Florida Department of Financial Services
ISSUE 2 | VOLUME 5 | MARCH - APRIL 2014
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
IN THIS ISSUE:
► A FOCUS ON SAFETY
BEST PRACTICESMANAGEMENT
COMMITMENT
► INVESTIGATING
WORKPLACE
ACCIDENTS
► TOP LEGISLATIVE
SAFETY ISSUES IN
2014
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In this issue of the Safety & Loss Prevention Outlook newsletter, we’ll take a look at a
new three-part article series titled, “A Focus on Safety Best Practices” and how one
agency used a key best practice to help save their organization over $826,000. Also, find
out what safety issues are topping the 2014 legislative sessions across the country and in
Florida.
In addition, we will tell you why smartphones may be impacting your safety program.
Check out these stories and more in this issue of the Safety & Loss Prevention Outlook
newsletter. As always, we look forward to your feedback on how we are doing. You may
submit feedback or story ideas and articles to the following e-mail address:
[email protected]
► IS YOUR
SMARTPHONE THE
CAUSE OF YOUR
INSOMNIA?
► SAFETY & LOSS
PREVENTION
SPOTLIGHT
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6
► CROSSWORD PUZZLE
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► CLAIM SPOTLIGHT
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► FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION’S
DEFENSIVE DRIVING
TRAINING
► SAFE JOBS SAVE
LIVES POSTER
► SAFETY EDUCATION
& TRAINING
► DAVID WIGGINS
TRIBUTE
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Chances are, as a safety coordinator for a State of Florida agency or university, safety is
not your only job responsibility. In fact, for some agency and university safety
coordinators, safety may not even be your primary role. Instead, your role as a safety
coordinator may be a secondary role that accounts for about five percent of your work
responsibilities. As a result, two critical questions some safety coordinators find
themselves facing is, “If safety is not my top work responsibility, how can I ensure it is
taken seriously and how can I see it remains a top priority within my agency?”
Both of these questions are extremely tough realities that some safety coordinators
address every day; however, regardless of whether safety is your primary or secondary
role, there are several key safety best practices all safety coordinators can focus on and
implement daily to reduce and prevent workplace accidents and injuries. Making these
safety best practices a priority may not only save lives, but may also reduce workers’
compensation claim costs and frequency.
In this first installment of “A Focus on Safety Best Practices,” we take an in-depth focus
on the first safety best practice, which is critical to any good safety program:
management commitment. As a safety coordinator, you probably already know that
management commitment is an important component of your safety program, but do
your employees know this? It is important for safety coordinators to take every
opportunity to show employees safety is a top priority and management cares about the
safety and security of their employees when they are at work and at home.
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In order for this key safety best practice to be effective, employees must believe
management truly cares. Employees must also believe that all managers within the
agency including the agency head, division directors, bureau chiefs and other managers
and supervisors take safety seriously.
One way safety coordinators can demonstrate management’s commitment to safety is by
ensuring all necessary safety equipment is available and in good working condition.
Management can also show their support by including a segment on safety in the new
employee orientation and supervisory training. Similarly, management can stress the
importance of conducting job safety analyses for hazardous positions, and ensuring that
employees who are assigned hazardous positions are properly trained to perform their
jobs safely. Another good way to demonstrate management’s commitment to employee
safety is to have a formal recognition program for employees who make significant
contributions to the reduction and control of work-related injuries.
One excellent example of management’s commitment to safety can be found at the
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). In March 2012, DEP’s agency head,
Secretary Herschel T. Vinyard, Jr., sent a letter out to all DEP employees stating that
DEP thinks about safety first, last, and always. In his letter, Secretary Vinyard wrote,
“Workplace safety is of life-or-death importance in a shipyard where equipment and
supplies are measured in tons, not pounds. Luckily, when I worked in that industry I had
a boss who believed strongly in the importance of safety, and he ingrained that belief in
our organization from the top down. Creating and maintaining a safe working
environment is just as important for us at DEP.” By communicating his commitment to
safety, Secretary Vineyard enabled DEP managers and employees to make safety an
agency priority. During FY 12-13—the fiscal year following his memo—DEP reduced
injuries by 21% with a 28% reduction in medical and indemnity payments over the prior
year. Due in part to this improved claims experience, DEP’s workers’ compensation
insurance premiums for FY 13-14 reflected a reduction of $758,644 from the previous
year. In addition to the workers’ compensation reduction, they also showed a reduction
in general liability and automobile premium, which provided them an overall reduction
in premium of $826,132.
An award winning safety program such as DEP’s demonstrates the importance of
management commitment. As safety coordinators, be sure to take some time to focus on
the important best practice of management commitment and how it can help improve
the quality of your safety program.
In our next “A Focus on Safety Best Practices,” we will take a look at safety awareness
as a second key safety best practice.
Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
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If you have worked as an agency or university safety coordinator for a while, you probably
know the various safety controls used in conjunction with workplace accident investigations.
One well-known method widely used in the safety industry when investigating workplace
accidents is the “Hierarchy of Controls” method. This method involves utilizing controls
which include the following in order of decreasing effectiveness: elimination, substitution,
engineering, administrative, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Although you may be familiar with the Hierarchy of Controls, are you effectively utilizing
higher-order controls—elimination, substitution, and engineering—when investigating
workplace accidents? A February 2014 Professional Safety magazine article written by
Michael Behm and Demetria Powell titled Problem Solving: Are Higher-Order Controls
Ignored?” mentions that while organizations and safety professionals have begun to solve
problems with an eye toward higher-order controls such as workplace design, the primary
focus for most still remains squarely on lower-order controls, such as administrative controls
or PPE. The article further states that when safety professionals focus solely on lower-order
controls, valuable work-system designs which could improve organizational learning and
safety are not utilized.
Here is a closer look at the Hierarchy of Controls and how you can begin to think of ways to
utilize higher-order controls in your safety program as stated by Michael Behm and Demetria
Powell in the February 2014 article:
“If you want a thing
done well, do it
yourself.”
~Napoleon Bonaparte
Elimination: The first and most
effective control is elimination.
Elimination is the removal of the
hazard, and thus the risk, through the
design and redesign process.
Example: Removing the hazard of
transporting crude oil by railcar by building
a pipeline.
Substitution: This control involves
replacing the hazard with an
alternative that has less risk. For
example, substitute a less-hazardous
material or reduce the system energy.
Example: Replacing asbestos with
fiberglass.
Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Engineering: The next control is
engineering. Engineering controls
involve incorporating safety devices
into the system with the intention of
preventing worker access to the
hazard. Engineering controls are
physical in nature.
Example: Install handrails at the edge of a
platform to prevent falls.
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Administrative: Administrative controls, or work-practice controls, are changes
in work procedures such as written safety policies, job safety analysis, rules,
supervision, schedules, and training.
Personal Protective Equipment: PPE includes safety glasses, goggles, face
shields, respirators, fall-protection devices, welding screens, gloves, hearing
protection, barrier creams, and other gear and apparatuses that minimize contact
with a hazard.
So, are you utilizing the most effective safety controls when investigating workplace
accidents? The information you learn from workplace investigations and near misses
can ultimately improve safety when the focus is on higher-order controls, rather than
solely on single-source or lower-order controls.
“We may have all
come on different
ships, but we are in
the same boat now..”
~Martin L. King, Jr.
The Florida legislative session began on Tuesday, March 4. Some safety issues
topping state legislative sessions across the United States according to the American
Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) include safe patient handling, hazardous
substances, and mold abatement.
Safe Patient Handling: According to AIHA, approximately 12 states have enacted
some form of legislation or regulation addressing safe patient handling. The issue has
also been seen on the federal level with the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration’s launch of an online resource aimed at protecting hospital workers
from dangers on the job.
Hazardous Substances: According to AIHA, most states are discussing how to deal
with hazardous materials. AIHA says this may be because Assistant Secretary of
Labor for Occupational Safety and Health David Michaels pointed out that tens of
thousands of workers become ill or die from occupational exposure to hazardous
chemicals each year.
Mold Abatement: AIHA also forecasted that
mold abatement will be a top safety issue at
the state level this year. AIHA says that states
are continuing to consider mold abatement in
built environments to determine whether it
should be regulated and whether those
involved in this work should be licensed.
Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
As Florida legislators and other state
legislators from around the country discuss
passing laws that impact safety, it is important
to stay knowledgeable on the issues being
discussed at the state and federal level.
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Everyone, at some point, has experienced
nights when they were unable to stay asleep
either because they were tossing and turning,
or because they were so wide awake that they
could not fall asleep at all. Insomnia is a major
safety and health problem that can take a toll
on a person’s energy, mood, health, and ability
to function during the day. Insomnia can also
impact job performance, and if an employee is
sleepy while operating heavy machinery or
hazardous equipment, a workplace injury or
accident may result.
“Coming together is
a beginning;
keeping together is
progress; working
together is success. ”
~Henry Ford
Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
There are several reasons why someone might not get a good night’s
sleep—including stress, changes in the time due to Daylight Saving Time,
and improper or noisy sleep environments—but did you know that using
your smartphone at night may be another reason why you are not getting a
good night’s sleep?
Two recent studies conducted by Michigan State University (MSU) say that
employees who conduct work on their smartphones at night may find it hard
to fall asleep, leaving them with less energy the next day. As part of the first
study, researchers surveyed 82 upper-level managers daily for two weeks.
The second study compared the effect of using smartphones with other
electronic devices, and involved surveys of 161 workers from a variety of
occupations that included nursing, dentistry, and manufacturing. Both
studies reached the same conclusion: using smartphones for work after 9:00
p.m. left employees tired and less energized the next day. The second study
also noted that smartphone use was more detrimental to sleep than watching
television or using a laptop or tablet. One possible reason for this is that
smartphones emit a “blue light” that
inhibits melatonin—a chemical in the body
that encourages sleep, according to an
MSU press release.
These studies are scheduled to appear in
the Organizational Behavior and Human
Performance Journal in April.
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In this issue of the Safety Spotlight, the Division of Risk
Management is pleased to feature Ms. Juanita Chalmers,
Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP)
Coordinator with the Florida Department of Health.
As the OHSP coordinator, Ms. Chalmers is responsible for
the overall management and oversight of the program. The
OHSP, founded in 2010 through a 5-year grant from the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), was created to conduct surveillance of
occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in Florida.
The goals of the program are to characterize the major
causes of work-related injuries and illnesses, and to use
this information to guide prevention activities that will
Juanita
improve the health and safety of Florida’s workforce.
Chalmers
More information about the program, as well as links to special reports on topics
such as work-related fatalities, racial disparities, and young workers can be found
at: http://www.floridahealth.gov/healthy-environments/occupational-health/
index.html.
“Failure is the key to
success; each
mistake teaches us
something.”
~Morihei Ueshiba
Ms. Chalmers also serves as coordinator and facilitator for the Florida Occupational
Injury and Illness Coalition (the Coalition). The Coalition, formed in spring 2012, is
a statewide voluntary partnership of private, public, and university safety
professionals committed to improving the surveillance, prevention, and control of
occupational illness and injury in Florida through the sharing of education and
research. The Coalition meets once per year in Tallahassee to discuss lessons
learned through these occupational research and surveillance activities. In addition,
the Coalition conducts other educational webinars throughout the year, such as an
upcoming workers’ compensation webinar taking place in April 2014, which
members can attend.
“The mission of the Coalition is to improve prevention strategies and work toward
developing safety best practices which reduce the burden of illness and injury in the
workplace,” said Ms. Chalmers. She added, “I am proud of the work the Coalition
has done to improve safety in the state of Florida, and through the efforts and
dedication of our members, we are making a difference to ensure workers remain
safe on and off the job.”
Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Ms. Chalmers earned her B.A. degree in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth
College and she holds a Masters of Public Health from the University of AlbanySUNY. She is also very active on the Council of State and Territorial
Epidemiologists. In her free time, Ms. Chalmers enjoys running with the Gulf Wind
Track club, and she has competed in races from 5K to marathon distance.
If you are interested in getting involved with the Florida Occupational Injury and
Illness Coalition to share your ideas and safety best practices, contact Juanita
Chalmers at [email protected].
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Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
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We review thousands of claims a year at the Division of Risk Management. Sometimes we
find claims that clearly could have been prevented.
In one such claim, the employee tripped and fell on a tool that had been left on the floor. To
date, this claim has paid $608,498 in the three years since it occurred. It is obvious the
employee sustained substantial injuries; however, at the time of the incident, the injury did
not appear that severe. In this example, something as simple as putting a tool away could
have prevented the claim from happening.
Suppose you tripped on this tool, but did not fall and were not injured; what should you do?
Many employers create a form where employees can report near misses/close calls. Such a
report form should ask for the following information:
Location or department
Date and time of incident
Conditions, such as unsafe equipment or unsafe work conditions
Factors such as unsafe acts or unsafe use of equipment
Description of incident or potential hazard
Name of person reporting
Date of report
After a report is made, the incident should be investigated. The investigative report will have
the signature of the person doing the investigation, the date of the investigation, and the date
of the report. This report should also include the following:
Description of hazard
Causes of incident
Corrective action, such as removing the hazard or improving procedures
No matter what you define as a close call, near miss, near hit, etc., it is an incident that did
not result in an injury. It might be unsafe working conditions, unsafe employee work habits,
improper use of equipment, or use of dangerous equipment. However, the main thing to
remember is that investigating incidents provides a chance to correct a condition before it
does result in an injury.
Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
In addition to completing the report, the person who discovered the potential hazard should
take immediate action to ensure no one is injured. In the example above, all that needed to be
done was to pick up the tool and place it in the proper place. Depending on the condition
discovered, you may be able to resolve the condition immediately or you may need to enlist
additional personnel, place a barricade around the hazard, call housekeeping, etc. Each close
call is different, but the need to protect people and/or property is always the focus. Train your
employees to recognize these close calls and encourage them to report them as soon as
possible. This also shows your employees that you take safety seriously and genuinely care
about them.
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On Monday, March 10th, the Division of Risk Management officially launched the Defensive
Driving course created by the Florida Department of Transportation. The 3-hour course,
which includes 11 modules and a course exam, is offered through the Division’s Moodle
Learning Management System (LMS).
During the first week Defensive Driving was offered, student enrollment was phenomenal as
over 68 safety coordinators, law enforcement officials, and workers’ compensation
coordinators registered to take the training. The Division of Risk Management is encouraging
all safety coordinators and alternate safety coordinators to take the Defensive Driving course
and to share it with employees at their agencies and universities.
Here’s what some safety and other professionals had to say about the Defensive Driving
training:
“If you tell the
truth, you don’t
have to remember
anything.”
~Mark Twain
Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
Dave Vermette, Alternate Safety Coordinator
Florida Department of State
“This course will be very beneficial to state employees specifically
employed as drivers. It was also a great refresher. There were
some laws mentioned that I was not even aware of, such as 4-way
flashers are not to be used while driving.”
Teresa Bell, Business and Professional,
Florida Department of State
“I am excited our agency will now have the ability to offer the
Defensive Driver training course to our employees that drive state
vehicles. I found it to be a great reminder of the things that we, as
drivers, seem to forget or take for granted. The training course
was extremely informative, and I liked the way it was created with
videos, real driving shots, and short questions after each module.”
Investigator Vicente Lopez,
State Attorney’s Office
“I thought that the program was not only extremely interesting
and informative, but frankly, it was a great reminder that we all
become complacent and sometimes careless. When we think that
we know it all—and can never get into an accident—that is
where the problem begins. It was a good wake-up call for me. I
thought about everything in the course as I drove home
yesterday.”
200 East Gaines Street
On the Road, Off the Phone Crossword Puzzle Answers:
Across: 4. fifty 5. inattention 6. four 8. brain 9. talking 11. park 12. voicemail
14. benefit 16. police 17. serious 18. silent 19. uncomfortable
Down: 1. visual 2. texting 3. cognitive 6. free 7. trunk 10. safe 13. mechanical
15. eleven
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
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Deloris Benjamin,
State Attorney’s Office
“After taking the Defense Driving Course, I realized that the
driving laws have changed over the years. I would encourage
everyone to take the course, it’s a refresher of the rules and
regulations required to operate a motor vehicle in the state of
Florida. The presentation is great and it captures your attention.”
Mike Peavy,
Florida Department of State
“Watch out for the other driver, don’t be dead right.”
“Education is the
key to unlock the
golden door of
freedom.”
In addition to the Defensive Driving course, the Division of Risk Management looks forward
to offering the following upcoming online training courses in the near future:
Safety Awareness Training 102
Accident Investigation Training 103
~George
Washington Carver
Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Workers' Memorial Day is a worldwide event which takes place each year on
April 28th to remember workers killed, disabled, or injured while working.
To use the poster above, right click inside the poster and save it to your local drive.
You can then paste it into Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, etc. and add wording
specific to your agency or university.
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April 2014
Principles of Occupational Safety and Health
Course
The National Safety Council presents the instructor-led
course titled Principles of Occupational Safety and
Health on April 21-24, 2014 in Orlando, Florida. This
course provides knowledge on implementing a
comprehensive safety process in your organization.
Participants also learn techniques to identify and target
hazards specific to their organizations. The other topics
discussed include emergency action plans, safety
inspections, and hazardous communication standards.
For more information on this course, contact the
National Safety Council at 1-800-621-7619.
“There is no greater
harm than that of
time wasted.”
~Michelangelo
Florida Department of Financial Services
Workers’ Compensation Webinar
The Florida Department of Financial Services, Division
of Workers’ Compensation, Bureau of Compliance is
offering a free workers’ compensation webinar on
Wednesday, May 7th from 2:00pm to 3:00pm. This
course is recommended for those who handle
workplace safety and workers’ compensation issues. To
register for this course or for more information, contact
the Division of Workers’ Compensation, Bureau of
Compliance at: [email protected].
The Division of Risk Management proudly salutes
Alternate Safety Coordinator David Wiggins for his
commitment to safety and loss prevention. After serving
as the alternate safety and ADA coordinator for the
Department of Management Services since 1996, Mr.
Wiggins will retire from his safety position at the end of
April 2014.
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
David Wiggins
Department of
Management Services
Alternate Safety &
ADA Coordinator
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Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Risk Management
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
R. J. Castellanos, ARM, JD
Division Director
Molly Merry, CPA
Assistant Director
Shannon Segers, ARM-P
Safety & Loss
Prevention Outlook
Team:
Bureau Chief, Bureau of Risk Financing & Loss Prevention
Deidra Jones, CPM
Office of the Director
(850) 413-4700
State of Florida Loss Prevention Program
(850) 413-4756
Managing Editor
Christia Nunnery
Administrator, State of Florida Loss Prevention Program
Bureau of State Liability & Property
Christia Nunnery
Claims
Writer/Researcher/Editor
Bureau of State Employee Workers’
Melanie Cowgill
Compensation Claims
(850) 413-3123
State Liability Claim Change Form
(850) 413-4852
Safety Coordinator Appointment Form
(850) 413-4756
Workers’ Compensation Claim Change Form
(850) 413-4802
Writer/Design and Layout
To provide feedback, share
future article ideas, or to
add contacts to our
distribution list, please use
the links below:
Feedback
Article Ideas
Distribution List
The Safety Outlook Newsletter is for
informational purposes only. The Department of
Financial Services does not endorse or support
any websites, products, brands, or services
referenced herein.
ASSE (n.d.) asse.org Problem Solving: Are HigherOrder Controls Ignored: Referenced 2014 from:
http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/
ucm172906.htm
University of South Florida (n.d.) wusfnews.wus
Senate, House Differ on Telemedicine: Referenced
2014 from: https://www.northshore.org/community/
blogs/blog.aspx?blog=3&post=201
Society for Human Resource Management,
SHRM.org, AIHA Forecasts Top State Legislative
Safety Issues for 2014: Referenced 2014 from:
http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/safetysecurity/
articles/Pages/State-Legislative-Safety-Issues2014.aspx
(850) 413-3122
The Florida Senate (n.d.) flsenate.gov: CS/HB 751:
Telehealth: Referenced 2014 from: http://
www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2014/0751
National Safety Council (n.d.) nsc.org Safety &
Health Magazine, March 2014: Referenced 2014
from: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/
a5abdcaa#/a5abdcaa/1
Department of Financial Services Learning Management System lmsdev.fldoi.gov
Florida Department of Transportation Defensive
Driving Course: Referenced 2014 from: http://
lmsdev.fldoi.gov/course/view.php?id=95