Posts By: Ken Cooper
Train Employees to Handle Confined Space Hazards
Cal/OSHA issued a recent news release announcing citations for companies that failed to protect employees from hazards pertaining to confined spaces. While none of the businesses in the release were specifically agriculture businesses, the citation provides a reminder to agriculture businesses to take action to properly train employees and account for confined space hazards. Generally…
Emergency Preparedness – Planning and Training
Emergency Preparedness – Planning and training are the most critical steps to ensure appropriate actions are taken when an emergency occurs. Agribusiness, like most workplaces can face unexpected emergencies or disasters. In an effort to reduce the potential impact of a disaster, employers should develop Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) to prepare for emergencies and disasters before they…
Week 2 of National Safety Month: Slips, Trips, Falls
Although injuries resulting from slips, trips and falls are often easily preventable, they still occur frequently; these types of accidents can cause serious pain: everything from cuts and bruises to head injuries, back injuries, broken bones, sprains, and strains. There are many ways businesses can protect workers against slips, trips, and falls everywhere from the field to the production…
Stay Up to Date with Workplace Safety Topics During National Safety Month
June has been designated as National Safety Month by the National Safety Council. This event is intended to increase awareness of workplace safety topics and reinforce our collaborative responsibility to keep each other safe. Safety is everyone’s responsibility! Starting on June 1st, there will be a four-part weekly series in the Spotlight newsletter following the topics designated for…
July 2023 is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month
July 2023 has been designated as National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This event is intended to raise awareness of the potential for motor vehicle theft. According to data from the NHTSA and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, more than 1 million motor vehicles were stolen in 2022, with…
USDA Hosts Virtual Workshops on Risk-Management Options for Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering virtual workshops on Nov. 15 and Dec. 13, 2022 about the latest improvements to the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) and the Micro Farm insurance options. These insurance options are available to specialty crop, organic, urban and direct market producers. Recent updates to these insurance offerings include: Doubling the ...
Safety Reminder: April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
For many commercial fleets, driver and public safety is a top priority, and organizations often take great care to prevent costly and potentially deadly accidents. While a number of factors can lead to a crash, distracted driving is a common, preventable cause of accidents. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates that ...
FBI Warns of Increased Cybersecurity Threats During Planting and Harvest Seasons
In a bulletin issued April 20, 2022, the FBI warns the agriculture sector that cybersecurity threats against the agriculture sector – in particular ransomware – may increase during critical planting and harvest seasons. Cyber attacks such as data breaches and ransomware can result in devastating disruption and damage. As a result, cyber liability insurance has become ...
June is National Safety Month: WGIS Offers Tips to Prevent Musculoskeletal Injuries
Millions of injuries occur in the workplace every year. Musculoskeletal injuries, including sprains, strains, and tears to muscles and connective tissues, are some of the most common injuries workers experience. Injuries within this classification can result from lifting injuries, being struck by objects, or even a simple misstep. Sprains occur when a ligament is stretched ...
National Safety Month: Focus on Injury Prevention
Injury and illness prevention programs, or written safety programs, are the cornerstone of an effective workplace safety program. For these programs to be successful tools in preventing workplace injuries, they should include the systematic identification, evaluation and prevention or control of workplace- and task-specific hazards. When implemented effectively, workplaces experience significant…
WGIS Offers Tips to Prevent Employee Slips, Trips and Falls
Although injuries resulting from slips, trips and falls are often easily preventable, they still occur frequently; these types of accidents can cause serious pain: everything from cuts and bruises to head injuries, back injuries, broken bones, sprains, and strains. There are many ways businesses can protect workers against slips, trips, and falls everywhere from the ...
WGIS Offers Tips on Implementing an Effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program
An Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), also referred to as a written safety program, provides a written description of the programs and policies an employer has put into place to provide a safe work environment for its employees. Successful implementation of a safety program requires commitment from all levels within an organization to place a ...
Cal/OSHA Reminds Employers to Protect Outdoor Workers from Heat Illness During Week of Excessive Heat in California
Cal/OSHA is reminding all employers to protect outdoor workers from heat illness as excessive heat watches have been issued throughout California. The temperature is forecast to exceed 105 degrees in northern and inland parts of the state this week including areas around Sacramento, Fresno and the eastern parts of the Bay Area. In 2005, under Gov. ...
Cal/OSHA Reminds Employers to Protect Outdoor Workers from Heat Illness During September’s Excessive Heat in California
Cal/OSHA is reminding all employers to protect outdoor workers from heat illness as excessive heat watches have been issued in many areas around California. The temperature is forecast to reach or exceed 110 degrees this week through September 5 including in areas around Sacramento, Fresno, San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial County. Excessive heat watches are also ...
Changes to Reporting First Aid Claims Now in Effect
By Ken Cooper, WGIS Director of Risk Strategy As of January 2017, insurers are now required to report all claims to the California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB). These include claims for which any medical care is provided and medical costs are incurred, including those involving first aid treatment, even if the insurer did ...
Changing Workers’ Comp in the Ag Industry
By Ken Cooper Workers’ compensation insurance is too often thought of as a generic commodity; a mandatory purchase that is simply part of the cost of doing business, with little to differentiate one program from another. The truth is that a workers’ comp policy is just one of many tools for mitigating the financial risks ...
Say Hello to the Connected Worker Program
Did you know the injury rate for agricultural workers is more than 40 percent higher than the rate for all workers? This shocking statistic comes straight from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and should be one that both business owners and employees remember. Workplace injuries not only affect workers physically, but they can also ...
Insurance Corner: WGIS’ Connected Worker Program Addresses Key COVID-19 Workplace Needs
By Ken Cooper In January 2020, Western Growers Insurance Services formally launched the Connected Worker Program, which monitors body mechanics in order to improve safety practices, develop injury prevention methods, and reinforce awareness of safety and a positive safety culture. Both businesses and the regulatory community are adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the connected ...