 For many, the New Year is an opportunity for a new beginning and a chance to excel and challenge themselves. While you celebrate these new possibilities, make sure you’re staying safe while bringing in the New Year. The combination of busy roads, alcohol consumption and fireworks make this festive time one of the most dangerous holidays of the year. Between 2007 and 2011, an estimated 42% of traffic fatalities were due to drinking and driving during the New Year's period. By following these simple New Year’s safety tips, you can avoid becoming a statistic and have a fantastic time bringing in the New Year!
 Snow has arrived for many parts of the country, and that means it's time to brush up on tips for safe winter driving, especially in snow.
The roads can get slick and visibility can dwindle, so always take it easy, drive calmly and stay safe. Whether you've driven in snow often, a short while, or never, it's always a good idea to brush up on the basics to help you stay safe during this time of year.  With all the fun fall activities, you may be tempted to put off your home maintenance chores. But winter will be here before you know it, so take some time to tackle any needed maintenance before the weather gets too cold.
This handy checklist will help you take proactive measures to prevent damage from any winter storms that may pass through.  Businesses frequently enter into contracts with suppliers, vendors, independent contractors, landlord/tenants, and other service providers.
In those contracts it is common to find language which transfers the liability of one party to the other in the event that bodily injury, property damage (tangible and intangible) and other liabilities arise out of the contractual relationship. The liability may involve both insurable and non-insurable liabilities upon the contracting parties. The contracting parties, and their supporting legal and risk advisors should review in detail the contractual language and what liabilities may be assumed due to the contract. Contractual Risk Transfer is one of the five traditional risk management techniques within a business.  Happy National UV Month! July is a month dedicated to educating yourself and protecting your skin from damage that can occur from the sun.
UV rays come in three forms: UVA, UVB, and UVC. These rays can have different effects on the skin. UVC rays never come through the atmosphere and do not come in the form of sunlight. However, UVA and UVB rays have been known to cause damage to skin cells which can result in sunburn and wrinkles or as much as skin cancer. No UV rays are safe to the skin without protection! For years, conventional farming practices have depleted the soil we grow on. An overuse of fertilizer and chemicals is very common among modern farmers to maximize their crop yields. Where this might seem to be a short term solution in boosting your output, what is it doing to the long term fertility of the soil? In fact, long term conventional farming practices can damage the rich, organic contents of the soil and make it so that the grounds we produce on are more and more dependent on the chemicals we spray. With the increased dependency of these synthetic chemicals that we are plugging into our soil, fertility level and overall production level goes down over time. So how can we ensure the health of our soils and an abundant crop for generations to come? Get rid of the plow It is estimated that we have 3 feet of topsoil on any given plot of land. Every time a farmer tills his or her field for planting, they are removing millimeters at a time for good. Aside from the physical removal of the soil, tilling greatly diminishes the ability for water to infiltrate and removes carbon from the soil which is vital for crop growth. Diversify your crop (Including cover crops) Planting a variety of crops throughout the year can help bring depleted and eroded soils back to life by delivering more of the nitrogen rich and organic content that is lost through disrupting the ground. Whether it’s a winter wheat or a perennial rye grass, it provides protection and another source for your soils nutrients. Not to mention it can create new markets and strengthen rural communities! Diversify your rotation Making sure to diversify the rotation that you plant your crops is vital to break pest cycles and combat resistance. It is common among Mid-Western farmers to rotate corn and soybeans from year to year. This provides natural protection from diseases, infestations and insects.   While overall workplace injuries have been falling in the last decade, the numbers of deadly and catastrophic injuries are actually on the rise.
A new report recommends that employers focus their injury prevention efforts on reviewing accidents that could have resulted in serious injury or death, as well as on near misses, where a potentially serious accident was narrowly avoided. While your employees can catch the flu year-round, fall and winter are the peak times for an outbreak. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 80,000 Americans died from the flu and more than 900,000 ended up in the hospital.
On average, U.S. employees miss more than 17 million workdays from the flu, costing employers $7 billion in sick days and lost productivity. Make sure your organization is prepared to help employees get through flu season. Across the country property and business owners have been overwhelmed by damage caused by tornadoes, fire, flood, and other disasters. For many, this is the first time they have experienced such loss, and they become targets of insurance fraud when questionable contractors show-up in damaged communities offering to clean and repair the damage, handle the insurance claim, and other services.
A dishonest contractor may collect payment without completing the work, they may use inferior materials, or they may perform work that is not up to code. It’s not uncommon for a fraudster to convince a property owner that a large deposit is required before work can begin. Often, the work is started, but not completed before the crooks disappear. Further, a contractor that manipulates the price to cover the deductible or extra work not caused by the disaster is committing insurance fraud. Proper Maintenance of Grain Storage Helps Preserve Value
Autumn has officially begun and that means crops have grown and harvest is among us, which makes this the perfect time to start your fall cleaning and prepare for grain storage. Taking action beforehand helps ensure the condition of grain stored, as well as costly consequences that result from maintenance neglect. |
