January 10th, 2011
There are many jobs that require extra attention to detail when avoiding onsite accidents or injury—specifically the construction industry. California is known for its heavily saturated construction industry and wealth of contractors. Being a contractor and constantly stationed on a construction site is a risky job. The tools, heavy machinery and health hazards posed daily on jobsites leave room for unfortunate accidents. Thankfully, there are many ways that contractors and their crews can avoid accidents on the job site—beginning with the necessary coverage.
Most importantly, contractors and construction crews must have reliable and effective general liability insurance. You need efficient coverage that will protect you, your employees and the client in the event of an unexpected accident. Liability coverage will help to protect you and your company from damages or injuries others received on-site. Depending on the type of liability insurance purchased, you may also need to purchase additional coverage for vehicles and machinery.
It’s important to really consider all aspects of your contractor’s and construction liability coverage, including California worker’s compensation insurance. Accidents happen—it’s a part of life, but why let you, your business or your crew members suffer because you are inadequately insured?
In addition to the necessary insurance, there are simple steps that workers can take to avoid jobsite accident and injury: setting up comprehensive signage that warns of dangers of threats, paying close attention when working on scaffolding or roofing structures and keeping up-to-date on machinery maintenance to avoid issues with defective cranes, hoists, conveyors, etc. are all easy-to-implement precautions.
January 6th, 2011
Insurance Journal has released an article explaining the most recent changes nationwide in Worker’s Compensation Insurance. Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, believes that Workers Compensation Insurance will be one of the main areas of growth in the market for the upcoming year. This could include liability insurance for certain companies as well.
Recently in Pennsylvania a trench collapsed killing one construction worker and injuring another. This would be a case where workers compensation and contractors general liability would come into play. When accidents occur at your business it is always a serious subject. Having the right insurance can help you through the situation, especially offsetting costs.
The workers in eastern PA were working on a bridge when a trench collapsed causing gravel and concrete to fall as well. The workers were employees of JD Eckman Inc. JD Eckman is a full service construction company, consisting of many registered professional engineers, and estimators using the latest technology to get the job done properly and ahead of schedule.
March 26th, 2010
If you need non-profit insurance for your Mission Viejo organization you could do worse than speak to the non-profit insurance experts at Insurance Solutions. You see, non-profit insurance is a bit of a special area and not all carriers like to deal with it. An agent with the right expertise knows where to source the most appropriate and affordable policies for the coverage you need.
While non-profit organizations are different from traditional businesses and profit making associations in the obvious way, they are much like them in other ways. They face most of the same risks – like property destruction, damage and theft; injury related liability claims, and even worker or injury claims.
Because you face the same risks, you have similar responsibilities when it comes to taking steps to prevent injuries and accidents on your property or during your activities. Like a business, you should identify the risks and implement strategies to reduce them and deal with them if they occur. A risk assessment professional can assist you with this if you don’t have anyone in-house who can do it.
Strategies might include documented safety and security procedures or standard operating procedures that tell your workers how to complete their work safely. Workers should know about these procedures – training sessions may be required – and there should be steps taken to monitor adherence to the procedures.
For non-profit insurance that is appropriate to your Mission Viejo organization call Insurance Solutions today.
March 25th, 2010
Taking out business insurance in Tampa isn’t rocket science – although we might label you a space cadet if you forget! Seriously, we wouldn’t be that harsh – we understand that running a business can at times be so hectic and stressful that a few things get forgotten along the way. We just hope your insurance is never one of them because it can be a costly error.
Of course, that’s a great reason to have an insurance agency like The Welch Group handle your business insurance – we won’t let you forget. And because we have a great deal of expertise in helping Tampa business owners with insurance, we’ll ensure that you get the coverage you need without paying for cover that you don’t need. We can also help you to make sure that as your business grows or changes over the years, your insurance is reviewed periodically so that any required changes can be made.
The types of businesses we deal with are diverse so whether you operate a home based Internet business, a gift store, a restaurant or any other type of business, we’d be happy to assist you. And because we help Tampa business owners every day with their insurance, we know where to find the best policies at the best prices.
If you’re so busy that you’re in danger of becoming a space cadet, speak to The Welch Group today about your Tampa business insurance.
March 18th, 2010
Looking for a better deal on Seattle restaurant insurance? The experts at ProStar Insurance can help you get value for money and the coverage you need.
Why should you use an agent to look after your insurance? Well, if you asked our agents to cook you a meal, you’d probably be a little disappointed. The mixture of ingredients might be a little dodgy, with a little bit too much of this, and not enough of something else. They’d probably forget to put some ingredients in altogether and – we won’t name names – some of them would serve you up a complete disaster.
The result can be similar if you put together your own restaurant insurance, or if you choose an agency without restaurant insurance expertise – a little too much coverage here, not enough there; and forgetting an ingredient could result in disaster.
If you operate a restaurant in Seattle the chances are you know a lot about running restaurants – and we know a lot about insuring them. It’s one of our specialty areas so we understand the particular risks that your business faces and we know how to best protect your business and personal assets from the variety of risks that you face.
Your expertise and ours combined could be the perfect recipe for success so speak with an agent at ProStar Insurance today about your Seattle Restaurant Insurance – and we’ll cook up the right protection for your business.
September 4th, 2009
[Source: http://www.wbsonline.com/]There is more than one factor that can make an employer “high risk” for a workers’ compensation insurer.
Your industry category is a major factor in determining risk. Naturally, some jobs are safer than others. An office worker isn’t likely to get their hand jammed in machinery, or be involved in a mining accident, or fall from a roof during work hours. However, it’s not the only factor.
The number of workers’ compensation claims lodged by your workers can also affect the level of risk for the insurer. If claims lodged by your employees are significantly higher than those lodged by similar operations, it can indicate that your workplace is unsafe or that there is a lack of worker training or safety procedures in place.
Workplace culture can have a significant affect. If during the investigation of claims it is clear that management personnel have a disregard for employee safety and safety procedures, an insurer may form the view that this is likely to lead to further claims if the problem is not addressed.
Similarly, if the management of a workplace allow bullying and harassment to thrive amongst employees, and dismiss any such incidents as trivial or the fault of the victim, an insurer may consider it a higher risk that they may later face further claims for either psychological injuries or injuries due to workplace violence.
If you are a high risk employer, it may be time to re-assess your workplace safety. Insurance Solutions can help. Contact our office to learn more about Mission Viejo, CA Workers Compensation Insurance. Doing so may keep your premiums down in the future.
August 16th, 2009
Source: http://www.arkansas-investigations.com
Accidents happen. If that weren’t so, there would be no need for general business insurance. Even in the safest workplace, however, employees are injured on the job. Therefore, you will need to insure your employees against workplace injuries.
Each State handles workers compensation claims differently. For example, there are States that give the employee the option to opt out of the system if said employee is self-insured. Still, others incorporate private insurers. Then there are some that have their own State agencies. Lastly, many States – based upon a particular law or statute – insist upon added assurance above and beyond workers compensation. Examples of this added compensation is what is called “stop-gap” coverage or “scaffolding liability”.
The best insurance against workplace injury is a safe workplace. By ensuring employees are adequately trained for their jobs and aware of safety policies and procedures, you’re likely to prevent many injuries. Naturally, you can’t hope to prevent all injuries. Accidents happen. You might just be an office-based business primarily comprised of cubicles, without even a hint of heavy equipment, but you’re not immune from accidents. Office workers have their own set of injury risks, many caused by poor posture or uncomfortable working positions.
If you need workers compensation insurance, feel free to speak with a customer service representative at CounterPoint Insurance for a free competitive quote today!
August 16th, 2009
Source: http://www.insurexpress.us
Workers compensation premiums can be a significant expense for a business, so it pays to be aware of how premiums are set and how you can keep your premiums as low as possible.
There are a number of factors that affect workers compensation premiums. The first is the industry category for your business. Naturally, some occupations are more dangerous than others, so it’s only logical and fair that employers who are more likely to make claims pay a higher premium. If your workforce engages in high-risk activities like working in underground mines or working at heights, they are certainly at a higher risk of serious physical injury at work than someone who works in a closed office environment.
The location of your workplace can also influence premiums. Since 9/11, it’s been recognized that high-rise buildings in well-known locations may be threatened in the future. It follows that an employer who has a large number of employees in a single high-rise building located in such a location may be a significant risk for an insurer – not significant in terms of the likelihood of an attack occurring, but significant in terms of the huge cost involved if one did occur.
By far, the best way to keep your premiums down is to be diligent in providing a safe workplace for employees. This involves identifying and assessing risks in the workplace, taking steps to remove or minimize those risks, and making sure employees are adequately trained and supervised. An unsafe workplace is not only likely to have an unhappy workforce, but also likely to produce more workers compensation claims – which may increase your workers compensation insurance premium.
To learn more about workers compensation and receive a free quote, contact our friendly agents at Davis & Towle Insurance today!
August 16th, 2009
Statistics have shown that workers with limited English abilities have a higher rate of injury in the workplace that those who are fluent in English. There are probably two main reasons for this:
- People with limited English skills often must accept lower-paid positions in higher-risk or more physically arduous occupations.
- A worker who has trouble understanding will have trouble understanding safety instructions and procedures, particularly if English is not their native language. Additionally, non-native speakers may be less able or less comfortable asking for assistance with heavy tasks.
It’s common sense: a worker who spends all day cleaning, laboring on a constructions site, or working in a factory situation is more likely to suffer an injury than a worker in a government office or a retail store. Likewise, a worker who is aware of safety procedures is likely to be safer than one who isn’t.
Can you do anything about this? Yes, you can. Limited English skills are not confined to the migrant population. There are many American-born workers whose language and reading skills are poor. Make a point of assessing the English skills of employees you hire, and take the time to go through safety procedures and job instructions with them until you’re sure they understand.
If you have employees who speak another language, try to find someone who can explain instructions or procedures in their native language. If you have a number of employees who speak a particular language, having your safety procedures available in that language makes good sense. It will make your workplace safer and make those employees feel like a valued part of your team.
To learn more about workers compensation and get a free quote, contact us at Collins Insurance today!
August 13th, 2009
[Source: http://www.oregon.gov] It’s a common misconception amongst employers that they do not have to pay worker’s compensation for contractors. In some cases, that may be true; however, in many cases, contractors are deemed employees for the purposes of worker’s compensation.
Many employers use contractors to help keep their costs down, including workers compensation; however, if your contractors work mostly for you and do not have their own worker’s compensation insurance, it’s likely that you will be liable for injuries they suffer while working for you.
There are generally two types of contactors. Some contractors are truly independent contractors. They run their own businesses, take care of their own insurances, including worker’s compensation, provide their own tools of trade, advertise their services, and take on as many contracts as they can manage. These contractors would not normally be considered employees.
On the other hand, a “contractor” who works for you most of the time, or works inside your workplace using your tools and resources, is likely to be considered an employee for workers’ compensation purposes.
If in doubt as to whether you are required to cover particular employees, contact the Kramer Insurance Center and ask for advice. You might also like to ask us about ways to keep your worker’s compensation premiums as low as possible. We can help Pennsylvania business owners with all of their insurance needs.
