The Economy’s Effect on Retro
By Greg Kabacy, Employer Resources Northwest

Over the last two years, the economy has witnessed a downturn not seen since the great depression. It can be said that the construction industry was hit the hardest by this economic contraction. Retrospective rating refunds are not immune to the depressed economy and ABC will see the results of that, in their 2008-2009 plan year. To understand how retro refunds are affected, one must understand how retro works.

To determine a group’s retro refund, the Department of Labor and Industries compares a retro group’s standard premium (total premium minus supplemental pension fund) to the group’s developed losses (total losses artificially matured). The result is fairly simple. If the group’s standard premium is greater than the developed losses, the group achieves a refund. If the opposite is true, the group may have to pay a penalty back to Labor and Industries.

As we saw the economy take it’s downturn in the construction market, employer’s hours decreased, thus decreasing the amount of premium paid to the Department. Additionally as employees were laid off, we saw an increase in the amount of work related claims filed. This increase in claims led to an increase in developed losses. As standard premium decreases, and developed losses increase, the amount of refund ABC can earn diminishes.

The 2008-2009 plan year will be the hardest hit by this, but the group should still earn a small refund. The encouraging news is that for the 2009-2010 plan year, while it appears that premiums are still down, contractors have their core set of employees, and the amount of developed losses are significantly lower. This could set ABC up to have one of its best retro refunds in years. ABC remains one of the strongest retro programs in the state and has significant resources to weather this slight bump in the road.

Contact Greg Kabacy at Employer Resources Northwest: (800) 433-7601 ext. 803.

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L&I: Deaths Related to Workplace Violence Climbed in 2009
Department of Labor & Industries

The slayings last year of six law enforcement officers, as well as several workplace suicides, caused deaths due to workplace violence to spike upward in Washington State, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced today.

There were 13 on-the-job homicides and seven workplace suicides last year, nearly a third of the 62 total fatalities resulting from work-related injuries in 2009. Although this is the highest number of workplace-violence-related deaths in more than a decade, it does not reflect an upward trend but, rather, a tragic year for law enforcement.

In addition to the officers, others who died as a result of workplace violence included clerks in the retail business, a taxi driver, a musician, and an armored car driver.

“While deaths involving criminal activity may seem particularly hard to avoid, certain measures can reduce the risk that employees will become victims of violence in the workplace,” said Michael Silverstein, assistant director of L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Workplace-violence prevention measures can include everything from environmental changes, such as improved lighting, to employee training, such as de-escalation techniques. Studies by L&I have determined that most injuries due to workplace violence occur in jobs known to be high risk, such as those involving contact with the public, the exchange of money, working alone, and working late at night or very early in the morning.

State laws on workplace safety recognize that certain industries carry the potential for violence, with some requiring that late night retail businesses, for example, provide lighted parking lots, safes without employee access, and special training for workers. Violence prevention plans and special training are also required for employees in health-care settings.

L&I has tips on coping with many violent and potentially violent situations, including robberies, abusive customers or co-workers, and domestic violence. For help developing a workplace-violence prevention plan, visit www.Lni.wa.gov/Safety/Topics/AtoZ/WPV/.

A report on all workplace deaths in 2009 was compiled by the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program (FACE), managed by L&I’s Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) program. The “Washington FACE 2009 Occupational Fatality Report” is at www.Lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/FACE/DataSum/ under 2009 data.

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Stressed Out Workplace
by Valerie McNulty, Safety Training Works, Inc.

In these tough economic times, companies are maxing out the work efforts of their employees. Have you been downsized? Are you doing the job of two or possibly three people? Employees who remain with the company are grateful to have work -- however, they are under much more stress. This is where safety can get sidelined. When you are too worried about a paycheck, further layoffs, working with multiple responsibilities, unable to take vacation or sick leave, you can make costly and sometimes deadly mistakes. 

Stress in the workplace can be a factor in both workplace injuries and overall health. Symptoms of job stress can manifest as:

• Headaches
• Upset stomach
• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Short temper
• Low morale

How can we reduce some of the stress in our lives?
Four simple steps help:

• Balance between work and family and personal life (no one ever said on their death bed, I wish I could have worked more).
• Have some fun. Laughter can release endorphins that can relieve stress.
• Have a support network of co-workers and friends.
• Ask for help (sometimes we truly can not do it all).

What can we do as employers?

• Show employees appreciation for their efforts.
• Ensure that the workload is in line with the employees’ capabilities and resources.
• Give employees the opportunities to use their skills.
• Clearly define expectations. Communicate with all employees’ factors and actions that affect their jobs.
• Provide opportunities for employees to interact with each other to discuss responsibilities and ideas.

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What to do During a Hazardous Materials Incident

Listen to local radio or television stations for detailed information and instructions. Follow the instructions carefully. You should stay away from the area to minimize the risk of contamination. Remember that some toxic chemicals are odorless.

If you are:  

Asked to evacuate
Then:

• Do so immediately.
• Stay tuned to a radio or television for information on evacuation routes, temporary shelters, and procedures.
• Follow the routes recommended by the authorities--shortcuts may not be safe. Leave at once.
• If you have time, minimize contamination in the house by closing all windows, shutting all vents, and turning off attic fans.
• Take pre-assembled disaster supplies.
• Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance--infants, elderly people and people with disabilities.

Caught Outside
Then:

• Stay upstream, uphill, and upwind! In general, try to go at least one-half mile (usually 8-10 city blocks) from the danger area. Move away from the accident scene and help keep others away.
• Do not walk into or touch any spilled liquids, airborne mists, or condensed solid chemical deposits. Try not to inhale gases, fumes and smoke. If possible, cover mouth with a cloth while leaving the area.
• Stay away from accident victims until the hazardous material has been identified.

In a motor vehicle
Then:

• Stop and seek shelter in a permanent building. If you must remain in your car, keep car windows and vents closed and shut off the air conditioner and heater.

Requested to stay indoors
Then:

• Bring pets inside.
• Close and lock all exterior doors and windows. Close vents, fireplace dampers, and as many interior doors as possible.
• Turn off air conditioners and ventilation systems. In large buildings, set ventilation systems to 100 percent recirculation so that no outside air is drawn into the building. If this is not possible, ventilation systems should be turned off.
• Go into the pre-selected shelter room. This room should be above ground and have the fewest openings to the outside.
• Seal gaps under doorways and windows with wet towels or plastic sheeting and duct tape.
• Seal gaps around window and air conditioning units, bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans, and stove and dryer vents with duct tape and plastic sheeting, wax paper or aluminum wrap.
• Use material to fill cracks and holes in the room, such as those around pipes.
• If gas or vapors could have entered the building, take shallow breaths through a cloth or a towel. Avoid eating or drinking any food or water that may be contaminated.

Shelter Safety for Sealed Rooms
Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide build-up for up to five hours, assuming a normal breathing rate while resting.

However, local officials are unlikely to recommend the public shelter in a sealed room for more than 2-3 hours because the effectiveness of such sheltering diminishes with time as the contaminated outside air gradually seeps into the shelter. At this point, evacuation from the area is the better protective action to take.

Also you should ventilate the shelter when the emergency has passed to avoid breathing contaminated air still inside the shelter.

~FEMA

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Coil Nailers Recalled by Hitachi Koki Due to Serious Injury Hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, recently announced a voluntary recall of the following products. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Coil Nailers
Units: About 50,000 in the United States and about 15,000 in Canada
Importer: Hitachi Koki U.S.A., Ltd., of Norcross, Ga.
Manufacturer: Hitachi Koki Co. Ltd., of Japan

Hazard: The nailers could have a faulty feeder that can allow nails to be ejected sideways, posing a serious injury hazard to the user or bystanders.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 37 reports of nails being ejected sideways, including 15 reports of injuries. The injuries were primarily in the eye region, including five reports of partial blindness.

Description: The coil nailers are used to project nails into drywall, wood or other materials. The model number is NV83A2 and can be found on the body of the product. Only those units manufactured between October 2002 and September 2005 are included in this recall. The manufacturing date can be identified by the serial number engraved at the end of the handle, the first digit representing the month (1 for January, 2 for February, 3 for March, 4 for April, 5 for May, 6 for June, 7 for July, 8 for August, 9 for September, O for October, N for November and D for December) and the second digit representing the year (2 for 2002, 3 for 2003, 4 for 2004 and 5 for 2005).

Sold at: Lowe’s, Home Depot, other home improvement and building supply stores and online at Amazon.com nationwide from November 2002 through March 2006 for between $350 and $400.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled coil nailer and contact Hitachi Koki U.S.A., Ltd. for a free repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Hitachi Koki U.S.A., Ltd. at (800) 706-7337 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.hitachipowertools.com

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 it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.