Risk Factors

Safety Incentive Programs can be good and bad!

We received a lot of great feedback from our April 24th blog posting related to OSHA and Safety Incentive programs so we thought it would be beneficial to post a second blog further discussing the topic.  This truly is a big push for OSHA and business owner's need to fully understand the implications of the OSHA stance on Safety Incentive Programs.

 

Safety incentive programs are to be designed to promote a safe and healthy work environment; however, there are several approaches to safety incentives with some programs that actually discourage injury reporting. For this reason, OSHA is stepping up their focus on safety incentive programs and sent out a memorandum March 12, 2012 to their investigators encouraging them to watch for workplace policies and practices that could discourage workers from reporting injuries. Failure to provide a culture where employees are free to report injuries could be a violation of whistle blower and record keeping rules.  OSHA Investigators will now to looking to identify  the following types of programs:

1. Safety incentive programs that discourage workers from reporting injuries.
2. Companies that have a policy of taking disciplinary action against employees who are injured on the job, regardless of the circumstances.
3. Policies that require discipline for employees who violate a company’s rule regarding how soon an injury needs to be reported.
4. When an employer disciplines a worker because an injury resulted from the employee’s violation of a safety rule.

If employees do not feel free to report injuries or illnesses, the employer's entire workforce is put at risk. Reporting a work-related injury or illness is a core employee right, and retaliating against a worker for reporting an injury or illness is illegal discrimination under section 11(c).

Reporting a work-related injury or illness is a core employee right, and retaliating against a worker for reporting an injury or illness is illegal discrimination under section 11(c).

Here are some links to other Resources addressing this topic:

OSHA website: http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/whistleblowermemo.html

Safety News Alert: http://www.safetynewsalert.com/category/safety-incentives/

 

Mark McClain is a Senior Risk Control Representative for Westfield Insurance located in West Virginia.  He has been a valuable member of our Risk Services team for over 10 years. 

 

Spring Safety Tips for the Farm

The blog posting below was published on our sister blog, Grains of Knowledge.  I thought it would be prudent to share this topic on our own Risk Factors blog as many of our customers include agribusiness accounts and other similar businesses that may use tractors in their day to day operations.  Thanks to Stacey for the great post! Enjoy! ~ Lisa Mundt

 

As we increase outdoor farming activities in the warmer months, it's important to keep safety top of mind and be aware of common hazards present on farms. To avoid accidents, make sure you and others you work with are educated in proper safety precautions.

Here at Westfield, we like to do our part in providing helpful tips to our followers. Below is a list of essential farm safety advice and information that we've summarized from a variety of online resources. We also included links to these great sites for your refernce. Feel free to share this information with others who can benefit from these tips.

Fam Safety Tips

• Always wear seat belts while operating or riding tractors, trucks and other farm equipment
• Have a fire extinguisher nearby
• When leaving a tractor unattended, put it into "park", set the brake and remove the key
• Install a ROPS (rollover protective structure) on older tractors to prevent rollovers (see our previous post — Do You Have ROPS in Place to Protect You)
• Do not bypass start on your tractors
• Keep guards and shields in place
• Do not put young kids on farm equipment
• Ensure all headlights, flashing warning lights and turn signals are in good working order
• Have a Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem on your equipment
• Make sure all farm employees (including family members old enough to operate equipment) have proper training (this includes seasonal help)
• Wear proper safety equipment (goggles, ear plugs, gloves, hard hat, etc.)

Resources

• Ag equipment visibility fact sheet: http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/pdf/AEX_598_08.pdf.
• Fun and good tips for kids: http://www.deere.com/wps/dcom/en_US/corporate/our_company/fans_visitors/kids/kids.page
• Ohio State University Extension's Ohio Ag Manager Newsletter: http://ohioagmanager.osu.edu/.

Share your farm safety tips in the comments below. We'd love to hear what precautions you've implemented to ensure a safe experience on your farm.

 

Stacey Bruce is a member of the Marketing Communications team at Westfield Insurance.

Rewards and Punishments: The Impact on Worker Injury Reporting

On March 12, 2012, OSHA sent out a memo that highlights concerns on injury reporting and the impacts of both disciplinary actions and incentive programs on employees reporting of injury. The issue is the potential of employers to discriminate against employees when they legitimately have injury, and whether punitive or reward based policies or procedures prevent them from feeling safe to report workplace accidents. 

It is important to note that some incentive or disciplinary programs related to worker injury reporting may be considered non-compliant with the law.

Program Standards:

• Disciplinary actions should be limited to adherence with safety rules/procedures and not based on the injury. 
• Incentive programs should encourage and recognize employee participation in safety efforts rather than reward them for injury free days. 

In the past, there have been frequent debates on whether or not safety incentives actually improve safety results, or if disciplinary actions are effective. Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer and employers should make this decision based upon the unique environment and culture of their company. 

If you have doubts on whether your program complies with the OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program, you can contact OSHA at (202) 693-2199. 

To help you better understand what is and is not acceptable, here are some examples:

Prize Drawings:

• Holding a drawing for employees that are injury free (regardless of prize amount) for a period of time – NOT ACCEPTABLE.
• Holding a drawing for employees observed wearing proper PPE throughout the year – ACCEPTABLE

Bonuses:

• Offering a bonus payment for employees that are injury free – NOT ACCEPTABLE
• Offering a bonus payment for participation in safety activities and participation in safety committees – ACCEPTABLE

Team Incentives:

• Team or department prizes for injury free days – NOT ACCEPTABLE
• Team or department prizes for safety improvement recommendations as a contest – ACCEPTABLE

Job Performance Evaluations:

• Citing injury as part of a safety performance evaluation – NOT ACCEPTABLE
• Creating a safety performance evaluation based on safe work practices and participation in safety committees/job hazard analysis/work improvement suggestions – ACCEPTABLE

Disciplinary Action:

• Disciplining an employee for an injury – NOT ACCEPTABLE
• Disciplinary action for violation of safety rules or non-compliance with a standard operating procedure – ACCEPTABLE

If you have this type of program in place, it should be formalized and reviewed by your legal counsel.  Informal programs may create misunderstanding of terms and conditions. Additionally, policies should always be clearly communicated to employees through supervisor training and written form, such as the employee handbook. The policy should clearly communicate that discipline and reward are not tied to injury reporting. 

Incentives or disciplinary actions should not be tied to injury reporting, or make the employee feel as if they should not report an injury. Not only is that against the law, but for every day an injury goes unreported, the cost of that injury escalates. Remind employees that all injuries must be reported to a supervisor within 24 hours, no matter how minor it may seem. 

 

Does your organization have a good incentive program, performance evaluation practice, or disciplinary action program in place that targets work practices over accident rates? If so, feel free to share details on your programs and experiences below in the comment section. 

Leadership Series: Effective Communication

This is the fourth in a series of seven blog posts on Leadership - leadership ideas, techniques, skills and methods as conversation-starters for you and your supervisory personnel.

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Communication — the human connection — is the key to personal and career success.                                                                       - Paul J.Meyer                                      

Communication is the most critical skill for effectively working as part of a team, when dealing with a customer, and in life.  Communication is critical because without it, nothing would be accomplished. 

Communication can become confusing or ineffective when we filter the message in our head, or are unable to convey it properly to the recipient.  The goal of an effective leader is to ensure messages are cearly communicated, and to make sure the recipient understands what is being said or asked of them. 

Have you ever been given a task to complete without understanding the end goal?  Have you ever given or attended a presentation where the message was lost by the audience?  These issues are not uncommon, but can be avoided if you continue to practice and perfect your communication skills.

Steps to take for ensuring effective communication:

• Know what you want to say in advance.  Write an outline or key points of your message. 
• Be authentic in your message and true to yourself.  If you don’t believe it, no one else will. Authentic leaders exercise integrity.
• Remove as many distractions as possible.  If you are in a meeting or giving a presentation, ask participants to turn OFF their cell phones.  Your message it the most important event at that specific time, and that courtesy should be extended to you.  
• Use appropriate body language and be aware of the audience's reactions.  Eye contact is key to ensuring you are heard, so practice it! The body language of your audience will tell you if they are engaged — are they fidgety, sighing, have their arms folded?
• When meeting one-on-one to communicate constructive feedback, consider a conference room to reduce distractions and have a neutral territory. 
• Ensure your emails reflect the tone and intent you want to convey.  Sometimes it can be better to pick up the phone to relay the message, then follow-up with an email to confirm the conversation.
• Ask an employee or peer about what you said, and see if they heard it as intended – get their feedback! 

Effective communicators stand out amongst the group. So, ask yourself “How can I improve?”

How do you know your message is effectively communicated?  Do your employees “hear” your message?

Leader Tip

As our retiring CEO/Group Leader, Bob Joyce, often cites “Leaders cast long shadows”. This “shadow” includes many skill-based critical success factors, most importantly, the ability to effectively communicate. In my experience, the most effective leaders use communication to achieve the following:

• Establish a shared mission and direction (communication drives team member commitment).
• Set motivating goals and objectives (communication defines the reasoning/rationale behind the goals and objectives).
• Set clearly defined expectations (team members know how they need to perform and how their roles align and contribute to the goals and objectives).
• Troubleshoot and solve problems, keep team members up-to-date on current challenges and emerging issues.
• Frequently recognize and reward team members (communicate appreciation).
• Be transparent and readily share information (allow team members to 'be in the know' and remove the noise to drive greater understanding and perspective).
• Define success (team members must understand what success looks like and the roadmap to achieving it).
• Be supporting and trusting, which leads to shared responsibility, shared success and mutual respect.

Finding and taking the time to effectively communicate is a challenging task. On your drive home from work, take time to reflect and ask yourself, “What did I communicate to my team today?  Am I confident the messages were clear, concise and received as I intended? Did my communication position the team for success? Did I communicate why?” 

 

 

Developing the self-discipline of reflection opens the door to deeper learning and understanding.  In turn, this reflection empowers you to become a more effective communicator and thus a more effective leader.

 

Chris Paterakis, Group Human Resources Leaders

 

Additional Resources

 

Communication:  The Most Important Key to Leadership Success

Photo courtesy of leadership-vibe.net

Suzanne Coleman is a senior risk control representative out of the Nashville office of Westfield Insurance. She has worked in the insurance industry for 20 years.

Attention: Three Recalls on Landscaping Tools

With Spring in full bloom across most of the U.S., many of us are spending more time outdoors landscaping. Recently, there have been three large recalls on products used by many of us for landscaping work. Given that we insure many landscape contractors and other businesses that may use these products, I felt it would be relevant to share the information on these recalled products.

You can learn more about all product recalls by visiting:  http://www.cpsc.gov/

ECHO Recalls Backpack Blowers Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Gas Powered Backpack Blower

Units: About 16,000

Manufacturer: ECHO Inc., of Lake Zurich, Ill.

Hazard: The fuel line between the fuel tank and carburetor could have been damaged during assembly leading to fuel leakage, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported

Description: This recall involves two models of the ECHO 2-cycle gas powered backpack blowers. The 25.4 cc blowers are orange and black in color and “ECHO” is printed on the pull starter housing and blower tube. Model numbers are on a label near the pull starter handle. Serial numbers are on a label near the gas filler cap. Models and corresponding serial numbers included in this recall:

Model	Serial Numbers
PB-265L	P093121 35519 through P093121 50152
PB-265L	P078110 20732 through P078110 22309

 

 

 

 

 

Sold at: Home Depot and authorized ECHO dealers from August 2011 through January 2012 for about $270.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the backpack blowers and return them to an authorized ECHO servicing dealer for a free repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact ECHO toll-free at (800) 432-3246 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.echo-usa.com

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Hydrostatic Lawn Tractors Recalled by Hydro-Gear Due to Crash Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Lawn Tractors

Units: About 2,700

Manufacturer: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership, of Sullivan, Ill.

Hazard: A drive gear in the lawn tractor's hydrostatic transaxle can fail causing brake failure, posing a crash hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves Cub Cadet, MTD Gold and Troy-Bilt lawn tractors sold with Hydro-Gear model 618-0319 and 618-04270B transaxles. Cub Cadet and Troy-Bilt tractors included in this recall have dates of manufacture (DOM) ranging from December 2010 through March 2011. The DOM can be found on a label on the underside of the seat. MTD Gold can be identified by serial numbers starting with 1L15 or 1L16. Affected transaxles have serial numbers with the first four digits ranging between 0333 and 0348. Transaxle model and serial numbers are printed on a label on the transaxle.

Cub Cadet lawn tractors with the recalled transaxles are:

Mower Brand	Mower Type	Mower Model No.	Hydro-Gear Transaxle Part No.	Transaxle Serial No. (1st four digits)
Cub Cadet	LTX 1045	13WX91AT010 13WX91AT056	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	LTX 1046KW	13WG91AT010	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	LTX 1046M	13WP91AT009	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	LTX 1050KH	13WQ91AP009	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	LTX 1050KW	13WF91AP010 13WF91AP056	618-0319	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	SLTX 1050	13WQ92AP010	618-04270B	0333 thru 0348
Cub Cadet	SLTX 1054	13WK92AK009 13WK92AK010 13WK92AK056	618-04270B	0333 thru 0348

MTD Gold brand tractors with the recalled transaxles are:

Mower Brand	Mower Type	Mower Model No.	Hydro-Gear Transaxle Part No.	Transaxle Serial No. (1st four digits)
MTD Gold	Hydro	13AP925P004	618-04270B	0333 thru 0348

Troy-Bilt brand tractors with the recalled transaxles are:

Mower Brand	Mower Type	Mower Model No.	Hydro-Gear Transaxle Part No.	Transaxle Serial No. (1st four digits)
Troy-Bilt	TB2450	13WQ92KP066	618-04270B	0333 thru 0348

Sold by: Lawn and garden retailers nationwide from January 2011 through January 2012 for about between $1,900 and $2,800.

Manufactured in: U.S.A.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled lawn tractors and contact the firm for instructions on obtaining a repair from an authorized service provider.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, please contact the firm's toll-free at (888) 848-6038 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firms' websites at www.cubcadet.com, www.troybilt.com or www.MTDproducts.com. Consumers can also visit Hydro-Gear's website at www.hydro-gear.com

Tractor Identification Photos (by Brand) and Sample DOM Labels:

Cub Cadet (Located under seat)



MTD Gold (Located under seat)


Troy-Bilt (Located under seat)



Transaxle Identification Photo and Sample Transaxle Label

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American Honda Recalls Trimmers Due to Laceration Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Grass Trimmers

Units: About 14,000 in the United States and 3,600 in Canada

Distributor: American Honda Motor Company, of Torrance, Calif.

Hazard: The shaft can crack and cause the lower gear case and cutting attachment to detach, posing a laceration hazard to the operator and bystanders.

Incidents/Injuries: Honda is aware of 11 incidents of broken or cracked shafts. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled grass trimmer is made by Honda and has the model number HHT35SUKAT. The trimmer is gas-powered and has a red engine housing with the word "Honda" on the top front and a bicycle handlebar-style grip. A label on the shaft includes the words "Honda" and "HHT35S." Recalled trimmers are in the serial number range HAHA-1000001 to HAHA-1017345. The serial number is located on the top side of the shaft below the handlebars.

Sold at: Honda Power Equipment dealers nationwide and online from May 2006 to February 2012 for between $420 and $430.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these trimmers and contact the nearest Honda Power Equipment dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact American Honda toll-free at (888) 888-3139 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the American Honda's website at http://powerequipment.honda.com

Note: Health Canada's press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1550

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing and speech impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

 

Lisa Mundt is a Risk Control Consultant for Westfield Insurance based out of our Atlanta, Ga service office. Lisa has over 10 years of risk management experience servicing a wide variety of customers, such as small business, traditional mid market, technology as well as the construction industry.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Advancements in cell phone technology are amazing — we can practically fly a space shuttle with our mobile devices. (Yes, I am sure there is an app for that too.) But as incredible as cell phone technology can be it comes with a price — distraction.

I am sure we have all had a moment where we looked at someone across the table and had no idea what they were talking about because we were busy checking emails, texting, surfing the web or playing with a new app on our phones. It happens to the best of us, doesn't it?

In the field of risk management, I feel that I am constantly fighting against the cell phone/smart phone.  When asking customers if they have a Distracted Driving Policy in place, I often get a look of "Are you serious?" Or, the response is, "We do, but we don't/can't enforce it."

The reason we ask these questions is that the distraction caused by cell phone usage while operating a vehicle can be deadly. Statistics show that you are just as likely to be distracted in the few minutes following a conversation as you are by actually picking up the phone and driving at the same time. 

In an effort to encourage drivers to stop using their cell phones the National Safety Council has declared April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As a safety professional, I strongly stand behind abandoning cell phone use while driving. I encourage you to review the information below, and consider adopting AND enforcing a Distracted Driving policy for your own business. 

On December 13, 2011, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) made a big move: It rallied for a complete ban of all calling, texting, web browsing and other activities performed on any type of personal electric device while behind the wheel. This ban would ideally apply to every driver in the country. 

Consider the facts:

• Hands-free devices do not eliminate cognitive distraction – the distraction to the brain.
• Cognitively distracted drivers can miss up to 50 percent of their driving environment, including stop signs, pedestrians and red lights.
• Nearly 25 percent of all crashes involve drivers distracted by cell phones. 
• Drivers talking on cell phones, handheld or hands-free, are four times as likely to crash. 
• Drivers who text increase their likelihood of a crash by 8 to 23 times. 

Change the culture and curb cell phone use while driving:

• Make a personal commitment to drive cell free. 
• Research existing technology that prevents cell phone use while driving by holding your calls and messages until after you are finished driving. 
• Turn your phone off or put it on silent while driving so you are not tempted to answer it. 
• Speak up when you are in the car with someone who uses a cell phone while driving – ask if you can do it for them, or if it can wait. 
• Change your voicemail message to reflect that you are either away from your phone or driving, and that you’ll call back when you can do so safely. 
• If you are talking to someone who you know is driving, tell him/her to hang up and call you later. 

Learn more by visiting the National Safety Council Distracted Driving website.

 

 

Lisa Mundt is a Risk Control Consultant for Westfield Insurance based out of our Atlanta, Ga service office. Lisa has over 10 years of risk management experience servicing a wide variety of customers, such as small business, traditional mid market, technology as well as the construction industry.

 

Compressed Gasses - An Overview

Compressed Gases – An Overview

The uses of compressed gases of all types are very common. We use compressed gas to keep food cold in the refrigerator, in anesthetics for surgery, to provide oxygen to patients who need it, to manufacture products, to cut metal, and to heat our homes. Compressed gas, if handled incorrectly, improperly stored, or misused, can be deadly.
What is compressed gas? Compressed gas is defined as:
• A material or mixture in a container with an absolute pressure of 40 psi at 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
• A material or mixture in a container with an absolute pressure exceeding 104 psi at 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
• A liquid having a vapor pressure exceeding 40 psi absolute at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. (Absolute pressure is the pressure reading on the gauge plus local atmospheric pressure 14.7 psi at sea level).

Hazards of Compressed Gases
Compressed gases may be hazardous because they are:
1. Under high pressure: cylinders can rupture or a valve break off, turning the cylinder into a rocket;
2. Flammable: they can catch fire and burn — when stored in a pressurized cylinder, there is lots of gas to burn.
3. An asphyxiate: they displace oxygen for breathing, causing asphyxiation.
4. Oxidizing: they can explode violently when they react with organic and combustible materials.
5. Corrosive: corrosive gases attack tissue.
6. Toxic or highly toxic: poisonous.
7. Cryogenic: can cause frostbite or burns if they contact the skin — they can also displace oxygen in the air causing asphyxiation.

Some compressed gases, such as acetylene, hydrogen, oxygen, and so on, have their own regulations. Other gases, such as chlorine, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen, do not have specific regulations. They are covered under §1910.101.
If your company uses compressed gases, it should develop a written Compressed Gas Plan, which is periodically reviewed and updated as circumstances change.
As always, you need to be aware of any state requirements which might be more stringent than their federal counterparts that might apply to your facility.

Employee Training
There are no specific training requirements for compressed gases.

Training Tips
• Select which handout you will use and review it prior to training.
• Review 29 CFR 1910.101, and review the standard with the employees. Share copies of the company’s written Compressed Gas Plan, and tell them where they can find a copy.
• Explain the possible hazards associated with compressed gases, and ways they can protect themselves from these hazards.
• Explain the procedures to be followed if there is a leak or other problem with compressed gas.
• Point out examples of hazard warning signs and cautionary signs used in your workplace. Explain what each hazard warning sign means.
• If applicable, demonstrate how to move and store compressed gases at your facility.
• If applicable, demonstrate how to visually inspect compressed gas cylinders.

Where To Go For More Information
29 CFR 1910.101—Compressed gases (general requirements).
29 CFR 1910.102—Acetylene
29 CFR 1910.103—Hydrogen
29 CFR 1910.104—Oxygen
29 CFR 1910.105—Nitrous Oxide
Compressed Gas Association Pamphlet P-1-1965.

Leadership Series: Motivation

This is the third in a series of seven blogs on Leadership - leadership ideas, techniques, skills and methods as conversation-starters for you and your supervisory personnel.

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It’s amazing how a good word motivates better than criticism. See the bad, say the good. - Dan Rockwell                                                                          

As a leader, if you provide positive feedback to your team, you likely receive openness, participation and idea-sharing! If you don’t, you'll likely have a hard time getting your teammates motivated and willing to perform to the best of their abilities.

In turn, reaching the group goals can be a miserable and arduous road. To use sports as an analogy — coaches that support the player, communicate specifically on how to improve and share the team’s great plays, may be considered more effective.

Do you know your leadership style, and do you know what your employees need from you?

I certainly perform better when I am graced with positive feedback versus criticism. One thing to be conscious of is how you view feedback. The challenge is to take away the ego and “hear” what is being said in order to improve results.

On a personal level, I need to know my leader has my back. I need to trust my leader to be genuine in communication with me. That also means that everyone on the team has to be realistic about expectations and outcomes – understand that we are human and do make mistakes. It’s how we deal with the mistakes that show true character.

To create an open atmosphere, be a self-motivator! Encourage your employees to share what is going on, how they feel about the project and how they overcame the barriers to complete the project successfully.  Provide constructive feedback to the employee – feedback that is not emotionally charged, but rather based on facts and skills.

Praise your employees' good work (not only individually, but also as a team) when they have truly excelled. The reinforcement of positive outcomes provides the fuel for continued success.

How do you develop, coach and motivate your employees?  What tools do you or your company provide to enhance positive feedback?

Leader Tip

At Westfield Insurance, we have a great reward program entitled Westfield Excellence. Through this program, stand out individual or team performance can be recognized and rewarded. When giving the award, the work that is being recognized is described and a thank you note is also developed. The individual receiving the award receives the reinforcement for the job well done and also gets to pick out a gift of their choice from a catalog.  There are different levels of awards based on the degree of achievement. Often times, gifts chosen can be used by family members as well, so they also learn about the achievement and recognition.

Melinda Jordan, Region Leader

Additional Resources

The Leadership Motivation Test

Motivation and Leadership Style

Leadership and Motivation

Leadership Management Training and Motivation 

Photo courtesy of leadership-vibe.net

Suzanne Coleman is a senior risk control representative out of the Nashville office of Westfield Insurance. She has worked in the insurance industry for 20 years.

Hearing Conservation – The Silent Issue

Noise can impact our lives in many ways.  Noisy environments can impair your ability to enjoy life to the fullest and it can cause irreparable hearing loss.  It’s not just hearing loss that is affected by loud situations, your balance and mental well-being can be compromised as well. 

The NIDCD (National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders) shows the following statistics:

• Men are more likely to have hearing loss than women.
• Approximately 36 million Americans suffer some sort of hearing loss.
• About 15% of adults with hearing loss were exposed to loud sounds in work or leisure. 
• Roughly 25 million Americans have experienced tinnitus (ringing in ears).

Additionally, untreated hearing loss may contribute to loss of balance and dizziness, which is the second most common complaint at doctor’s offices.  This can also contribute to injuries from slips/trips/falls due to inner ear issues. 

OSHA requires that any workplace with a time weighted average of 85 dBA or higher for an 8- hour shift must participate in a hearing conservation program. NIOSH  also recommends that exposure to noise over 100 dBA be limited to only 15 minutes per day!  It does not take 8 hours of exposure to cause a hearing problem if the sound is loud enough.  

Please review both the OSHA and NIOSH standards to better understand the requirements and expectations of noise monitoring and hearing conservation in the workplace.   

A workplace hearing conservation program should include the following:

• Monitoring the work environment. Testing can be done by a qualified professional.  Many Westfield loss control representatives are capable of testing your work areas.  Testing should be repeated if new equipment or controls are introduced to monitor changes. 
• Baseline and annual audiometric testing (hearing tests) performed by a qualified testing agent or medical professional.
• Providing affected employees with approved hearing protection devices (HPDs) and enforcing their use in the workplace. 
• Employee training and education.  This includes new hire orientation as well as annual refresher training to all affected employees. 
• Record keeping of noise survey results as well as maintaining records of audiometric testing for employees. 

Outside the workplace, Americans enjoy rock concerts, live in noisy cities, and wear MP3 earphones.  Leisure activities contribute to hearing loss as well, maybe more so because they are personal choices of enjoyment and we choose to expose ourselves.    Excessive noise exposure in children may cause learning disabilities, behavioral issues, and a lifetime without clear hearing.  To protect yourself and your children at home consider the following:

• Set the sound level on your MP3 player and lock it.  This way you or your child cannot accidentally exceed the desired volume. 
• If you have to shout to be heard, it’s too loud. 
• Wear ear plugs to concerts.  The average rock concert rocks out at 115 decibels, that’s like sandblasting without ear protection!
• Use hearing protection while mowing.  The average mower can be 90 – 110 decibels. 
• Never stick objects into your ears.  You risk rupture of the ear drum. 
• Seek medical attention when your ears feel funny – this includes ringing, stuffiness, “popping,” or other pressure. 

Hearing loss is a serious issue, both at home and at work.  Take responsibility to protect your hearing and the hearing of others.  

Kirsten Hedden, ARM,  is a Risk Control Representative in our  Peoria, Illinois Service Office and a regular contributor to the Risk Factors blog.

Ohio Severe Weather Awareness Week

Attention: Ohio Statewide Tornado Drill is scheduled for Wednesday, March 28 at 9:50 a.m. Check with your town, business or school for drill details. 

Warm spring weather has already set it, and as we’ve seen from the February outbreak of tornadoes in the Midwest, we may be in for another record-breaking season of severe weather. In 2011, the Southeast, Ohio Valley and Midwest regions were hit by 343 tornadoes that took 321 lives and caused billions of dollars in property loss.  

March 25-31, 2012 has officially been designated Ohio’s Severe Weather Awareness Week by Governor John Kasich. Recognition of this week and the publishing of supporting resources, articles, safety tips and toolkits, is designed to encourage Ohioans to become informed about the dangers associated with severe weather hazards. 

Types of Severe Weather

In Ohio and the Midwest, hazardous weather is more likely to strike during the spring and summer months. Types of severe weather include thunder, lightning and hailstorms, tornadoes, floods and extreme heat. 
To promote public awareness and help reduce the amount of loss associated with severe weather incidents, the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness has published a variety of resources on these weather conditions:

• Thunderstorm/Lightning Facts and Safety Tips
• Flood Information and Safety Tips
• Tornado Facts, Safety Tips and Insurance Information
• Excessive Heat Health and Safety Concerns

Severe Weather Terms to Know

In the event that severe weather conditions or events take place, the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a watch, advisory or warning to alert the public. Below are explanations of what these different weather conditions mean: 

• Watch — The conditions exist that would indicate potential for a dangerous weather event.
• Advisory — A less dangerous weather event is imminent; an advisory is less severe than a warning.
• Warning — A dangerous weather event is imminent, and immediate action should be taken to protect life and property in the affected areas.

As weather patterns change, and the average number of seasonal storms increases, it becomes even more important to stay informed. No matter where you live, it’s crucial to understand the impact severe weather can have on your community, as well as how to protect yourself and your family. 

Take a moment to review the provided resources, and gain a better understanding of the basic facts and safety tips associated with each type of severe weather.

What is your safety plan in the event of a severe weather storm? Do you have a safe place identified in your home to seek shelter in the event of a severe weather incident, such as a tornado?