TRIDENT RISK BULLETIN
Visit
our Risk Control Website for a Wealth of Information
Autumn
Safety & Liability Concerns
Trident
and Alteris Risk Control have instituted a new service feature for our
insureds!
EPLI National Hot Line
at
1-866-758-6874
Through
partnership with the Jackson Lewis defense firm, insureds now have access to a
free Employment Practices Hot Line to call and receive advice and direction on
employment practices issues. Please refer to the attached Q&A document for
additional service details. Only our insureds will have access to this valuable
service.
Information
was emailed out to all of our insureds. If there are additional questions
please contact your agent, one of our sales representatives, your Trident
Alteris Risk Control Consultant or to Laurie Shaw whose contact information is
at the end of this news letter. We will respond as quickly as possible.
October is Fire Safety Month
Are your employees prepared to know
the difference between a fire that dies and a fire that kills?
A fire safety program will help your
employees become familiar with different types of fires and extinguishers and
learn whether or not they should fight a fire or flee.
Share these safety tips with your employees!
Fire is the most common type of emergency a business or a household may face. A
critical decision in planning for this emergency situation is whether or not
employees should fight a fire with a portable fire extinguisher. Use these
guidelines to help you decide.
Characteristics of fires that CAN BE extinguished with portable fire
extinguishers:
Ø
The
fire is limited to original materials ignited.
Ø
It
is contained in a wastebasket or other receptacle.
Ø
The
flames are no higher than the firefighter's head.
Ø
The
fire has not depleted the oxygen in the room.
Ø
Heat
is being generated but the temperature in the room is not oppressive.
Ø
Smoke
may be gathering on the ceiling but visibility is good.
Ø
There
is a clear evacuation path behind the firefighter as he uses the extinguisher.
Characteristics of fires that SHOULD
NOT BE extinguished with portable fire extinguishers
Ø
The
fire involves flammable solvents and has spread over more than 60 square feet.
Ø
It
cannot be reached from a standing position.
Ø
It
is partially hidden behind a wall or ceiling.
Ø
The
fire cannot be fought without respiratory protection.
Ø
The
radiated heat is easily felt on exposed skin making it difficult to approach to
within 10 or 15 feet
Ø
Smoke
is filling the room very quickly causing decreased visibility
Ø
Fire,
heat, or smoke may block the evacuation path.
Winter & Freezing
Protection
The potential for burst
piping is a serious problem where winter temperatures often dip well below
freezing. When freezing temperatures occur and water systems freeze, then
burst and refreeze, the potential for property damage, general liability
losses, and even a worker’s compensation loss are real.
CONSEQUENCES
Several large claims were
the result of:
Ø Inadequate sprinkler
maintenance
Ø Poor boiler
maintenance
Ø Poor construction and
placement of insulation
Lessons
from Losses: What can happen? Some recent examples:
·
One
school lost an entire wing and two floors of classrooms.
·
Teachers
lost papers that cannot be duplicated.
·
Long-term
projects were lost along with data and experiments.
·
Thousands
of books were destroyed.
·
Along
with the dollar losses are hidden losses such as lost use of the space, extra
expenses due to having to rearrange activities, etc.
The best approach is to BE
PREPARED – AVOID the hazard through reasonable administrative and engineering
controls.
1.
Monitor: All interior rooms and areas should be a
minimum of 40°F. Sensors and
alarms are effective for hard to reach areas. Staff the buildings when extreme
temperatures are expected. Buildings must be occupied and monitored
during extreme cold evenings. This is the most effective preventive
measure.
2.
Fall Inspections: Take a close look at
all your piping and insulation. Look for sealing and any light peeking
through. Now is the time to take a good hard look before the cold weather
arrives.
3.
Maintain: Clean, inspect and test heating systems,
ventilation dampers, switches and controls. Qualified maintenance staff
and/or a licensed contractor should complete the work.
4.
Fuel Supply: New England areas, maintain a
minimum of a full week supply of fuel oil, other areas natural gas and other
lines should be inspected for condition and burners in good operating shape
5.
Generators: Test to be sure the generator will be online
when called for.
6.
Unheated Spaces: These are the areas that are
vulnerable during the coldest of days. Insulate or provide heat to keep pipes
from bursting.
Additional Precautions:
Take the following simple steps in extreme cold weather.
Buildings must be occupied and monitored during extreme
cold evenings. This is the most effective preventive measure.
Items
to check:
ü
Buildings
not equipped with low heat alarms?
ü Building inspection schedule. Are
buildings being checked during peak cold periods? Is your schedule frequent
enough?
ü
Sprinkler
inspections? Is your system overdue for an inspection? What does the
service tag indicate?
ü
Do
you have areas within your building that cannot be maintained at a minimum of
40°F? If yes, then
consider introducing an anti-freeze loop in the system. Consult
your sprinkler contractor for anti-freeze solutions.
If
Freezing Occurs:
CALL
a professional. Thawing pipes is not recommended by other than qualified
persons or contractors. Severe injuries and fires have resulted from improper
work.
Cold Temperature Safety
Tips
This winter has brought frigid temperatures, fierce
winds, and chilling snow. It has also brought a steady stream of patients
into hospital emergency rooms with cold-weather injuries ranging from “slips
and falls” to frostbite. Here are some tips to prevent such incidents:
Understand Wind Chill
The Wind Chill index is the temperature your body feels
when the air temperature is combined with the wind speed. For example,
when the actual air temperature of the wind is 40ºF (4ºC) and the wind speed is
35 mph, the exposed skin receives conditions equivalent to the still-air
temperature being 11ºF (-11ºC).
Frostbite: What to Look For : The
extent of frostbite is difficult to judge until hours after thawing
Ø Superficial
frostbite is characterized by white, waxy or grayish-yellow
patches on the affected areas. The skin feels cold and numb. The skin
surface feels stiff and underlying tissue feels soft when depressed.
Ø Deep
frostbite is characterized by waxy and pale skin. The
affected parts feel cold, hard, and solid and cannot be depressed. Large
blisters may appear after warming.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a critical lowering of body temperature.
As with frostbite, staying warm and dry is very important.
Ø Wear
warm, water-resistant, wind-proof clothing, and dress in layers.
Ø Cover
the head, neck, mouth, nose, and hands with a hat, scarf, and gloves.
Ø Avoid
touching cold objects, as they will quickly steal heat from the body.
Ø Hypothermia
has different symptoms for children and adults.
o
Adults may experience shivering, drowsiness,
memory loss, confusion, clumsy hands or slurred speech.
o
In children, hypothermia symptoms include
less energy, and cold, bright red skin. Individuals experiencing any of these
symptoms should be taken to the hospital immediately
Winter Driving Tips
Driving a vehicle is statistically one of the most
hazardous activities any one can do during on any given day, and then for about
five months a year is increased with the extra hazard of winter weather.
Ø The
number one factor that causes winter vehicle crashes is speed, too much speed
to be exact. When it is snowing, freezing rain, or raining, the roads are
NOT dry, the day is not CLEAR, and visibility at best is limited. So,
when driving in snow, freezing rain, sleet, fog or rain, one should reduce
one’s speed to below the posted speed limit.
Ø The
second factor that contributes to winter vehicle crashes is inadequate
following distance. In ideal conditions, there should be 3 seconds
following distance between vehicles. If the driver is paying attention,
then they should be able to slow or stop.
Ø When
the weather is poor, the stopping distance is increased depending upon just how
slippery the road is. It is recommended that a driver have at least 4 to
5 seconds or more. Remember, this space is what one needs to have in
order to AVOID a crash with the vehicle ahead.
Ø A
contributing factor to winter weather driving is driver attitude. Many
drivers do not recognize the conditions they are in, because they have
four-wheel drive they think they can drive on ice. Breaking is not effective on
ice. For a four-wheel drive vehicle, it will help the vehicle go forward,
or backward, but it will not improve traction on ice.
Ø Remember
that 70% of winter-related deaths are caused by vehicle crashes.
Risk Control Web Site
As a client of Trident, you have 24-hour access to a wealth of
additional materials and resources through our Risk Control web site. This site
is located on the https://www.argolimited.com/pages/our-companies/trident/risk-control
It provides clients with current U.S. federal documents on issues from school
building controls to law enforcement arrest procedures. Past and current
decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court that will have the most impact on public
entities are posted for your reference in changing policies and procedures.
Materials are available on an extensive variety of subjects, including:
• Health Epidemic Issues
• Catastrophe Planning
• Domestic Terrorism
• Earthquake Preparation
• Indoor Air Quality
• Law Enforcement
• Mold Remediation
• Employment Practices
• Trident Points Operational
Policy and Procedure Fact Sheets
Web-Based Training
On our website at www.tridentinsurance.net, Trident
offers our insureds online training courses for employee training
purposes. Courses are offered for a variety of topics, including specific
issues within the following disciplines:
• Corrections Training
• Safety and Environmental
• Management
• Law Enforcement
• Customer Service
• Human Resources
• Productivity
Please check out
our computer-based training. It’s a great free service and offers
something for everyone!
Ask the Risk Manager
In addition to providing the on-line training
and our library of Trident Risk Points bulletins on our website, we are
always available, by telephone or email, and via our “Ask the Risk Manager”
web-program to provide answers to any questions you may have.
Know of Anyone Who
Should Receive This Newsletter?
Whomever you feel should also be receiving
this newsletter, please email Laurie Shaw with their name, title, email
address, and the insured’s name. Thank you!
Already
a client? Visit our site today!
Go to www.tridentinsurance.net,
select the “Risk Control” link at the top of the page.
Trident
Brokerage & Insurance Services LLC • CA License #0F84482
Laurie A. Shaw
Risk Control Coordinator
Trident Insurance Services of New England, Inc.
P.O. Box 1170
Greenfield, MA 01302
P 413 773 6344
F 413 772 8503
E lshaw@tridentinsurance.net