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The NECA West Safety Group Report
May / 2009
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New
Coverages Now Available
You
know NECA West offers you access to the NECA West Workers' Compensation
ADR Program, but did you also know that we now offer a Package
program?
Effective
March 1, 2009 we now offer the following NEW coverages:
· Commercial General Liability
· Commercial Automobile
· Property
· Crime
· Inland Marine
· Umbrella
These
new coverages include:
GL
Limits - CG0001 ISO Form
- 1 Million per occurrence / 2 Million premises aggregate
/
2 Million products and completed operations
Per
Project Aggregate
- Available at no charge
Employee Benefits Liability
- 1,000,000 / 2,000,000
Residential Service Work
- Covered subject to company underwriting requirements
Additional Insureds
- Available
on blanket basis
Waiver of Subrogation
- Available
on blanket basis
For
more information contact your Preferred
Broker.
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 Workers' Compensation Rates on
the Rise
In
mid March, the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB)
announced a 24.4% increase in pure premium rates. In mid April,
the WCIRB lowered that increase from 24.4% to 23.7%. This week
Insurance Commissioner Poizner called on the WCIRB to withdraw the rate
increase. Will the request be granted?
The
WCIRB rate increase should come as no surprise. Over the past 5
years, the Workers' Compensation pure premium rates have fallen
dramatically. When rates fall, eventually they must rise again.
In the face of this substantial potential increase, business owners are
concerned with cost containment.
One
advantage NECA West members have over their competitors is the NECA
West ADR program. By participating in the NECA West ADR program,
contractors have experienced lower loss and loss adjustment expenses,
which in turn lower the experience modification (or ex-mod) that is
used to determine a contractor's workers' compensation premiums.
One way to help contain these rising workers' compensation insurance
costs is to remain a participant in the NECA West Workers' Compensation
ADR program; another is a continued focus on safety.
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 Save the Date:
The State Fund Employer
Education
Series presents:
Heat Illness
Prevention
May
14, 2009 - 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Duarte
Elk's Lodge
2436
East Huntington Drive
Duarte, CA 91010
RSVP
to heatillness@scif.com
The objective of the Heat Illness Prevention seminar is
to educate employers, supervisors, and trainers on measures to avoid
heat illness. You will learn how to evaluate your procedures for
effectiveness, best practice techniques, compliance with heat illness
standards, and improvements to your current program.
The presentation will include the following:
Complying with
and understanding California's Heat Illness Prevention regulation.
Cal/OSHA targeted risk factors:
- Training supervisors and employees
- Adjusting to "acclimatization procedures"
- Written procedures complying with the heat illness
standard, responding to symptoms, emergency
medical services, and integrating them into your
Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP)
- Water, rest breaks with shade, and cooling off periods
Learn the best defense against heat related illnesses
with basic steps of prevention:
- Check the weather heat index
- Conduct frequent tailgate training using training aids
- Understand environmental and personal risk factors
- Encourage frequent water consumption
- Know the signs and symptoms
- Establish acclimatization procedures
- Initiate emergency services and communication
- Use the buddy system and shift changes
- Required elements must meet compliance
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Questions?
Looking for
Information
on Package
Insurance?
To
apply for the
NECA West Package Insurance program you
may request a quote from:
If new to the program, please contact your Preferred Broker.
If renewing with the program through your existing agent, have your agent
contact:
NECA
West
Package Program
Betsy
Moore
WC Underwriting
General
Agency Services, Inc
(989)953-7421
bmoore@gasinsurance.net
Looking for Information on Workers' Comp Insurance?
To apply for the
NECA West Workers' Compensation ADR program you may request a quote
from BOTH the
NECA West Captive
ADR program and the
NECA West State Fund
ADR program.
If new to the program, please contact your Preferred Broker.
If
renewing with the program through your existing agent, have your agent
contact:
NECA West
Captive ADR Program
Betsy
Moore
WC Underwriting
General
Agency Services, Inc
(989)953-7421
bmoore@gasinsurance.net
NECA
West State Fund
ADR Program
Don
Knutsen
WC Underwriting
(866)383-6920
dmknutsen@scif.com
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Objectives & Benefits of NECA ADR
Objectives
- Reduce Workers'
Compensation Claim costs
- Reduce employers' costs
- Improve benefit delivery
- Promote safety
- Promote labor-management
cooperation
- Create more jobs for union
members
Benefits
- Reduce loss costs
- Reduced litigation
- Shorter claim cycle times
- Better medical care
- Faster return to work
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Heat Illness Prevention Emergency Regulation Enforcement
Q&A
(Effective
date March 17, 2009)
1. Where
does this standard apply? In all outdoor places of employment.
2. Distance
to drinking water? The water should be as close to the employee
as is practicable.
3. When is
the actual presence of shade required? Where the outdoor
dry-bulb temperature high for the area closest to the location at which
employees are to work is forecast, as of 5 p.m. the previous day, to be
over 85 degrees F, according to the National Weather Service.
4. How much
shade must be available? The amount of shade is sufficient if
there is enough to accommodate, at the same time, 25 percent of the
employees on a shift, so that employees can sit comfortably in the shade without
touching each other.
5. How
close must a shaded area be to employees? Usually this will
mean that shade must be reachable within a 2 ½ minute walk, but DOSH
recognizes that in some cases it will be closer, and in others, further.
DOSH believes that in no case is it permissible for shade to be located
more than ¼ mile or a five minute walk away, whichever is shorter.
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