7345 East Evans Rd., No. 7
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Phone: 480/991-5703
Fax: 480/991-5704
E-mail: rbluth@qwestoffice.net
Website: www.thepsda.info
State Fund Workers Comp
PSDA’s State Fund Workers Compensation Group Insurance Program
For more than 20 years, PSDA has sponsored and administered a workers compensation insurance group program through State Fund of California providing premium cost savings and member-company safety program assistance.
Recently, PSDA created an Affiliated membership classification to expand its administrative responsibilities to qualified companies outside of its regular distributor-oriented membership. Now companies whose governing class codes match those of PSDA member firms can join the association’s State Fund Group 304 and realize substantial savings on their worker’s comp. insurance premiums. The fee for Affiliated Membership is just $ 100 annually.
In addition to the cost-economies of joining the PSDA group, members are afforded other benefits as well, such as:
- Easy to apply instructions on how to develop a company safety program that works!
- Employee education and instructional media to help workers understand that they can make a difference in curtailing workplace accidents and injuries.
- Expert on-site analysis as to what improvements can be made to prevent mishaps and employee lost-time and medical expense due to injury.
- Opportunities to consult with knowledgeable human resource professionals and to network with other members in dealing with employees who have chronic injury or illness problems.
Additional assistance is offered by PSDA’s employee benefits counselor, Barry Steinhardt, who likewise is an authorized State Fund Workers Compensation Insurance representative. Barry can be reached at 818/597-7866.
SAFETY NEWS
Improve Your Safety Effectiveness
Want to increase your company’s safety effectiveness? There are some simple things you can do so that workers will care about working safely and following proper work procedures to reduce the frequency and severity of workplace injuries and illnesses.
First of all, it’s important to stress safety training and instill hazard awareness early. Emphasize accident prevention during any job training. Explain rules and regulations thoroughly. Rules are less likely to be broken or ignored when workers understand them and why they have been established. Generalized statements about working safety are not very helpful. Be specific. Then, enforce safety rules uniformly. You can’t let one worker break the rules and then expect others to follow them.
Communicate frequently. Talk with workers about safety. Encourage two-way conversations. Few people like to be told dogmatically what they should or should not do, so try to avoid lecturing or preaching. If workers have ideas that will improve safety performance, listen to them. If an idea is practical, put it into effect and make certain the worker gets credit for it.
Most employees want recognition, so be a credit giver. Observe how workers do their job. When safe work practices are followed, let them know you are aware and pleased. Praise correct procedures and make workers aware of areas that need improvement.
Be a hazard detector. It’s human for workers who have done a job over and over again to take work operations for granted. However, a relaxed attitude can lead to accidents. Watch for changing worker behavior. If you notice that a usually reliable worker has become inattentive or preoccupied, it’s a danger signal. When a worker’s mind is not on the job, the state is set for an accident. Train workers to always be safety conscious, so that they are continuously aware of injury hazards to themselves or their coworkers.
Analyze jobs from a safety viewpoint. Know each job in your operation so you can spot potential hazards. If a different work practice will eliminate a hazard, introduce it! Explain why, from a safety perspective, certain work practices must be followed, without exception. And finally, be aware of the physical and emotional condition of your workers to determine if they are able to do their jobs safely. You may want to reassign workers to activities they can perform without jeopardizing their safety or the safety of others.