| QUOTABLES
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Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
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The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.
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There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, & learning from failure.
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When placed in command - take charge.
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You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership.
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Hands on With Safety
Being hands on with home safety may include enhancing your home's environment with new technology or products.
Knowing which safety products to buy can be confusing, so that's why the Home Safety Council has created the Hands on Home Safety Shopping List to point out important safety products every home should have.
Remember that installing home safety products and applying safe practices is the best combination to help prevent injuries in the home. If you can't buy everything at one time, start out with a few product solutions from each risk area.
Most of these items can be found at your local home improvement retailer but you may have to expand your shopping to online sources or catalogues.
Regardless of where or how you purchase these items, half the battle is knowing you need them.
Falls prevention solutions:
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Light bulbs
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Night lights (for hallways and dark areas where extra light is needed)
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Flashlight(s)
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Non-stick tape or other adhesive backing (to secure area rugs to floor)
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Rubber bath mat
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Grab bars (for bath tubs, showers and near toilet areas)
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Banister/hand rail for stairs that extend the full length of the stairs (should have one hand rail on each side)
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Step stool with a sturdy hand rail
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Baby gates for top and bottom of stairways
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Window guards with emergency release mechanisms to prevent falls from upper windows
Poisoning prevention solutions:
Fires/Burns safety solutions:
Water safety prevention solutions:
Suffocation/choking prevention solutions:
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Did You Know
Tom Hanks & Elvis Presley are both related to Abraham Lincoln.
On every continent there is a city called Rome
About 50% of Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace. This is called propinquity
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people between 5 and 27 years of age.
The names of all the continents end with the letter they start with.
Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time. |
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FREE VIDEOS FROM OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a program that provides for free loans of safety videos for business use.
OSHA's criteria for loaning the videos is as follows: (1) only two videos per request; (2) the videos may be copied; (3) videos should only be kept for one week; and (4) videos are shipped by regular mail.
The following link connects to OSHA's Web page for ordering these videos: Free OSHA Videos | |
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To Our Valued Clients
On Behalf of American Management Corporation, Its affiliates and your local Independent Agent we sincerely thank you for your business and for placing your trust in us.
As the provider for your corporate insurance packages our goal is to develop and provide you with beneficial programs and materials to assist you in your safety and loss control endeavors.
This monthly newsletter is a collection of articles from industry associations, local and international news and information promulgated internally that we believe will have a positive impact on your company.
The partnerships forged between you, your agent and AMC are of the utmost importance and we value the trust you have placed in us.
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Getting Ready for Winter
Severe winter weather hasn't hit most places of the U.S. - yet. One look at the calendar, though, and we know it's coming. FEMA recommends specific preparations to take the sting out of winter weather. Here are some things you can do to get ready:
Store drinking water, first aid kit, canned/no-cook food, non-electric can opener, radio, flashlight and extra batteries where you can get them easily, even in the dark. Keep cars and other vehicles fueled and in good repair, with a winter emergency kit in each.
Get a NOAA Weather Radio to monitor severe weather. Know the warning terms for each kind of disaster in your community; including.:
"winter storm watch" --- Be alert, a storm is likely
"winter storm warning" --- Take action, the storm is in or entering the area
"blizzard warning" --- Snow and strong winds combined will produce blinding snow, near zero visibility, deep drifts, and life-threatening wind chill--seek refuge immediately!
"winter weather advisory" --- Winter weather conditions are expected to cause significant inconveniences and may be hazardous, especially to motorists.
"frost/freeze warning" --- Below freezing temperatures are expected and may cause damage to plants, crops, or fruit trees.
Know ahead of time what you should do to help elderly or disabled friends, neighbors or employees. Winterize your house, barn, shed or any other structure that may provide shelter for your family, neighbors, livestock or equipment.
Install storm shutters, doors and windows; clear rain gutters; repair roof leaks; and check the structural ability of the roof to sustain unusually heavy weight from the accumulation of snow--or water, if drains on flat roofs do not work. Also remember that dressing in layers is important when the temperatures drop.
Experts recommend wearing several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. Outer garments should be tightly woven and water-repellent. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Wear a hat. Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs from extremely cold air. Wear sturdy, waterproof boots in snow or flooding conditions.
And remember that if you lose your power and are using kerosene heaters make sure you maintain ventilation to avoid a build-up of toxic fumes. Keep heaters at least three feet from flammable objects and refuel kerosene heaters outside.
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It's common practice among petroleum and propane distributors to lend out certain pieces of equipment to patrons. Items like nurse tanks, skid tanks and a host of other items can easily find their way onto a customer's premises. Most often you allow the customer use the equipment at no cost and generally with a stipulation that any product used with the equipment is to be purchased from your business.
This seems like a pretty sound business decision and it quite possibly can be, however, these arrangements can lead to an increased risk of liability exposure for the company as a whole. If an accident occurs while a customer is using it, a claim could be brought against you, even though you are not in control or in custody of the tank or other piece of equipment at the time of the incident. In legal terms this is called bailment. The company (you) is known as the bailor. The customer is the bailee.
In order to minimize risk, the best option is to require each customer to sign a lease contract when borrowing equipment. This could be as simple as checking out a book at the county library with the exception of your check out form will need to have a 'hold harmless' clause. There are other steps you can take to help minimize liability risk.
Negligence is the basis
First, understand that liability for the owner of the equipment is based upon negligence. The negligence in a bailment agreement ordinarily consists of:
- Failure to take proper care of the equipment.
- Failure to give proper instruction on the use of equipment.
- Failure to give proper warning on any defects or problems with the equipment.
Generally, the owner (bailor) will be liable to the customer (bailee) when a defect in the equipment causes damage or injury to the bailee. The extent of the duty to warn varies in terms of whether the bailor benefits from the bailment.
Benefits could be receiving a rental fee or selling product for the equipment use. If the bailor knows about a defect he must give warning. If the owner does not know about a defect and does not benefit from the bailment, then the owner may not be liable. If the owner benefits from the bailment, it is the owner's duty to take reasonable steps to discover defects and make the equipment safe for use. In some jurisdictions, this is known as an implied warranty. Implied warranty contends that the equipment is reasonably safe for its intended purpose.
Sometimes strict tort liability is imposed on the owner of equipment if the defect was known or should have been known by the owner. There can also be a liability issue if the owner (bailor) loans defective equipment to someone (bailee) whom they know is ignorant of the defect or to someone they know to be incompetent or reckless, and the equipment causes injury to a third party. Do not let the ignorant and incompetent language fool you however. When it comes to someone suing you their attorney will ALWAYS show that they were IGNORANT and INCOMPETENT relative to the scenario in which they were injured.
Play it safe
Prior to releasing your equipment to a customer, you should consider following these steps:
We understand you're in business to provide services to your customers. Part of those services may include letting them use your equipment. Just understand the risks of liability and what you can do to minimize those risks to your company.
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Idle Engines =
Increased Costs
With continually rising fuel costs, the trucking industry faces yet another hurdle in maintaining profitability. Several mysterious factors dictate what price you will pay at the pump, but the bottom line is that although prices have declinged recently do not look for it to be cheaper over the long haul any time soon. One of the factors is where in the country you are purchasing fuel. California typically has been more expensive than other states.
So what kinds of things can a motor carrier and driver do to conserve fuel? Well, let's start with what forces negatively impact fuel economy.
- Rolling resistance is a combination of tire design, construction, alignment, and proper air pressure. Drivers can help themselves by ensuring proper air pressure is maintained.
- Aerodynamic drag is caused by three main factors, which are speed, coefficient of drag, and frontal area. The driver can only control speed.
- Acceleration is the major user of energy. Drivers can control how quickly they accelerate.
- Idling is also a major factor in fuel economy and is easy to cure. Drivers should shut down whenever they can. Several states are writing or currently have legislation in place prohibiting idling beyond 3-5 minutes and many more are considering implementing.
Rolling resistance can decrease fuel economy by 3 to 5 percent. A tire that is 20 psi low on air can cause a loss of about 3 percent. Having tires that are out of alignment can contribute to the problem.
Each axle that is out of alignment just compounds the problem further. The easiest thing a driver can do to solve these issues is to keep all tires at proper inflation and check for uneven wear, indicating an alignment problem.
Aerodynamic drag reduces fuel economy by forcing the engine to work harder to maintain a certain speed. Large conventional cab trucks have more drag than the new aerodynamic models being manufactured. Having a large gap between the tractor and the trailer also causes drag.
Speed however, plays the most important role in aerodynamic drag.
Drag is increased exponentially with speed, meaning that if you are traveling 65 mph, your drag is 40 percent greater than if you were going 55 mph, even though you are going only 18 percent faster.
Studies have shown that traveling 65 mph rather than 55 mph only added 5 to 8 mph onto the average speed but consumed 18 percent more fuel.
Drivers should be mindful of their speed and slow down whenever feasible. Setting the cruise control is one tool that can greatly aid in increasing fuel economy.
Acceleration consumes energy. Accelerating smoothly and using progressive shifting can help the engine work easier, thus reducing fuel consumption.
Idling seems to be a sore subject with some drivers, but the reality of it is that idling uses fuel and shortens service life of the engine.
Idling is necessary when temperatures are at the extremes, but when you drive through a truck stop on a beautiful fall evening with the temperatures around 65-75 degrees, you will still see the majority of trucks idling. This is wasteful and just doesn't make sense.
To aid in cutting expenses, some companies are installing auxiliary power units to provide temperature control and electrical power.
Using industry averages, most tractors consume slightly more than a gallon of fuel an hour at idle, which equates to approximately $5,000 worth of fuel annually.
Combine that with savings from the other areas mentioned, and that can add up to a significant amount of money.
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