Summer is upon us, and that means the wonderful summer holidays are too! This summer, ensure your family’s safety by following these safety tips when using fireworks and sparklers during your holiday gatherings. Sparkler Safety Sparklers are hazardous mainly because of one thing: heat. Here are a few things to keep in mind when enjoying this summer tradition. 1.) Only hold the sparkler on the very bottom that is not covered in pyrotechnic compound. 2.) Wear gloves. 3.) Always supervise children. Children should never play with sparklers unless they are with a responsible adult. Show children that they should hold their sparklers … Continue reading Firework and Sparkler Safety Tips for Families

Human resources (HR) was once solely the domain of large companies, but much has changed in the last couple of decades. Modern employees want HR services available to them, and the modern small business requires HR practices in place to avoid liabilities that could lead to crippling lawsuits. Knowledge, Understanding and Adherence to Laws and Regulations As soon as the first employee is hired, the business faces a wide range of liabilities ranging from payroll to discrimination. Therefore, it’s necessary that the HR department/provider implement the requirements from those laws and regulations into the business practices. Developing and Maintaining an … Continue reading HR Tips for Small Business Owners

As the summer months approach us, it is likely that you and your family plan to take a vacation to get away and spend quality time together. Vacations are a great way to let loose and reconnect with one another. However, home protection is a topic to discuss before you catch your plane to paradise. Taking steps to protect your property from intrusion and theft will allow you to have peace of mind while on vacation. Have a look at these tips for home protection. Keep valuables away from windows. Having expensive items in sight through the window will only … Continue reading Tips for Home Protection While You Are Away

Hurricane season is once again upon us.  Is your business ready for the possibility of the next big storm?  Here is a quick checklist of things you can do right now to help better prepare your business for this season: Check your business insurance policy to see what type of coverage you have.  If you do not carry flood insurance, now is the time to secure a flood policy that will cover both your building structure and the content inside.  You can contact us for more information about flood insurance for your business. Prepare your employees.  Make a written list … Continue reading Hurricane preparedness at your business

Now that all the plants outside have taken on a life of their own, your outdoor workers may need to brush up on their poison ivy knowledge before heading out this spring.  To avoid workers comp claims due to allergic reactions from poison ivy, remind your employees how to identify poison ivy and oak.  Here are a few easy sayings to help everyone remember what to avoid: Leaves of three, let it be Berries white, run in fright– poison ivy and poison oak have berry-like fruit between August and November Red leaflets in spring, it’s a dangerous thing– This time … Continue reading Poison ivy and your outdoor workers

As a part of a national effort to document and prevent any future instances of occupational diseases, injuries or exposures, health care professionals in Massachusetts are required to report certain types of occupational disease to the state department of health. The law was first passed in 1992. The following occupational diseases and injuries must be reported: Occupational lung diseases – Asthma, Asbestosis, Silicosis, Chemical pneumonitis, Beryllium disease Serious work-related injuries to persons less than 18 years of age – A serious work-related traumatic injury is defined as an injury which results in death or hospitalization, or, in the judgment of … Continue reading Occupational disease reporting

As a truck driver, there is nothing that can make your heart skip a beat faster than when a motorcycle appears seemingly out of nowhere next to you on the highway.  Sharing the road with motorcycles is something that we all need to do.  And sharing the road safely should be everyone’s top priority to avoid any type of accident. One of the biggest problems when it comes to driving big rigs is the amount of blind spots that may surround your truck.  And because motorcycles are much smaller than the truck you are driving, they are even harder to … Continue reading Motorcycle Safety Awareness this month

If you are new to business ownership, the term BOP may also be new to you. BOP stands for Business Owners Policy.  It is an all inclusive policy package geared towards small businesses.  Instead of building a policy section by section as it is done with large companies, a BOP can be an easier solution for smaller businesses that are looking for basic coverage. BOPs offer both property and liability coverage similar to that of larger business insurance policies.  The difference is that BOPs have requirements that must be met in order for you to qualify for the insurance.  To … Continue reading Characterizations of a BOP policy

Owning a business has many different perks: making your own hours, watching your ideas in action, and many more. But there are also some things that may not be the most fun when you are the boss. Once such thing is when you suspect an employee may be lying about an injury at work. The best thing to do is follow all the protocol as you normally would, but with a watchful eye. Some red flags that may indicate fraud has been attempted are: Your employee reports his claim on a Monday stating that his injury occurred first thing Monday … Continue reading Fraudulent workers comp claims

You may have heard the term “going paperless” before but thought it was not for you or your business.  However,  considering Earth Day is upon us, now may be a good time to reconsider going paperless at the office. Here are some good reasons why: Going paperless can help reduce the costs associated with paper: printers, fax machines, ink & toner, copiers… none of them would be necessary anymore. Imagine how great life would be with no more copier jams! Without the need for paper in the office, there would be no need for filing cabinets which would reduce the … Continue reading Going paperless for Earth Day