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Studies show that an overworked and overtired workforce will ultimately cost the company money. As a safety professional, you need to be aware of the dangers of workplace fatigue and warn company management to consider the economic impact of driving workers too hard. But you’ll need solid evidence to support your argument. There are two studies published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM) you can use: one is on the relationship between fatigue and health-related lost productive time, and the other links weekly work schedules of 60 or more hours to health and safety problems. Fatigue in the Workforce Workers suffering from fatigue—physical and mental—are not only less productive and more prone to illness but also more distracted and thus more likely to be involved in a safety incident. For example, studies show that fatigued workers are more than twice as likely to experience health-related lost productive time. One study found that 37.9% of U.S. workers experience fatigue, costing companies approximately $136 billion in lost productivity. Read More

May 9, 2023 Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of a Southwest Florida resident on charges of Worker's Compensation Fraud and Unlicensed Contracting During a State of Emergency in a press release. Eric Harris has been accused of allegedly contracting to conduct home repairs without the required state licensure and insurance coverage. Read More

After many years of mild hurricane seasons, 2020 has proven to be extraordinarily active, resulting in widespread damage, deaths and injuries. There are steps employers can and should take to mitigate the consequences of these storms, as well as other natural and manmade disasters that can impact business operations any time of the year. In the wake of Hurricane Laura, attorneys at the law firm of Seyfarth Shaw offer a primer on how employers should prepare for natural disasters and other emergencies, what actions they should take while one is happening, and how they should clean up and resume business once it has passed. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Standards that are part of regulations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), all workplaces with more than 10 employees are required to develop a written Emergency Action Plan (EAP) to identify and coordinate necessary employer and employee actions during an emergency. Click to read more:

RetailFirst Insurance Company and BusinessFirst Insurance Company have received a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) from A.M. Best, upgraded from B++ (Good). The outlook of these ratings has been revised from positive to stable. A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. Click here to read more:

As of October 8, 2018 Governor Rick Scott has placed the following counties under a State of Emergency: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Leon, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Dixie, Columbia, Gilchrist, Levy, and Citrus due to the devastation of Hurricane Michael. The commissioner has issued a general order to all insurance companies, entities, and persons that are subject to the Florida Insurance Code and that serve any of the counties included in the state of emergency. Between, October 7, 2018 and January 7, 2018, no Regulated Entity shall cancel or non-renew a policy of insurance or issue a notice of cancellation or non-renewal. All notices of cancellation issued or mailed ten (10) calendar days preceding October 7, 2018, affecting a policyholder in the Included Counties, shall be withdrawn and reissued to insureds on or after January 7, 2019. Click here to read more:

Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis today released the following statement on the Office of Insurance Regulation’s (OIR) approval of a 1.8 percent decrease in workers’ compensation insurance rates for Florida businesses. The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) submitted the rate reduction request because of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Click to read more:

In this case, it appears the city of St. Petersburg may get a hefty legal bill, and the state of Florida could see its business-friendly workers' compensation laws blown to bits. ​ And why does that feel like karma? ​ Because the city turned its back on a St. Petersburg firefighter injured on the job nearly seven years ago. And because the state was too foolish to realize how much was at stake over what should have been a relatively simple negotiation. And so now the state Supreme Court has essentially slapped both the city and the state and, more importantly, Florida businesses could come unglued over the potential fallout. Click here to read more:

OSHA has issued violations and fines in the death of a driving instructor at an exotic car race track on Disney World property in Florida. Petty Holdings faces two violations and $7,000 in fines following the death of driver Gary Terry at Walt Disney World Speedway in April. The Lamborghini in which he was a passenger crashed into the end of a guard rail. Read more here: