Tag: workplace injuries

Apr
23
2018

OSHA Cracks Down on Errant Electronic Filers

by CoreMark Insurance Services | posted in Blog

Despite the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration pushing back the deadline until Dec. 31, 2017, about a third of workplaces that were required to electronically file their 2016 Form 300A in a timely fashion, failed to do so. Now OSHA has started a crackdown on employers that failed to file their forms after the agency stopped accepting the 2016 forms as of Jan. 1, 2018. In February, compliance officers were instructed to initiate inquiries into whether workplaces had electronically filed their 300A forms for 2016. Failure to file can lead to an other-than-serious citation, with a maximum penalty of…
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Feb
06
2018

Technology Comes to the Rescue in Construction Industry

by CoreMark Insurance Services | posted in Blog

While safety improvements slowly take hold in the construction industry, some firms are turning to technology to reduce workplace injuries. Owners and management have been scrambling to find new and better ways to monitor employee safety and prevent accidents as the industry grapples with growing workforces that often include new workers with little experience. There are also language barriers as the number of foreign workers entering the trade continues growing as employers struggle to fill positions. Construction, for example, is one of the least-digitized sectors in the world, according to research from The McKinsey Global Institute. But that’s changing as…
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Sep
07
2017

Give Your Workplace First Aid Program a Checkup

by CoreMark | posted in Blog, Newsletter

Workplace injuries cost employers hundreds of billions of dollars every year. The direct costs of paying workers’ compensation payments to injured employees now tops $1 billion every week, according to information from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. While most companies focus on workplace safety and try to keep their employees safe from industrial accidents, they must also keep on hand proper first aid kits. And if you haven’t updated your kit in the past few years, you should know that OSHA in 2015 changed the minimum allowable standard for basic first aid kits. Here’s what you need to know:…
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Mar
17
2017

When Safety Shortcuts Become a Criminal Act

by CoreMark | posted in Blog

As the economy grows and companies’ operations are busier, workplace injuries also increase. And as companies add employees, they may fail to keep up their safety regimens, which can result in an uptick in workplace injuries. Some businesses have so much to keep track of that they may be negligent in enforcing their safety standards and making sure that all of their safety devices are in proper operating order. When an employee is injured due to an employer’s negligence in keeping up its safety practices, there is typically no right of action for the employee under the exclusive remedy bargain…
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Sep
09
2016

Inexperienced Workers More Apt to Sustain Workplace Injuries

by CoreMark | posted in Blog

As an employer you need to pay special attention to the safety of inexperienced workers, who account for nearly half of all reported workplace accidents, according to a new survey. The survey, by the Golden Triangle Business Roundtable in Texas, found that workers with less than five years’ experience accounted for 43% of reported workplace injuries. It also found that workers with between five and 10 years’ experience accounted for another 34% of incidents. OSHA says there are a few reasons younger and inexperienced workers are more prone to workplace injuries: They are often are employed in industries that have…
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Aug
17
2016

OSHA to Issue Guidance on Acceptable Workplace Safety Incentive Programs

by CoreMark Insurance Services | posted in Blog

Fed-OSHA has promised that it will soon publish guidance on what type of employee incentive programs discourage workers from reporting workplace injuries and illness. The announcement comes after the workplace safety agency has clamped down on the use of programs that include incentives that can reduce the chances of workers reporting injuries so that they can receive rewards instead. OSHA has been warning about the use of such programs since March 2012, but has issued no guidance to help employers. At the same time, it has increasingly been citing employers for using programs it considers problematic. The problem for employers…
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Aug
12
2016

OSHA’s Electronic Reporting Rules Contain Hidden Requirements

by CoreMark Insurance Services | posted in Blog

By now you should be aware of Federal OSHA’s new rules on the electronic reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses that will take effect next year. But, while the new rules focus mainly on employers with 250 or more workers submitting Form 300A electronically starting in 2017, the new regulation actually contains a number of other rules that employers need to know about – in regard to additional notification and anti-discrimination implications for organizations. One of those rules concerns “retaliatory adverse actions by employers.” The rule unsettled some employers groups, which have challenged it in court. As a result of…
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Jan
19
2016

Post Cal/OSHA Form 300A by Feb. 1

by Cerrina Jensen | posted in Blog

Employers with 10 or more employees are required to post their 2015 Cal/OSHA 300A form starting on Feb. 1 until April 1. Form 300A reports an employer’s total number of deaths, missed workdays, job transfers or restrictions, and injuries and illnesses as recorded on Form 300. It also includes the number of workers and the hours they worked for the year. Nonexempt employers with more than 10 employees must post the form.. There are actually three related forms you need to keep up to date: • OSHA Form 300 – Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses • OSHA Form 301…
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Nov
03
2015

Report All Workplace Injuries Promptly, Including First Aid

by Cerrina Jensen | posted in Blog

If one of your staff suffers an injury at work, it’s your duty to report that injury to your workers’ comp carrier. Many employers think they can skip making a report if someone is hurt at work yet doesn’t need to go see a doctor immediately. But the problem is that even what seems like a minor injury can turn into a major problem down the road. Take the case of a man who was working for Louis Truth Dairy, when a crate with milk containers down a shoot and hit him in the shin. The force of the impact knocked…
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Jul
04
2015

Why workers’ comp claims spike in the summer months

by Cerrina Jensen | posted in Blog, Newsletter

Workplace injury rates rise during the summer months. When summer rolls around, companies in many sectors, including agriculture and construction, significantly increase production. Increased road construction raises risks for workers and drivers. Many of the newly hired workers are young and inexperienced, creating a high potential for workplace injuries. Toiling in the sun is also a leading cause of weather-related injuries, including heat stroke, heat cramps and heat exhaustion. Heat illnesses occur when the body overheats to the point it cannot cool off, even with profuse sweating. Young workers Too often, young workers enter the workforce with little or no…
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