BMSA's SAFETY FIRST!
August 2015
Simple Ways to Protect Your Small Business

Businesses large and small face a growing threat from cyber-attacks. In 2013 alone, 253 data breaches exposed 552 million identities, according to a recent study by computer security software maker Symantec. How much is the threat growing? The number of breaches grew 62% from the previous year, Symantec's research says. Incidents involving retail giants such as Target and Staples made the biggest headlines, but small business are just as at risk.There's good reason for you to be concerned with how to protect your small business from cyber-attacks. Why? Because, unlike large retailers, many small businesses won't be able to rebound after a breach. Even though there is quite frankly always the potential for something like this to happen, here are some simple tips to follow that can increase your security. 
  • Cyber-attack insurance
  • Put up a firewall
  • Protect your Wi-Fi
  • Update passwords regularly
  • Educate and train employees
  • Install antivirus software
(Source: Business.com )
Near Miss Reporting 
A near miss is defined as an incident that could have resulted in injury, illness, or property damage, but didn't. OSHA doesn't require near miss reporting, but companies capturing that information can gain insight into potential problem areas. Training employees on the importance of reporting near misses not only will raise their awareness of potential hazards; it moves your safety program from a purely reactive mode toward a more proactive effort. Near misses are often a precursor to more serious incidents, and may be a warning that procedures and practices need to be examined.

The reporting and investigation of near misses can be instrumental in preventing injuries. Near misses are really a zero-cost learning opportunity, because it signals a potential problem without resulting in injury or loss. Consider implementing near miss reporting the next time you review your safety program, which you should do annually.

(Source: Safety Services Company)

Was Truck Driver's Heart-Attack Work-Related?
A truck driver felt  a chest pain similar to a pulled muscle. He called his dispatcher and said he didn't think he could continue working. The dispatcher told him he needed him to go ahead and get the last binder snapped in order to start moving, and that he could wait and tarp the load as long as he had it tarped prior to showing up to his destination.
He returned to work, and finished securing the load. After climbing on and off the trailer several times, he began his route. More than an hour after starting, the driver experienced increasing chest pain, and pulled into a truck stop. He entered the truck stop, told a clerk to call 911 and then collapsed. At a nearby hospital, he was diagnosed with a heart attack.

On his way home from the hospital, he stopped by the trucking office and was told he was being terminated because he could no longer drive a truck. He applied for workers' comp, and the company denied the claim. The case went to a state court.The trial court ruled his heart attack arose out of his employment and awarded him workers' comp. The company appealed and the case was recently decided by a special workers' comp appeals panel of the Tennessee Supreme Court.
The criteria for a heart attack to be work-related varies from state to state. Some examples:
  • In South Carolina, a worker must have been subjected to unusual or extraordinary physical exertion.
  • In Ohio, an employee has to be subject to pressures greater than those occasionally experienced in most types of employment.
(Source: Safety News Alert
How Safe are Workplaces where you Live?

The new OSHA interactive map tool tracks the number of workplace health and safety investigations that have led to high fines. Click here to see how your state stacks up in high fine violations.

(Source: US Department of Labor)
Top Ten States with the Lowest and Highest Unintentional Death Rates

Unintentional deaths include poisonings, car crashes, falls and choking.

Lowest Rates:

1. Maryland (26.9)
2. New York (28.4)
3. California (28.7)
4. District of Columbia (29.9)
5. New Jersey (30.4)
6. Illinois (32.4)
7. Massachusetts (33.7)
8. Virginia (34.7)
9. Texas (36.7)
10. Nebraska (36.8)


Highest Rates:

1. West Virginia (77.2)
2. New Mexico (64.3)
3. Montana (61.0)
4. Oklahoma (59.7)
5. Kentucky (59.7)
6. Mississippi (57.9)
7. Wyoming (55.9)
8. Alabama (55.4)
9. Tennessee (54.5)
10. Alaska (53.2)

(Source: Safety News Alert
Drones & Safety
Inspections


Could OSHA use drones for safety inspections? Drones can significantly speed up some types of OSHA inspections, according to a safety expert. That could increase the number of inspections the agency is able to do. Safety trainer/consultant and former OSHA staffer John Newquist has posted a video on YouTube of an experimental safety inspection using a drone. What could this mean for the future?

( Source: Safety News Alert)


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800-849-1503
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