Businesses have a responsibility to take care of their employees. Not only is this a smart business practice to protect your bottom line and to protect your business reputation, it’s federally mandated. Most 106964639_Mprivate sector employers and their workers in the United States must adhere to OSHA safety programs to protect employees.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act details specific responsibilities of employers regarding ensuring a safe and healthy workspace for their teams, which includes, but is not limited to:

  • Provide a workplace free from serious recognized hazards and comply with standards, rules and regulations issued under the OSHA Act.
  • Examine workplace conditions to make sure they conform to applicable OSHA standards.
  • Make sure employees have and use safe tools and equipment and properly maintain this equipment.
  • Use color codes, posters, labels or signs to warn employees of potential hazards.
  • Establish or update operating procedures and communicate them so that employees follow safety and health requirements.
  • Provide safety training in a language and vocabulary workers can understand.

This federal law also gives employees the right to call their local OSHA office and make a complaint or lodge a concern regarding their place of employment. Because of the importance of worker safety, OSHA takes workplace violations against regulations seriously. Inspections that reveal non-compliance can mean fines or costly renovations for the business.

The official OSHA website notes, “OSHA encourages all employers to adopt a safety and health program. Safety and health programs, known by a variety of names, are universal interventions that can substantially reduce the number and severity of workplace injuries and alleviate the associated financial burdens on U.S. workplaces. Most successful safety and health programs are based on a common set of key elements. These include management leadership, worker participation, and a systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards.” All that to say – smart planning can protect your business.

Prevention and preparation are the key to avoiding costly and dangerous accidents or workplace problems. Our team can help you find solutions for your OSHA compliance needs. Give us a call today.

When it comes to insurance plans, businesses and individuals both tend to consider plans with the lowest quotes and costs. The truth is, there are a lot of things that can affect your insurance rates, and the cheapest plans are rarely the best. Here’s what to know:

  1. The kind of insurance plan and coverage: General liability is usually the least expensive coverage, and it covers damage to property or injury to people as a result of your business. Professional liability covers damages that result from your business itself, usually financial losses.
  2. Size of your building or office: Property insurance is usually part of a business insurance plan. The size of your building or office space will affect your insurance prices in order to ensure adequate coverage for disasters, weather or accidents.
  3. Risk-level of your industry: Sometimes coverage costs will vary based on your industry. People who own a construction company may pay more for their premiums than those who own an accounting firm or a restaurant franchise.
  4. Location of your space: Location matters. Not only will the right location bring more customers to your door and into your space, it will affect your insurance costs. Is your commercial space in a floodgreen park front of office builsings zone or an area more prone to earthquakes? Just like homeowners’ insurance, business property and commercial insurance may vary based on location.
  5. Revenue: How much money does your business bring in? What is your business worth? The more money a business has or makes means the more they might lose in the event of a lawsuit. Business insurance can help prevent or offset the cost of legal action. To utilize this protection, your premium payment will be in proportion to the amount of coverage you need based on the business’s assets and value.
  6. Number of employees: Workers’ compensation insurance is directly related to the number of employees it covers. A larger workforce means more coverage is needed.
  7. Claim history: Just like other insurance policies, your coverage costs can go up if you’ve filed claims in the past. Businesses who have filed previous claims may be subject to higher premiums in order to stay protected.

When it comes to your business, don’t take chances. Buying into an insurance plan because it costs the least means you might not have the right coverage or enough coverage for your business. Call us today so we can quote you on the right policy protections at a fair price.