Commission examines the incidence of short-time working (working fewer hours per shift) across the European Union and in particular the use of this mechanism during the economic crisis as a means of avoiding job losses. David Gow, Brussels, wonders whether short-time working is yet another form of state aid to which the EU is turning a blind eye? Or just a quick-fix panacea before mass joblessness kicks in? Gow says, "already more than 1 million mainland Europeans, perhaps as many as 2 million, are working shorter hours as the recession-driven collapse of global trade and the ever-present financial crisis hits manufacturing in the solar plexus, knocking the stuffing out of it."
The report focuses on state-sponsored schemes, but also shows where the social partners have played a role in determining schemes. It found significant variations in the operation of short-time working schemes between Member States. (WCxKit)
Earlier this year, the European Commission (Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs and Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) issued a report on short-time working arrangements as a response to cyclical fluctuations, focusing on developments during the recent economic crisis.
It finds that publicly sponsored short-time working schemes have been ‘intensively used’ during the recent crisis, ‘to prevent otherwise profitable enterprises from going bankrupt, and to avoid unnecessary labor shedding.
However, the report also states the extended use of short-time work can support declining sectors, thus delaying their restructuring. Short-time working schemes should therefore be "associated [with] an efficient unemployment benefits system that promotes labor reallocation."
The report finds a significant variation in the operation of short-time working schemes throughout the EU. These differences relate to the coverage of the schemes, the level of wage compensation and contributions paid by the state. It classifies the schemes as follows:
1. In nine Member States (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) where there was no scheme before the crisis, publicly supported short-time working has been introduced on a temporary basis to stabilize employment. Compared with countries that have long-standing programs, those introduced in these countries are typically less generous in terms of duration and benefits, and impose stricter conditions of eligibility. However, their coverage is wider in general.
2. In almost all countries with well-established short-time working schemes, which usually give workers on open-ended contracts access to short-time working, the coverage of schemes has been extended to atypical workers (in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg). In Italy, coverage was temporarily extended to employees in companies previously excluded from short-time working.
3. The maximum duration of short-time working compensation was temporarily raised in this same group of countries, in some cases quite significantly (for example, from three to 24 months in Austria and from six to 18 months in Germany), with the exception of Italy and Portugal, where compensation for a reduction in working hours during periods of slack demand can in any case be paid for a relatively long period.
4. Conditions for the use of short-time working schemes were eased in Austria, Germany and Luxembourg. In Denmark and Germany, employers were also given more flexibility in the management of schemes.
5. Compensation for income lost due to reduced working hours was increased in France and Finland, where the schemes were previously less generous than the unemployment benefits, but also in Belgium, where the two types of benefits were broadly similar. To increase employer incentives to take up short-time working schemes, cuts in employer social security contributions or higher subsidies to employers were also applied in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain.
6. Incentives for training were included in almost all new short-time work measures, both in countries where short-time working schemes already existed and in those where new schemes were established on a temporary basis. However, participation in training was compulsory for workers on short-time work in only four of the countries where the scheme was newly introduced (the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands and Slovenia). Incentives for training were the main element of the new measures adopted in Ireland, Latvia, Poland and Portugal.
The report focuses on state-sponsored short-time working schemes, but also mentions where social partners have played a role in shaping schemes. For example, in Belgium, additional funds managed by the social partners at sector level, to which employers and employees contribute, help to finance short-time working schemes. Sectoral funds managed by the social partners and designed to help small and craft companies also exist in Italy.
In some countries, such as Austria, a social partner agreement must be concluded before short-time working can be introduced in a company (irrespective of whether or not there is a works council in the company). The agreement should set out the coverage, time limit, extent of hours not worked, employment guarantee and retention period, level of short-time work benefits, training measures and qualification benefits (if relevant).
The report highlights the diverse approaches to sponsored short-time working in EU Member States during the recent severe economic crisis. It shows that Member States have either increased their offer of short-time working or introduced new schemes where none previously existed. (WCxKit)
Although there are clear benefits associated with short-time working, in terms of allowing viable companies to bridge a temporary downturn without having to resort to redundancies, the report highlights the fact that short-time working arrangements are intended as a temporary measure only and should not therefore be used for a sustained period. This may result in delaying necessary restructuring and supporting industries that are not viable in the longer term.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
Customer-facing businesses in Wales are to receive assistance and guidance on how to deal with aggression and violence in their workplaces, which could see the use of safety stickers and safety signs.
In a joint operation between Powys County Council and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), officers will pay visits to shops, clubs, pubs and takeaways as part of the regulator's national campaign, Managing Violence and Aggression in the Workplace. (WCxKit)
Statistics indicate that one worker is attacked or threatened every minute of the shopping day, according to the council, with people often having to be absent from work as a result.
"Businesses shouldn't have to accept work-related violence as being part of the job and the aim of the project is to raise awareness of the range of measures that can be taken to address aggression and violence, thereby contributing to efforts to reduce the effects of stress at work," councillor Graham Brown commented.
Brown continued that "simple measures" can be taken to reduce the risk of crime.(WCxKit)
According to the HSE,the layout, security and general environment of premises all play a part in the risk of violence in the workplace
Author Robert Elliott
, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
A Texas jury has awarded $20 million to the family of one man who was killed and a pair of men who were severely injured following a natural gas pipeline explosion while performing demolition work.
The industrial accident lawsuit was filed by Genaro Castillo and Luis Moreno, and the family of Meliton Lerma, who were caught in a natural gas explosion at a Hilcorp Energy gas plant outside of Vanderbilt two years ago. (WCxKit)
The pipeline explosion took place when the men, employed by A&R Demolition to work on an abandoned part of the facility, struck a pocket of natural volatile hydrocarbons while using a cutting torch. The men worked for RCS Demolition, which was sub contracted the job by A&R.
Lerma died after receiving burns to half of his body. Moreno received second- and third-degree burns over close to 60% of his body, and Castillo had burns covering 10% of his body.
According to the plaintiffs, they were not properly warned of the danger of fire and explosion, and during discovery, Hilcorp officials contend that the pipes in that portion of the facility were never properly vented or purged prior to the demolition project. However, A&R and Hilcorp stated that they told the plaintiffs’ employer, RCS, that there was to be no fire used on the job.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs noted that A&R’s own employees also used cutting torches on the job. (WCxKit)
The HarrisCounty jury found both A&R and Hilcorp negligent and awarded the men and their families the payout. However the jury assigned a small portion of the liability to RCS and the plaintiffs themselves.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing.
Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.
Posted in
