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What is Retro?   Retro is smart gambling. Like poker, employers who participate in Retro put money into a pot and at a certain point they can either profit from their gamble or they can lose money. If it’s like gambling, then why is it beneficial? Everyone knows that gambling comes with serious risk, so why would anyone want to partake in Retro? Retro mitigates the inherent risk of gambling in a few ways to make it safer and more beneficial to employers than simply putting it

Ladder safety is a topic that is easy to neglect because let’s be honest, how hard is it to use a ladder? According to OSHA, it turns out it’s pretty hard. OSHA has over 70 requirements regarding ladder safety, we won’t be going over all the requirements, but we will be going over what you need to know as an employer to keep your employees safe on the job site.  Load Bearing   The first section that OSHA covers is the load that a ladder must be able to support. In general, ea

As the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, we as leaders play a critical role in protecting workers and communicating accurately and effectively about the risks.  These are recommendations based off current information, and I encourage you all to stay informed and to continue to have open discussions with your crew.   Minimize Chance for Exposure and Adhere to Standard Precautions Ensure jobsite policies and practices are in place to minimize exposures

This is an unprecedented time and things are changing at breakneck speed. We wanted to put together some information that offer some best practices – particularly for workers in the field as well as links to resources that will keep you up to date as things are changing rapidly.  These are recommendations based off current information, and we encourage you all to stay informed and to continue to have open discussions with your crew. Why?   It is our responsibility to inform o

Aspire is looking out for contractors. This article is to help to provide insight on how the COVID-19, aka Coronavirus, will be handled by L&I. We have received numerous calls and emails about whether workers’ compensation claims can be filed for exposure to the virus on the worksite. Labor and Industries has defined how they view infectious diseases, and while they have not specifically named COVID-19, based on the examples they use (Influenza, H1N1, MERS, SARS) we anticipat

As we enter the hottest part of the year here in the Northwest, it’s important to review heat related illnesses.  Heat stroke is the most serious, but heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat rash can also be avoided with planning and preparation.  A complete heat illness prevention program should be established that provides training about the hazards leading to heat stress and how to prevent them. Precautions you should take include providing plenty of cool water for workers o

“Help me, help you….” – Jerry McGuire As we continue to meet with and assist ABC members, we notice trends when it comes to Worker’s Compensation Claims and overall Safety Culture.  Incident Reporting, OSHA 300 Recording, and Hiring Practices are three miscues that continually arise. Incident Reporting This is your OSHA 301 Form/ABC Incident Report and is required by OSHA to be filled out within 7 calendar days.  ABC requires this be filled out within 5 days; we recommend thi

Laying the groundwork for a strong safety culture   Last month’s safety article discussed the importance of Hiring Practices and how this can affect your risk to potential workers’ compensation claims.  Now that you have hired a new employee, the first step in the process of establishing a strong safety culture is the initial training and subsequent follow though that takes place. The process starts with a formal, structured, Safety Orientation.  This should be conducted by

One of the key elements of a strong safety culture is understanding how proper staffing and hiring practices can affect your risk to potential worker’s compensation claims.  Staffing is arguably the most important function of management.  Who you hire and how you train will dictate the health and growth of your company. This starts with the job posting and application.  Make these work for you.  Put together a detailed job posting and thorough application with specific requir

February 1 st is coming up, which is the day that employers must post their OSHA 300A. Completing an OSHA log is required by all employers that have at least 10 or more employees during the previous year. You must post your OSHA 300A Summary from the previous year (not the log) in a common area visible for all employees by the February 1 st deadline and keep it posted until April 30 th . Starting this year if you have over 20 employees, you are required to electronically sub

As the weather in Washington turns colder, employers should be aware of the dangers the cold temperatures can have on their employees. Cold stress injuries occur when a person is exposed to extreme cold or have repeated exposure freezing or near freezing conditions.  The following four conditions can occur if workers are not protected from the elements. Hypothermia: This condition occurs when a workers’ body temperature becomes unusually low, generally under 95 degree Fahrenh

For years, Labor and Industries (L&I) has run the Preferred Worker Program which provided benefits to employers that hire injured workers. This program has helped those with permanent restrictions obtain gainful employment without discrimination because of their previous injury. As a benefit for hiring an injured worker, the program would protect the new employer from any new injury the person filed, and provide premium relief for up to three years. Recently L&I decided to ch

OSHA has been updating its rules on electronic reporting of workplace injuries. While the final rule has been delayed, buried within the interpretation of the new rules, OSHA indicates that you violate the law if you require an employee to take a post-accident drug test. This statement doesn’t show up in the actual text of the final rule, but OSHA’s interpretation prohibits employers form retaliating against employees who file a work related injury. Their rationale is that bl

With the legalization of Marijuana in Washington State, questions have arisen regarding how employers should treat positive drug screens. The concern is that a worker may test positive for marijuana, but may have used it over a weekend instead of during work. The Federal Government still does not recognize marijuana as a legal drug, which means if the general contractor or subcontractor is working under a government contract, the substance is banned even if used during non-wo