R&R Insurance Blog

Do you know your organization’s incidence rate....? Each year employers should not only record the number of injuries and illnesses but also calculate their incidence rate and benchmark against other like industries to determine future safety activities to decrease employee injuries/illnesses.

The calculation is simple.

Total number of injuries and illnesses x 200,000
÷
Number of hours worked by all employees
= Total recordable case rate

(The 200,000 figure in the formula represents the number of hours 100 employees working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year would work, and provides the standard base for calculating incidence rates.)

You can also compute the incidence rate for recordable cases involving days away from work, days of restricted work activity or job transfer (DART) using the following formula:

Number of entries in column H + Number of entries in column I) 200,000 ÷ Number of hours worked by all employees = DART incidence rate

Wisconsin business - If you would like to know how your business stacks up against your peers or competition with regard to your incident rate, contact knowledgebroker Maureen Joy at R&R for more information!

Ted Marino, resident of Brookfield WI and an R&R customer since 1984, explains the peace-of-mind he had immediately after his home caught fire from a lightning strike during a storm in 2010. Ted and Chris escaped without harm, but their house was another story...

Wisconsin residents can have the same peace-of-mind that the Marino's experience. Contact knowledgebroker Dan Wolfgram for more information about personal insurance options through R&R Insurance Services.

Beginning January 1, 2011, a new insurance rating option from FEMA`s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) allows many property owners who previously didn't qualify, to take advantage of the low-cost insurance for two years before they are required to pay standard rates.

NAPS (North American Precis Syndicate) provides information about the options for low-cost insurance from FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that went into effect 1/1/11. This new option represents an important way to save on flood insurance for those who are newly required to carry it. After two years at the reduced PRP rates, policies will increase to standard rates.

To learn more visit the FEMA website or call (800) 427-4661.

As teenagers get their driver’s licenses and hit the road, parents usually decide what their children drive, and most feel comfortable with a vehicle that’s as safe as can possibly be. A lot of times that choice is a pick-up truck because it's large, and seemingly indestructible. Parents and teen drivers, however, take note: a pick-up truck could be the most dangerous vehicle for a 16-17 year old to drive. According to a recent study conducted by the University of Texas and published in the traffic safety journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, teens driving pick-up trucks are two times as likely to be severely injured during a crash than a teen of the same age driving a car.

Teenagers driving a pickup are more likely to drive aggressively and sustain serious injuries in a crash, according to the study which also found that when it comes to aggressive driving behavior, a 16-17 year old is 368 percent more likely to drive aggressively than those 65 or older, while a teen just a couple of years older is only 195 percent more likely.

Full article: Teen Drivers and Pick-up Trucks, A Bad Mix? at ABC News.

Property owners and residents should be aware of the weight loads heavy storms may create, especially on flat roofs.

How to Protect Your Roof From Collapse
Schools, churches, office buildings, restaurants, casinos, gas stations commercial buildings and residential buildings - both homes and apartment buildings, as well as carports and awnings can be affected. Owners and residents of flat roof buildings in particular are urged to be aware of the possible snow load danger. Be aware that the threat from heavy snow weight will remain for some time after the storm ends because cold temperatures won’t allow much melting to occur.

Take the following precautions to protect life and property:

• Don’t put untrained individuals on roofs to clear snow. Falls from roofs and possible exposure to electrical wires while on the roof are serious hazards.
• Inspect roofs for leaks or structural deficiencies that may develop during the storm.
• Make certain gutters, drains and downspouts are clear of ice and debris.
• Clear snow and ice away from exhaust vents that go through exterior walls.
• Clear decks of snow to reduce stress on them.
• Watch for falling snow and ice from roofs.

After the storm:

• Clear areas around downspouts so that water from melting snow has a path to flow away from the house or building.
• Remove snow from side walls to prevent high snow mounds from pushing them in.
• Temporarily shore up and brace dipping or sagging roofs or walls.
• Improper operation of doors or windows, deflection of ceiling finishes or exposed beams, roof leaks or sprinkler heads moved from their normal positions could be signs of roof failure.

If you have suffered storm damage to your property, make sure that there is no danger to anyone nearby, and then contact your insurance agent immediately. Wisconsin residents and businesses can contact a knowledge broker at 800-566-7007 for details on how to protect and insure your property and avoid roof collapse during snow storms.

If you have questions about your building’s condition, contact a structural engineer or your local building official for an assessment of the conditions.

This material does not purport to address every possible legal obligation, hazard, code violation, loss potential or exception to good practice. It should not be construed as indicating the existence or availability of any insurance coverage. Portions of this information provided by Hanover Insurance.

We saw a great article written by Russ Banhan of Independent Agent magazine, about personal and business exposures from the use of social media. Here's eight ways to reduce your exposure:

1. On Facebook and other social media sites, take advantage of the highest security settings and only allow "friends" - not "friends of friends" - to see your profile.

2. When creating a profile, choose a different year of birth than your actual one.

3. Be parsimonious with your "friendships": if you don't know the person in the real world, do not friend them in the cyber world.

4. Make sure that your friend really is who he/she says he/she is. Follow up your friend requests with an e-mail, text or phone call.

5. Make your children friend you. This enables you to watch them, and them to know that you're watching.

6. Don't post or tweet your location or when you're going to be any place specific, to reduce the chance of being burglarized.

7. Search for yourself using search engines like Google and people search sites like Pipl to find out what is being said about you, and then contact websites that have posted inaccurate or personal information to have it removed.

8. Consider investing in online repuatation management services that will monitor the Internet for information about you.

Information taken in part from an article by Russ Banham.

See also: Cyberbullying and Age-Based Guidelines For Children's Internet Use

Students at the local Greenland Elementary School in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin are learning how to combat bullying issues through CLIMB Theater. CLIMB (an acronym for Creative Learning Ideas for Mind and Body) performs interactive drama classes on the topics of bullying prevention for second, third and fourth graders.

CLIMB's program reached almost 200,000 students last year! Congrats to Oconomowoc Area Schools and CLIMB for addressing the hot topic of bully prevention in a new fun, creative and educational way. This Full story was printed in the Living Lake Country, Tuesday January 4, 2010.

For more information on CLIMB, visit: www.climb.org.

Global news is showing that bullying and cyber-bullying issues aren't just making national headlines - it's a serious problem on a global scale. In a recent article posted in DailyIndia.com, a Norwegian researcher indicates that two out of three children experienced bullying via the Internet or mobile phones on a regular basis, while twice as many girls as boys reported having being bullied digitally.

While the internet technology allows children unprecedented access to information and knowledge, it also leaves them potentially vulnerable to online predators and cyberbullying. Here are parental tips and the age-based children's internet use guidelines that the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests:

For Parents:

• Monitor you child's internet use and content. Make rules regarding appropriate and inappropriate sites.
• Use the interet with your children. Place the computer in the family room rather than in your child's bedroom or secluded office space. Consider tracking software if and when supervision is not possible.
• Research software or services that can block or filter offensive and inappropriate web sites and materials.
• Learn about the internet regulations at your child's school, the local library, and homes of his or her friends.

Age-Based Intenet Use Guidelines:

Up to age 10- Children this age need supervision and monitoring to ensure they are not exposed to inappropriate materials. Parents should us the Internet safety tools to limit access to content, web sites and activities, and be actively involved in their child's internet use.

Ages 11-14- Children need supervision and monitoring to ensure they are not exposed to inappropriate materials. Children this ago also need to understand what personal information should NOT be given or posted over the internet. Note: Facebook's use is intended for users 13 years old and older.

Ages 15-18- Parents should be available to help their teens understand the inappropriate messages and avoid unsafe situations. Parents may need to continually remind teens what personal information should NOT be given or posted over the internet.

American Medical News is reporting that the AMA has adopted a policy saying that young athletes suspected of having a concussion should have written approval by a physician before they can return to play or practice.

The policy calls for the AMA to promote the adoption of such a requirement for school and other organized youth sports. The AMA also will encourage educational efforts to improve the understanding of concussions among athletes, parents, coaches and trainers.

Concussions account for nearly 10% of all high school athletic injuries. "Any movement forward [to protect against concussions] is positive," said Dr. Welsh, an alternate delegate for the Indiana State Medical Assn. "What I don't want to see is someone have a concussion that's missed, and the next one is the bad one."

Research on the prevalence and impact of concussions on athletes has created new awareness about the problem nationwide. The Center for Injury Research and Policy said 40% of high school athletes with concussions return to play too soon.

The National Football League and the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. have instituted policies to prevent players with concussions from returning during the same game. State legislatures have pursued measures requiring removal of athletes suspected of having concussions.

Medical organizations also have issued guidance. Most recently, the American Academy of Neurology in October published a position statement that athletes suspected of having a concussion should be removed from play until they are evaluated by a physician.

"Concussions account for nearly 10% of all high school athletic injuries," said AMA Board of Trustees Member Edward L. Langston, MD.

Excerpt from American Medical News - November 29, 2010 issue