Search Our Site

Cape Coral law enforcement conducted a joint operation of multiple contractors and found several individuals who were doing business without legal compliance, police said. The Financial Crimes Unit, Property Crimes Unit, and City of Cape Coral Code Compliance investigated unlicensed contractors at 4841 Manor Court in an effort to find, educate unlicensed contractors, Cape PD said. Click here to read more:

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Turnkey Construction Planners Inc. - a roofing contractor based in Melbourne, Florida - for exposing employees to fall hazards. The company faces $199,184 in penalties. OSHA initiated an inspection as part of its Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction. Inspectors observed employees working without the use of conventional fall protection at two separate worksites in Port St. Lucie, Florida. OSHA has cited the company four times in the past five years for similar violations. Click here to read more:

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Crown Roofing LLC for exposing employees to fall hazards at two separate residential worksites in Port St. Lucie and Naples, Florida. The Sarasota, Florida-based contractor faces penalties of $265,196. OSHA initiated the inspections in August and October of 2018, as part of the agency's Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction, after inspectors observed the company's employees working on roofs without fall protection. OSHA cited Crown Roofing for exposing employees to fall hazards. The company has been inspected 17 times in the past five years, with 11 of the inspections resulting in repeat violations of the fall protection standard. "Companies that fail to meet basic fall protection requirements are placing workers' lives at risk," said OSHA Fort Lauderdale Area Director Condell Eastmond. "Crown Roofing's repeated disregard for complying with safety and health standards demonstrates their indifference to employee safety." Click to read more:

he U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Florida Roofing Experts Inc. for exposing employees to fall hazards at a Jacksonville, Florida, worksite. The company faces the maximum penalty allowed of $132,598. OSHA initiated the inspection as part of the Agency's Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction after inspectors saw employees performing residential roofing activities without fall protection. OSHA cited the roofing contractor for failing to provide fall protection for employees working at heights up to 13 feet. Click here to read more:

A flurry of tradespeople is often a sign of work getting done. It’s also a sign of potential safety issues. Every contractor will face different hazards, have different approaches to safety management, and will employ people whose attitudes towards workplace safety differ widely. Responsible organizations do their best to get every contractor to follow the same safety playbook. It’s not an easy process, and it’s one that requires you to go beyond the usual advice of planning and monitoring contractors for obvious safety violations. Here are a few elements to take into account if you’re earnest about improving the safety performance of your contractors. Click here to read more.

Safety meetings are the key to protecting your workers and your company from the daily hazards faced on the job. The goal of safety meetings is to increase people’s awareness. Frequent tailgate safety discussions will help your crews make it home healthy and happy every night. Daily – Weekly - Monthly Every day construction crews face different tasks and a different set of hazards, especially when they change locations. Holding a safety moment every day before work is realistic. It could be one or two minutes, pointing out dangers of a specific task to be done, or a weather related comment, and reminding the crew to take precautions, and to be sure to take time to drink water during the day. Two groups are most prone to accidents and illnesses; new workers and skilled workers with 15 or 20 years of experience who have a momentary lapse in judgment. Daily and weekly safety talks keep reinforcing points to make sure it’s in worker’s thoughts when they go to work. A five- or 10-minute toolbox meeting in the morning is good for giving a single-point lesson. Fatigue and heatstroke are common cause of accidents: When you are tired there is more of a chance of injury. Ergonomics would be another, how to pick up something correctly: keeping your back straight, using your legs, not bending over your center of gravity. If respirators are needed, give a short refresher on their fit and use. Talk about real-life incidences to get a single point across. For instance, if someone was hurt or had a near miss, discuss what happened. This helps the crew understand the “why” when things are done a certain way for safety. After discussing the real life incident, ask your crew for suggestions for making things safer. When starting work at a new jobsite, get the team together beforehand to discuss what’s going on at that site, and their specific work area. Five to fifteen minutes to look at the dangers like slippery surfaces, construction going on around them, the position of cranes and heavy equipment, overhead power lines, and where the first aid and eyewash stations are located. Cover in-depth “how to” topics with half-hour or an hour PowerPoint presentations once a month or when training is necessary. For those covered by OSHA rules, hazard communications training is required once a year. Get workers to think and participate in meetings, by asking “what would you do” questions, make it interesting and get people’s attention. Planning and Scheduling Keep a log of safety topics so you know what you have already covered and what subject to use for planning your next meeting. Sessions should be held on company time and you should discuss topics and hazards that are timely and specific to your employees. Think about the tools and equipment your teams use often or what hazardous situations may be likely to occur on the job. No topic is too dumb or too easy. It is important to cover the basics like ladder safety, PPE and electrical safety often. Keep a record of who is in attendance. A routine sets expectations, so set a regular schedule for safety meetings. Block out ten minutes at the start of every morning for a brief tailgate talk. If you’re starting a job at a new location, block out 15 minutes on the first day to cover the dangers specific to that jobsite. Monday and Friday tend to be days that most workers take for personal days or vacations, so for weekly or monthly meetings, consider a mid-week schedule like every Wednesday morning, the first Thursday of every month, or every other Tuesday. Tell Employees Use the communication method most likely to reach everyone. This could be email, texting, a poster on the common area bulletin board, a calendar invite or an announcement at the start or end of shift crew meetings. Let everyone know the date, time, location, length and purpose of the meeting. Be clear about the “why” for the meeting in your communication. If you aren’t clear, nobody knows what the meeting is about; why are we having this meeting? Why should I bother to go? If you are asking for suggestions and opinions, do just that. Often, management will call meetings to ask for “suggestions” to make a decision they have already made. If you do that too often, people catch on really fast. The appearance of asking for opinions and actually asking for opinions are different. Safety meetings are important to keeping the injury rate down. They are valuable and productive if you follow a few key steps to communicate, engage and deliver a message that is relevant to your crew.

n 2017, there were 270,000 injuries reported in the transportation and warehousing industry. The same industry also saw 819 deaths, a number only surpassed by the construction industry. The number of preventable fatal work injuries in transportation and warehousing grew 5.3% from 2016 to 2017.1 What do these statistics have to do with loading docks? More than 25% of all industrial accidents happen at the loading dock, and for every accident, there are about 600 near misses.2 If your job has anything to do with loading docks, these figures are meant to help you understand how important loading dock safety really is. Click to read more:

June 2020: This article is the first in a planned series on types of remuneration (payments and goods given to workers) and how they affect the premium on your workers' compensation policy. The pandemic has impacted every business in the country. Your payroll may have increased or decreased. You may be paying your workers for different reasons now, also. How does this change your policy's premium? What record-keeping is now required so that you can take advantage of the new types of payroll that you may pay? As the Monty Python cast would agree, nobody expects a global pandemic. The shutdowns that Florida experienced have likely impacted your own company. Let's go over three common questions that may affect you. I've laid some people off and paid them severance. How is that classified? Severance pay can fall into one of two categories. If you are paying an employee for work they already did or for vacation that they already earned, then the pay is included in your premium calculation. However, if you give a bonus to a worker at dismissal, the pay is not included in your premium calculation. Just make sure that you note your payroll records so that you'll remember the circumstances when it comes time for your audit. I've kept some workers, but I am paying them for time that they are not working. How do I handle this? You may be paying workers even though they're not working at all. You may also have some workers who aren't able to work their full schedules, and you're supplementing their pay. These two circumstances are handled in two different ways. First, if a worker is not doing any work for you, payments you give them are considered "payments to paid furloughed employees," according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). These payments are not included in your premium calculation, unless they are payments given to the employer as funds or loans to retain or hire working employees. You will keep up with these payments under a new class code: 0012, Paid Furloughed Employees. For instance, let’s say your employee Maria usually cooks in your restaurant’s kitchen. If you sent her home because you have no work for her, but you are continuing to pay her because you want to keep her as an employee, then your payments to Maria are “payments to a paid furloughed employee.” Second, if a worker IS doing some work for you, but you are supplementing their pay with additional payments, the extra pay is called "Idle Time" pay. It is included in your premium calculation. This pay is treated just like your normal pay, and you do not have to record it separately for workers' compensation purposes. Here’s another example: normally Joe has 8 hours of work each day, mowing lawns for your maintenance company. Because many of your customers have reduced their contracts, you only have 6 hours of work for Joe each day. If you choose to keep paying Joe for 8 hours each day, then 6 hours would be classified as normal work and 2 hours would be “Idle Time.” For either type of payments, please notify us so that we can make sure that your premium payments are accurate during the policy period. I am on a pay-as-you-go payment plan, where I report payroll for each of my class codes. Now some of my workers are doing a different type of work. How do I classify them? If you have employees who are temporarily working from home, you can usually report their pay during their work-from-home period under a clerical code, like 8810. Let us help you to review your class codes and make sure that the correct code is available for your report each month! If you have any questions about the above, don't hesitate to give us a call. We will be glad to talk with you and explain these items at more length. Definitions Paid furloughed employees: Workers who are not doing any work but are being paid. Code 0012: The class code used for payments made to paid furloughed workers. Idle time: Pay given for non-work time to a worker who is working a partial schedule. Idle time is handled the same as normal payments. See Also CARES Act at U.S. Department of the Treasury

Keeping your crew safe from creepy crawlers Bugs, snakes, rodents, and toxic plants are a year round problem when you work outdoors in Florida. Rodents and bugs can carry bacteria, parasites or viruses. Workers can be allergic to wasp and bee stings. Some snakes are deadly, and toxic plants can cause painful blisters and rashes. 4,600 workers a year make visits to the emergency room and have to take days off from work from insect bites alone. Florida is a tough place to work. We have the second highest number of insect non-fatal injuries that require days off, right behind California. Florida also comes in second to death by insect, right behind Texas. Anaphylactic shock, often associated with insect-related injuries, occurred in close to half the deaths, the BLS said. Building and grounds cleaning, warehouse, and construction industries account for the majority of cases, and it appears that bugs like to munch on people in the 25 to 54 age range the best. Close to 94% of cases occur between April and October, with September seeing the largest number of deaths. While most claims for insect bites and stings are minor, some claims can be expensive if the employee receives multiple bites or has allergies. Tips to avoid outdoor dangers: Wear light-colored, clothing that covers as much of the body as possible, and the proper personal protection equipment, such as gloves and work boots. Before picking up an item that’s on the ground, first check underneath for ants, spiders and snakes. Keep work areas clean of discarded food to keep from attracting rodents and insects. Fire Ants — are aggressive and leave a painful bite. Don’t disturb or stand near ant mounds. Fire ants can be found on trees and in the water, as well as in areas that have been recently flooded by rain, so look carefully before starting work. Symptoms: sharp pain and burning at the bite site, along with redness, swelling, itching and red welts with white centers. Allergic reactions include severe swelling of the face, lips or throat, breathing difficulties, lightheadedness, fainting, nausea or vomiting. First Aid Tips: Wash the bite area with cool water and apply calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream to the skin to reduce itching and swelling. Antihistamines such as Benadryl can be taken to help relieve itching. Apply a triple antibiotic ointment to the stings to help prevent infection in stings that have been opened by scratching. Wasps and bees — these stings are the most common to cause life threatening allergic reactions. Workers with a history of severe allergic reactions to insect bites or stings should carry an epinephrine auto-injector (Epi-Pen) and wear medical ID jewelry stating their allergy. Routinely check the trees, ceilings of open buildings, under roof eaves and on equipment such as ladders for wasp/bee nests. They can form quickly, within a day. Remain calm and still if a single stinging insect is flying around, swatting may cause it to sting, but if attacked by several stinging insects, run to get away. Bees release a chemical when they sting, which attracts other bees. If being attacked by bees or wasps, don’t jump into water. They are known to hover above the water. If an insect is inside your vehicle, stop slowly, and open all the windows. Symptoms: sharp pain and burning at the sting site, along with redness, swelling, itching and welts. Usually, the pain and swelling recedes within several hours of being stung. Allergic reactions include severe swelling of the face, lips or throat, breathing difficulties, lightheadedness, fainting, nausea or vomiting. First Aid Tips: Immediately wash the sting area with soap and water. Remove the stinger with tweezers. Apply a cold pack, calamine lotion, or hydrocortisone cream to the skin to reduce itching and swelling. Over-the-counter pain relievers and antihistamines such as Benadryl can be taken to help relieve itching. Spiders — all spiders can leave a painful bite, but only a few are harmful to humans, such as the black widow and brown recluse, which are found in Florida. Spiders can be found everywhere, including offices, factories, warehouses, and confined spaces. Always wear gloves and other protective clothing when picking up boxes or other objects in an open area. Watch where you place your hands and feet when removing debris. If possible, don’t place your fingers under debris you are moving. Symptoms: Most spider bites are less painful than a bee sting. Pain from non-venomous spider bites typically lasts for five to 60 minutes while pain from venomous spider bites frequently lasts for longer than 24 hours. First Aid Tips: If you suspect a spider has bitten you, try to bring it with you to the doctor so they can determine the best course of treatment based on the species. Clean the site of the spider bite well with soap and water. Take over the counter pain relievers and antihistamines to relieve minor signs and spider bite symptoms. Go to the doctor or hospital for any severe spider bite signs and symptoms, or if signs and symptoms continue to worsen for more than 24 hours. Look for redness spreading away from the bite, drainage from the bite, increase in pain, numbness/tingling, or a discoloration around the bite that looks like a halo or bull's-eye. Snakes — can be dangerous to employees working outside, such as lawn maintenance and construction workers. 7,000–8,000 people per year receive venomous bites in the United States. The venomous snakes found in Florida are rattle snakes, including the small pygmy rattler, copperheads, and water moccasins. The later are generally found in and around water areas. Wear boots, long pants and gloves when working outdoors. Be aware when working in or around tall grass, piles of wood, leaves, rocks and debris. Don’t try to handle any snake. Symptoms: severe pain, redness, swelling and puncture marks at the wound, Nausea and vomiting, labored breathing (in extreme cases, breathing may stop altogether), disturbed vision, increased salivation and sweating, numbness or tingling around your face and/or limbs. First Aid Tips: Don’t wait for symptoms to appear if bitten, seek immediate medical attention. Call 911 and inform your supervisor. Try to remember the color and shape of the snake. Keep still and calm to slow the spread of venom and lay or sit down with the bite below the level of the heart. Don’t slash the wound with a knife and don’t suck out the venom. Plants — the three main poisonous plants in Florida are poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak. Contact with the sap oil causes allergic skin reactions such as itchy rashes and blisters in 90% of people. The rash, depending upon where it occurs and how broadly it spreads, may significantly impede or prevent a person from working. Avoid touching plants, especially vines, with bare hands, and keep arms and legs covered when doing lawn maintenance or clearing an area of plants. Clean tools that come into contact with plants after every use with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Be sure to wear disposable gloves while doing so, as not to get infected. If plants are suspected to be poisonous, don’t burn them. Burning these poisonous plants can be very dangerous because the allergens can be inhaled, causing lung irritation. Symptoms: itching, swelling, red rash within a few days of contact, bumps, or blisters. First Aid Tips: Immediately rinse skin with rubbing alcohol, specialized poison plant washes, degreasing soap (such as dishwashing soap) or detergent, and lots of water, rinsing frequently, and scrubbing under nails with a brush. Apply a cold pack, calamine lotion, or hydrocortisone cream to the skin to reduce itching and blistering. Don’t apply creams and lotions to broken skin, such as open blisters. An antihistamine such as Benadryl can be taken to help relieve itching. In severe cases or if the rash is on the face or genitals, go to a doctor or clinic. Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room if the worker is suffering a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, or has had a severe reaction in the past. Employees who work outdoors or in open warehouses encounter bugs every day. Make sure your workers are aware of the dangers of some bugs, snakes and plants. Knowing when to seek treatment can save your workers from time away from work while they deal with painful health complications.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has determined that it is legal for employers to ban the use of cellphones by employees if they do so for safety and security reasons. Although the Obama-era board had encouraged the use of cellphones in the workplace, the current board earlier this year found that an employer’s policy prohibiting cellphone use by their truck drivers while driving was lawful due to the substantial safety concerns for commercial drivers supporting the policy. The new decision takes that a step further. The board has struggled to keep up with changes in communications technology that have taken place over the years. According Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), workers have the right to discuss and act on concerns related to wages and working conditions and are legally protected from employer attempts to prevent or retaliate against this kind of speech. However, a lot has changed since the law was enacted in the mid-1930s that the legislators of the day never anticipated. In regard to the latest NLRB decision, Chad M. Horton, an attorney with the law firm of Shawe Rosenthal, declares that, “This is a good decision for employers. Employers may now prohibit employees from using cellphones in work areas, particularly where the distractions caused by cellphones would pose safety risks or product integrity issues.” Click to read more:

By definition, safety professionals are responsible for controlling exposure to risk. As a result, they tend to focus their efforts on establishing procedures, engineering solutions and other controls designed to restrict workers’ risk exposure. At their best, these systems are logical, comprehensive and operate with a clock work-like efficiency. However, the people operating within them often do not work in the same way. Employee behavior is influenced by various factors, some of which can compromise how people perform within a safety system. No matter how rigorous the safety system, human behavior can short-circuit almost any safety feature. More rules will not prevent behavioral fluctuations, because to follow these rules employees would have to be rational actors 100% of the time, which they are not. Click here to read more.

I blog twice a week, usually on Mondays and Wednesdays. I have a lot of respect for those who have the energy to produce more often or even daily like Bob Wilson (Bob's Cluttered Desk) and David DePaolo (DePaolo's Workcomp World). But I take to the blogophere this morning because the world of workers' compensation has many questions this morning. Could Aug. 13, 2014, be a "red letter day" in workers' compensation across the country? Click here to read more: