When temperatures fall, office workers bring out the portable space heaters to keep warm. As an employer, you should make employees aware that that portable electric space heaters can present a “major workplace safety hazard,” according to Electrical Safety Foundation International. “Fires can be caused by space heaters without adequate safety features, space heaters placed… Continue reading
Now that winter is upon us, ask yourself: As an employer, am I being proactive enough when it comes to preventing slip and fall injuries? Obviously those types of injuries go up with the advent of ice, sleet and snow. Here are other reasons to be concerned: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Michigan… Continue reading
If you are involved in trimming or pruning trees, whether at work or at home, understand the hazards and how to stay safe. Breaking tree trunks can be a hazard to workers in the tree or on the ground. Protect yourself by inspecting each tree’s condition before beginning work. Look for rot, which can occur… Continue reading
Retailers Insurance Company has upped its Financial Stability Rating (FSR) from “A Prime Exceptional” to “A Prime Unsurpassed” by Demotech, Inc. Retailers Insurance Company (RIC) reached this level due to its “unsurpassed financial stability related to maintaining positive surplus as regards policyholders, liquidity of invested assets, an acceptable level of financial leverage, reasonable loss and… Continue reading
If you have cleaning responsibilities at work, follow safe work practices. To protect workers from the hazards of cleaning products, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have produced a bulletin titled Protecting Workers Who Use Cleaning Chemicals, at www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3512.pdf. The document addresses several subjects, including safe work… Continue reading
Retailers Insurance Company is a Michigan-based insurer established by Michigan Retailers Association. Currently, Retailers Insurance provides workers’ compensation insurance and group dental insurance to Michigan businesses of all types and sizes. Retailers Insurance believes safe, healthy employees are key to a successful business. These tips are designed to help. Drowsy driving doubles risk New research… Continue reading
Looking back at four decades of experience in Michigan’s insurance industry, Patty Zaskowski discusses the past 11+ years with special enthusiasm. With good reason. Zaskowski, director of underwriting for Retailers Insurance Company, was there at the beginning, going to work for Michigan Retailers Association in September 2005 to help the organization convert its more than… Continue reading
Many Michigan businesses will be required as soon as July 1 to start using a new, online system to report their companies’ work-related injury and illness records to the public. Federal safety officials say public disclosure is intended to encourage companies with at least 20 employees to create safer workplaces by giving them a “nudge.”… Continue reading
LANSING – Michigan Retailers Association’s Retailers Insurance Company announced the following personnel changes: • Patty Zaskowski, director of underwriting, retired on January 31. • Laura Schilling was promoted to director of underwriting from manager of underwriting. • Jamie Moore was hired as underwriter. Zaskowski, an Okemos resident, spent four decades in Michigan’s insurance industry. The… Continue reading
Seatbelts do save lives A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study shows daytime seatbelt use reached 90.1 percent in 2015, up from 88.5 percent in 2014. Even with higher use, NHTSA notes that nearly half (48 percent) of people killed in crashes in 2015 were not wearing their belts. When used properly, lap/shoulder belts… Continue reading