DHS Alerts OSHA of Possible Electronic Reporting Security Breach

Author, Alyssa Burley, Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On August 1, 2017, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched its online electronic data filing application.  It was designed to collect and publish injury data on companies throughout the United States in order to comply with a new requirement.

Within just a few weeks of its launch, according to an OSHA spokesperson, the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team alerted OSHA of a possible data breach within the newly launched Injury Tracking Application (ITA).  

The warning indicated user information for the tracking application system could have been compromised and the affected company was notified about the apparent breach.

According to a Department of Labor official on August 14, 2017, “Access to the ITA has been temporarily suspended as OSHA works with the system developer to examine the issue to determine the extent of the problem.”

As of today, August 23, 2017, OSHA’s ITA webpage displays an “Alert: Due to technical difficulties with the website, some pages are temporarily unavailable,” preventing anyone from uploading their data. 

In an article published by Business Insurance, legal experts were cited as advising companies to wait to file their reports. “I’m not advising anybody to file it before Dec. 1 because it might change,” said Mark Kittaka, a Columbus, Ohio-based partner with Barnes & Thornburg L.L.P. “I don’t know why you’d want to file it early. You may not have to file it all.”

However, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services advises its clients to continue to keep track of their incidents in the Risk Management Center, regardless of what happens with the OSHA electronic reporting requirement.  Companies will still need to maintain current OSHA logs, even if the electronic system is unavailable or the electronic reporting requirement changes.  If the December 1, 2017 deadline remains in effect, clients will be prepared to submit the data via the Risk Management Center, if the data has been maintained.

Contact Rancho Mesa Insurance Services at (619) 937-0164 if you have questions about how to track your incidents in the Risk Management Center and generate the required OSHA logs.

Surviving an Active Shooter Event: Recognize, React and Prevent Workplace Violence

Author, Sam Brown, Vice President of Human Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

In the ongoing effort to keep employees safe from workplace violence, it is very important to train workers how to recognize, react to and prevent active shooter events.  In most cases, simply having a plan can mean the difference between life and death.

PLAN FORMATION

When forming a workplace violence emergency plan, try to answer the following questions:

• How will first observers/responders communicate the threat and to whom?
• How will the threat be communicated to everyone in the facility? Through code words?
• Should the facility be locked down or evacuated?
• Has your security been trained in providing guidance to employees for this type of emergency?
• If your site does not have security, are your workers trained for this type of emergency? Do they know who to call if something happens?
• Do you have site-specific emergency plans in place?
• Do you have the capability to lock down your buildings remotely or deactivate card readers?

PREVENTION

Preventing workplace violence is your first line of defense.  Try the following tips to defuse a situation:

• Don't pick fights. Loud and aggressive arguments can easily escalate into physical fights.
• Take verbal threats seriously. Do not aggravate the situation with a threatening response. Report all threats to your supervisor or the company's security department.
• Report any suspicious person or vehicle to security personnel, especially at night. The suspect could be casing the place for a break-in. Or, the person could be stalking an ex-spouse who works with you.
• Also, watch for unauthorized visitors who appear to have legitimate business at your plant. Crimes have been committed by people posing as employees, contractors and repair persons.
• Observe your company's rules prohibiting drugs and alcohol at work. Many violent incidents at work can be traced to the use of these substances.
• Be aware of the neighborhood in which you work and the areas you drive through on your commute. Gang activity and other violence does not always stop at the gate to your plant. Keep to well-traveled and well-lighted areas as you drive to and from work.
• If you drive on the job, don't pick up hitch-hikers. The most important reason for this rule is your personal safety.
• Keep your keys in a secure place so they cannot be stolen or copied. Notify plant security if you have lost your key to the premises.
• Learn how to contact help in an emergency. Speed-dialing numbers should be programmed into phones and emergency numbers should be listed at each phone.
• Some workplaces also have pre-determined code words so one employee can tell another about a dangerous customer or visitor without tipping off the suspect. Learn the distress signals used in your workplace.
• Follow lockup procedures. Wear your identification badge as you are instructed. Never lend your key or entry card to anyone. Keep your entry password a secret by memorizing it instead of writing it down.

TIPS TO SURVIVING A WORKPLACE SHOOTING

RUN: First and foremost, try to escape. 

• If there is an escape path, attempt to evacuate.  
• Evacuate whether others agree to or not.  
• Leave your belongings behind.  
• Help others escape if possible.
• Prevent others from entering the area.  
• Call 911 when you are safe.

HIDE: If you cannot escape safely, find a place to hide.

• Lock and/or blockade the door.
• Silence your mobile phone.
• Hide behind large objects.
• Remain very quiet.

The hiding place should:

• Be out of the shooter’s view.
• Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction.
• Not trap or restrict your options for movement.

FIGHT: As a last resort, if your life is at risk, act with aggression.

• Attempt to incapacitate the shooter.
• Act with physical aggression.
• Improvise weapons.
• Commit to your actions.

The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also offers Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers to help employers prevent such incidents.

For additional resources on Workplace Violence and Active Shooter Preparedness, visit the Rancho Mesa Risk Management Center or contact us at (619) 937-0164.

OSHA Launches Electronic Reporting System

Author, Alyssa Burley, Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

It is official – the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its website for the electronic submission of employers’ injury and illness records (i.e., OSHA 300 logs).  

After a delay, the Injury Tracking Application website is now available to employers.  According the OSHA.gov, “certain employers are required to submit the information from their completed 2016 Form 300A electronically from July 1, 2017 to December 1, 2017.”  This means employers have about four months to submit their reports online.

The new requirement was designed to make OSHA records publicly available on the internet in hopes that it would encourage employers to maintain safer working environments.  
On the website, employers will be able to manually enter data into a web form, upload a .CSV file, or utilize an automated recordkeeping system with the ability to transmit data electronically via an API (application programming interface).

Rancho Mesa clients who are using the Risk Management Center can expect a .CVS export to be available in October 2017.  As long as you have the information in the Risk Management Center, you will be able to generate the .CVS file and upload the reports to the OSHA website.

For those who are not currently using the Risk Management Center to track your incidents, now is a great time to enter the data from 2016, so it is archived in the system and you’ll be able to transfer it once the export is available. 

For details regarding who must keep and report OSHA records, visit www.osha.gov/injuryreporting.
 

OSHA Launches Inaugural Safe + Sound Week

Author, Alyssa Burley, Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched its inaugural Safe + Sound Week, which runs from June 12 - 18, 2017.   According to OSHA, Safe + Sound week is "a nationwide event to raise awareness and understanding of the value of safety and health programs that include management leadership, worker participation, and a systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards in workplaces."

Why should your company participate?
Workplace safety and health programs can help companies proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness. That is good news for companies and employees.

How can businesses participate?
There are three easy steps to participating in Safe + Sound Week. Visit OSHA's Safe + Sound Week webpage for more information on each of these steps:

Step 1: Select the activities you would like to do at your workplace. There are three activities to choose from: Management Leadership, Worker Participation, and Find and Fix Hazards.

Step 2: Plan and promote your events.  OSHA has provided Event Tools, Graphics & Signage, Customizable Communications materials, Social Media (#SafeAndSound), and Recruitment Tools.

Step 3: Get recognized for your participation. Complete the online form to generate a Safe + Sound Week Certificate of Recognition and web badge for your organization.

^{Videos provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.}

Source: https://www.osha.gov/safeandsoundweek/

OSHA Not Prepared to Accept Electronic Submissions

Author, Alyssa Burley, Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

For over a year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have championed the upcoming electronic submission of injury and illness records (i.e., OSHA 300 logs) through its website.  The new requirement was designed to make OSHA records publicly available on the internet in hopes that it would encourage employers to maintain safer working environments.  The electronic submissions of the 2016 reports were supposed to be due by July 1, 2017.

However, in a mid-May announcement, the government agency’s website declares “OSHA is not accepting electronic submissions of injury and illness logs at this time, and intends to propose extending the July 1, 2017 date by which certain employers are required to submit the information from their completed 2016 Form 300A electronically.”

According to an article on Front Page News, “several business groups, including the Associated Builders & Contractors, Association of General Contractors, and National Association of Home Builders, had challenged the 2016 Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulation in court and lobbied the administration to jettison it on grounds that it could unfairly damage the reputation of some of their members.”

In preparation of the anticipated electronic submission requirement, developers of Rancho Mesa’s Risk Management Center, an online platform designed for risk management, workplace safety and compliance have been ready and waiting for the details of OSHA’s API (application programing interface) in order to build a seamless integration between the two websites. Rancho Mesa will keep its clients up to date on the development of this integration, if and when it becomes operational on the OSHA website.

As for now, Rancho Mesa is urging its clients to continue to track incidents in the Risk Management Center so they may take advantage of its trending tools and reports.

For details regarding who must keep and report OSHA records, visit www.osha.gov/injuryreporting.

Sources: 
“Injury Tracking Application: Electronic Submission of Injury and Illness Records to OSHA.”  United States Department of Labor. Retrieved from: https://www.osha.gov/injuryreporting/.
“OSHA suspends rule requiring firms report injury, illness data electronically.” Front Page News.  Retrieved from: http://www.advisen.com/tools/fpnproc/news_detail3.php?list_id=26&email=kvasquez@ranchomesa.com&tpl=news_detail3.tpl&dp=P&ad_scale=1&rid=283636777&adp=P&hkg=5cY58Bd37J
 

How to Prevent Back Injuries in the Landscape Industry

Author, Drew Garcia, with Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, is the program director for NALP’s Worker’s Compensation Program. 

According to the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB), in the last 5 years, over a quarter of a billion dollars in back injury claims, on behalf of the landscape industry, have been paid out by carriers in California.  The back claim is by far the most costly injury at $22,000 over the last five years and the second highest in terms of frequency (behind hand, wrist and finger injuries), and the leading claim resulting in an employee's time away from work. 

Consider

• Back claims are most costly.
• They are the second most frequent claim reported.
• They are the leading claim resulting in an employee losing time away from work.

Reflect

• Has your company had a back injury in the past?
• What are you doing to protect the backs of your employees?
• Would it be worth your time to consider ways to mitigate this exposure?

Solution

Implementing a pre-work stretch, when done properly, is a quick and effective solution to reduce the likelihood of back injuries.  The following stretch program was designed to stretch the back with Professional Landscapers in mind.  The program can be executed in minimal time, at any location (yard or on-site) and will not only help employees warm up for the day, but also strengthen their back to help maintain a healthy career.

Benefits

By implementing a stretch you are:

• Showing your employees that you care about their health and have explored an option to help keep them safe.
• Differentiating your companies risk profile against the industry to help enforce aggressive underwriting.
• Looking for a way to improve employee productivity while potentially decreasing insurance cost directly related to claims.

Cal/OSHA 300A Posting Begins February 1st

Cal/OSHA Form 300A

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. would like to remind its clients that February 1, 2017 marks the start of the Cal/OSHA Form 300A posting period.  The Cal/OSHA Form 300A is a summary of the company's annual work-related injuries and illnesses.  It must be posted from February 1, 2017 to April 30, 2017.

Who is required to post the Cal/OSHA 300A Form?
Employers with at least 11 employees must post the Cal/OSHA 300A form (though, there are some exemptions for low-hazard industries).

Where must the Cal/OSHA Form 300A be posted?
The Cal/OSHA Form 300A Form must be posted in a conspicuous place within the workplace that is readily available to employees.  Employers must also send copies to employees who do not regularly visit the workplace, at least on a weekly basis, where the Cal/OSHA Form 300A form is posted.

Do I need to post the Cal/OSHA Form 300A if we have no work-related injuries or illnesses?
Yes, employers must complete and post the Cal/OSHA Form 300A form even if they have no work-related injuries or illnesses to report.

How do I complete the OSHA Form 300A?
Through Rancho Mesa's Risk Management Center, clients can generate the Cal/OSHA Form 300A using the incident tracking feature, within the system.  The form may also be printed and manually completed.

View the Cal/OSHA Form 300A.

Visit www.dir.ca.giv/dosh/etools/recordkeeping/index.html for more information.