| Lack of safety programs costs independent contractors money |
| Each year we experience claims where a lack of written safety procedures and effective training were contributing factors to a major accident. These accidents in turn have a negative impact on your company's claims history and lost production time. As a result, you could be paying higher insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs than your peers! |
| Actual examples of preventable accidents: |
| • A driver was unloading large packages at a residence. The load slid off the back and landed on top of the helper, who suffered major crush and fracture injuries to the lower body. |
| • A worker was injured performing vehicle maintenance and OSHA cited the contractor in violation of 29 CFR 1910.147 (lockout/tagout), which could cost the owner up to $70,000 in OSHA fines alone. |
| You may not have a commercial office space or your own maintenance shop, but you should have written programs that address the following at minimum: |
| • Safe vehicle operation |
| • Proper lifting/carrying techniques |
| • Control of slip/fall exposures |
| • Safe use of tools and equipment including hand trucks |
| • Warehouse and dock safety |
| Safety programs are only as effective as you make them! |
| Low injury/collision frequency and severity usually define our assumptions about the effectiveness of a safety program. However, a crucial measurement of a safety program’s effectiveness is, most often times, traced directly back to the commitment from everyone within an organization to make their workplace free of known and recognizable hazards. |
| Don’t just take our word for it. |
| According to the National Safety Council, "managing safety starts from the premise that most incidents can be prevented. It includes the premise that incidents are near accidents and that so-called accidents are not random events, but rather preventable events. They can be prevented with proper hazard identification and evaluation, management commitment and support, preventive and corrective procedures, monitoring, evaluation and training." |
| But what can you do? |
| You are the captain of your ship! Just as a sea captain has the responsibility to safely navigate their ship from port to port, we all have a responsibility to safely navigate our work day. Protective’s Loss Prevention Department has created a guide that will help you plot a course to an effective safety program for you and your crew. Download guide >> |
| To request a printed copy of Protective's Worker Safety Loss Prevention Minimum Standards booklet, which includes detailed guidelines for written safety programs, email lossprevention@protectiveinsurance.com. |
| Free download: Plotting a Course to an Effective Safety Program |
| Download this step-by-step guide for tips on writing and implementing your own safety program. Download guide >>
|
|
| Download the Protective mobile app!
|
| The newly redesigned Protective mobile app enables customers to easily submit claims, view vehicle ID cards, get the latest safety updates and more. Click to download for iPhone or Android today! |
| Note: Not all features are available to all customers. Please refer to the app's description in the App Store or Google Play for full details. |
|  |
|
