Stay up-to-date with the current OSHA Recording guidelines required for posting from 2/1/2013 to 4/30/2013

Keep your wellness programs updated and your employees interested with this list of popular health observances for 2013.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established three risk-spreading programs to provide payments to health insurance issuers that cover higher-risk populations and to more evenly spread the financial risk carried by issuers. These programs, which will be effective in 2014, are a transitional reinsurance program, a temporary risk corridor program and a permanent risk adjustment program.

Election to Have Significant Impact on Agent Issues

What are the consequences for health care, taxes and insurance regulation?

The 2012 elections have come and gone, and while there will be many new faces in the 113th Congress next year, there is no shift in the balance of power between the two parties in either the White House or Congress.

Planning Deadline Extended on Health Insurance Exchanges

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires each state to have a health insurance exchange (Exchange) to provide a competitive marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to purchase private health insurance coverage. The Exchanges are scheduled to be operational by Jan. 1, 2014, with enrollment expected to begin on Oct. 1, 2013.

“About 72% of the 855 data breaches world-wide analyzed last year by Verizon Communications Inc.'s forensic analysis unit were at companies with 100 or fewer employees.”  Maybe the hackers will just cause system havoc, but maybe not.

While the 100 employee business in this article got all but about $200K of its money back, it appears this company was able to rapidly leverage some banking connections that most clients don’t have.  How many of your 100 employee clients could take a $1.2 million hit to their bank account?

Not all jobs on a construction worksite are the same; each job comes with its own set of unique safety risks. To ensure workers safely complete their jobs, customize their safety training for each job by doing the following:

Portable generators caused 172 carbon monoxide poisonings in the United States between 1999-2004, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Mishandling the generators used on your worksite can cause carbon monoxide, electrical and fire hazards. Make sure your workers use generators safely by following these quick tips:

New temporary guidance has been released regarding the 90-day maximum waiting period mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA stipulates that for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014, group health plans and group health insurance issuers may not apply any waiting period that exceeds 90 days.

Inexperienced or newly hired employees are a company’s biggest safety liability, accounting for a disproportionate number of accidents and injuries. Because of this, employers spend significant time and resources training new hires. Sometimes lost in the effort to train new workers is the importance of safety training for experienced workers. As a result, accidents among experienced workers are on the rise.

Many employers are shocked to discover that direct costs—such as medical expenses and indemnity payments—account for less than half of the total cost of workplace accidents.

Though many of our insureds are always looking for the quick fix, or the "magic pill" that will keep their employees from becoming injured on the job, consistent Safety, Protective equipment use, well maintained machines, tools, and workplace are all a part of the equation that make for a successful reduction in Workers' Comp costs.

Construction workers are at an increased risk for developing Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), which is a painful and potentially disabling condition of the fingers, hands and arms.

Symptoms of HAVS include numbness, tingling and loss of nerve sensitivity, and can lead to the loss of strength and grip in the hands.

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It’s been more than 10 years since the first case of West Nile Virus appeared in the United States, but it’s still a risk that affects outdoor workers during the summer months.

Transmitted by mosquitoes, West Nile Virus symptoms can range from as mild as a fever, to as severe as encephalitis or meningitis.

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 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry had the highest number of fatal occupational injuries in 2010.

Relying on employee "common sense" and assuming workers know how to identify hazards are not surefire ways to prevent accidents.

Accident prevention training should be provided for all workers and incorporated into every job site, especially before starting new job tasks. Training should include:

• Knowing when to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Recognizing and avoiding hazards
• Following specific procedures to avoid accidents
• Inspecting all equipment and tools to ensure they work properly
• Reinforcing the importance of proper housekeeping

For accident prevention posters and additional resources to help your employees identify hazards, contact CFR, Inc. today.

Saw dust, metal shavings, paint and other construction materials are the usual suspects for causing potentially harmful eye damage to construction workers. But for those who work outdoors, the sun is also the cause of irreversible damage to the eyes.

Poor communication between work crews and supervisors is one of the leading causes of accidents on construction sites. Hearing difficulties, due to the high level of sound emitted from construction equipment, is one contributing factor to miscommunication. Some equipment emits sounds higher than 125 decibels, which makes communicating with other workers nearly impossible.

With the Supreme Court upholding the Affordable Care Act, is your business prepared for healthcare reform?

CFR can help you navigate and implement the changes.

Most forms of heat illness can be avoided by following basic prevention guidelines. Even so, it's essential for athletes and coaches to know the warning signs of developing heat-related emergency and understand the level of severity of each condition. (see: Heat Illness - Symptoms and Severity)

Normally, our body temperature is regulated by sweating. A number of factors can limit the sweat response, including intense exercise in high temperatures or high humidity, age, obesity, fever, dehydration, illness, medications and alcohol. When anthlete develops a heat illness, it usually occurs after several hours of exertion and excessive sweating that leads, first to dehydration, and then to electrolyte imbalances.