A recent article in the New York Times outlined some disturbing trends in health care records breaches and what law makers under the current administration are ding about it. Care providers are especially at risk with the passing of the HITECH additions to the current HIPPA laws. I would recommend reading the article ad then getting in touch with one of our risk management professionals to discuss how you protect your organization.
Breaches Lead to Push to Protect Medical Data
By Milt Freudenheim, New York Times. May 30, 2011
While the Obama administration makes the push toward getting the health industry switched over to electronic record systems, concerns over breaches of medical privacy prevail. In fact a government webpage displays a list of almost 300 doctors, hospitals and insurance companies that have reported major privacy breaches in the last two years.
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A crackdown on employing illegal workers
By Julia Preston, New York Times. May 29, 2011
Last year 119 employers were convicted of employing illegal immigrants and fines of about $43 million were levied against various companies in immigration cases. Expect these numbers to rise under the Obama administration’s crackdown. Instead of going after the illegal immigrants themselves, the Obama administration is now targeting those who hire people in the country illegally. Some estimates say fraud is costing taxpayers $60 billion a year.
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The tragedy in Joplin can not be measured in dollars alone but the costs will be steep for both home and business owners.
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Just because you are a leading technology firm with the brightest and the best working for you can you ever think you are immune from cyber attacks. Sony found that out the hard way. Read Article
A recent study showed that small to medium sized businesses are prime targets due to relatively little knowledge of how to protect themselves. Speaking with one of our risk management professionals is your first step. There are a number of inexpensive controls you can put in place.
The next step is putting a cyber-liability policy in place to protect you and your clients. These policies are very comprehensive and relatively inexpensive. Contact us today to find out how you can protect your company.
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A recent article in the Insurance Journal says that premium are and will continue to be down. This news comes from an industry report that show property and casualty insurance carriers have more capacity than they do insureds. So by supply and demand premiums should be down in most cases.
Specialty insurance including medical malpractice, liability for professionals, directors & officers insurance may actually be seeing a premium increase as the number of lawsuits targeting professionals continues to skyrocket on an annual basis.
To find out more about where your business stands and to experience the difference of working with a risk professional please contact us directly 801-984-6100
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Cyber-Liability is becoming more relevant and essential. Take a look at this very interesting article from Network Word.
Cyber-Liability Insurance: Don’t Run A Business Without It.
By Darren Caesar, senior executive vice president, HUB International, Network World
You wouldn’t go into a blizzard without a coat, scuba dive with a hungry shark or bungee jump without measuring the cord. Yet, according to the 2009 FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey, 71% of American companies endanger their financial stability by not having insurance that will cover Internet liability.
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Roofs that collapsed under heavy snow in the Midwest and Northeast this winter are a graphic reminder to small business owners: Get insurance! Gas stations, factories and stores have been heavily damaged or destroyed. In Easton, Mass., the roof of a commercial building began collapsing while workers were inside. They all got out OK.
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By JENNIFER PELTZ
The Associated Press
Cybercrime ring used others’ credit cards at Apple stores
First published Feb 03 2011 07:33AM
Updated Feb 3, 2011 07:33AM
New York • A crafty crime ring honed a very 21st-century scheme, authorities say: gleaning stolen credit-card numbers online from data thieves, deploying the numbers for a million-dollar, cross-country Apple store shopping spree and using social media to boast about it all.
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by Kirk Bernard, ezine articles
Construction site accidents are responsible for numerous injuries and deaths each year. While construction site accidents vary in severity, the following article discusses the four most common types that result in the most serious injuries, including death.
- Electrical Accidents – Perhaps the most common accident occurs because of contact with power lines. Overhead and buried power lines at a construction site are very hazardous because they carry extremely high voltage. Electrocution is not the only injury that can occur. Burns and falls from elevation are also potential risks. Another common cause of electrical accidents is the inappropriate use of electrical equipment, such as using equipment outdoors when the label clearly indicates indoor use. Another misuse is cords or tools with worn insulation or exposed wires.
- Falls – Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. In fact, falls from elevations account for one-third of all deaths in construction. Falls most commonly occur in the following situations:
- unprotected sides and floor holes without safety net or personal fall arrest systems;
- improper scaffold construction;
- unguarded protruding steel rebars, whereby the fall results in impalement;
- misuse of portable ladders, such as not positioning and securing the ladder.
Washington State regulations mandate that a “competent person” must supervise the erection of scaffolds. Despite this regulation, scaffolding accidents still occur when workers attempt to access a scaffold through unsafe methods and fall.
- Struck-By Accidents – Struck-by objects are another leading cause of construction-related deaths. About 75% of struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment, such as trucks or cranes. One in four struck-by vehicle deaths involve construction workers. Forklift accidents are also largely responsible for worker deaths each year in Washington State. Common accidents involve not only vehicles, but also falling and flying objects. This type of accident is likely to occur when workers are beneath cranes or scaffolds or when hit by flying particles or nails when using power tools.
- Trenching and Excavation Accidents – Working in trenches and performing excavations are perhaps the most dangerous jobs in construction work. The statistics seem to support this observation with the fatality rate for excavation work being 112% higher than the rate for general construction. In Washington State, collapsed excavation walls or trenches kill an average of two workers per year. Soil weights 2000-3000 lbs. per yard, causing death by asphyxiation or drowning. Evacuated material piled too high or too close to the edge of a trench or excavation site is an accident waiting to happen. The piles can roll back on top of workers or cause a cave-in. Even entry and exits from trenches or excavations are extremely dangerous if no ladders, stairways or ramps are in place. For this reason and the reasons set forth above, regular inspections of trenches and excavations are necessary to avoid potential hazardous conditions.
Construction accidents happen every day, as well as in cities and states across the nation. Like every other American worker, construction employees are entitled to a hazard-free work environment. The reality, though, is that the very nature of construction work is hazardous.
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