1. Develop an emergency preparedness plan to be prepared for the unexpected. Did you know that according to FEMA, 40 percent of businesses affected by a natural or human-caused disaster never reopen? For this reason, it’s crucial to have an emergency preparedness plan in place in case disaster strikes. To help protect your business from different types of disasters, identify the exposures it faces, like hurricanes, floods, widespread serious illness, and acts of violence or terrorism, and develop a plan for each risk. The five steps in developing emergency preparedness plans, according to FEMA, are program management, planning, implementation, testing and exercises, and program involvement. For more information on this five-step plan and how to use it to help protect your business from an unexpected disaster, please visit www.ready.gov/business.
2. Eliminate existing workplace safety hazards and implement a safety program to prevent future accidents. Among the many goals you’ve set and priorities you’ve identified for 2013, make sure you’ve included promoting workplace safety. From discovering and eliminating current hazards, to creating a safety program, there are many steps you can take to make workplace safety a priority this year. First, analyze your work environment to identify any existing safety hazards, including inadequate lighting, electrical cords on the ground, overloaded outlets, wet and slippery floors, and chemical hazards. Depending on your industry, the climate could pose additional safety hazards, like fatigue and heat stress among construction workers during the summer months. If possible, eliminate all safety hazards you discover. If you can’t eliminate the danger, help reduce its chances of causing an accident by placing warnings nearby, like labels on all chemical and “Wet Floor” signs on slippery surfaces. Provide your employees with adequate safety training, especially if they will be handling any hazardous materials, as well as any necessary personal protective equipment for their jobs, from gloves and boots to glasses and reflective vests.
In addition to eliminating current hazards, it’s important to promote future workplace safety by implementing an effective safety program. Creating a safety program will not only help you prevent employee injuries, but in doing so, it will also help you lower your workers’ compensation premium and overall claims costs, and increase productivity. For additional information on how to create an effective safety program, click here to read “Developing an OSHA Compliant Workplace Safety Program,” on BizFilings.com.
3. Review your business insurance coverage to ensure that your company is adequately protected. Regardless of the precautions you’ve taken to promote safety and prepare your business for the unexpected, accidents can still happen. In the event of a loss it’s important to ensure that you have adequate coverage for all of your business’s operations. A business can undergo many changes over the course of the year, and since you’re focused on running your business, it’s easy to forget to update your insurance agent on changes that could affect your coverage, like expanding your office, changing locations, buying or replacing any vehicles, and adding any new drivers. Even changes that may seem minor, like creating a website or purchasing new equipment or tools, can affect your coverage needs, so it’s a good idea to review your coverage with your insurance agent every year to ensure that it still protects all of your company’s current operations.
At Hunkins & Eaton Insurance Agency, we are here to help you ensure that your business remains protected. For additional information, or to get a free quote for business insurance in Littleton N.H.
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