As one of approximately three million workers who service and maintain equipment, you need to know how to prevent the serious risks of unexpected machinery startup or the release of hazardous energy. While the risks are significant, by following OSHA’s lockout/tagout safety standards, an estimated 50,000 injuries can be prevented each year.
As soon as they start learning to drive, whether they are starting with a learner’s permit or going straight to the license, you should inform your insurance company to have them added to your policy. This is usually much more cost-effective than placing them on their own policy, especially if you are a safe driver with a clean record. They will also be eligible for more coverage under your policy.
Here’s a sobering statistic you might not be aware of: nationwide, when a person is injured in a car accident, the odds are about one in seven that the driver that caused the crash is uninsured. According to a recent Insurance Research Council (IRC) study, the estimated percentage of uninsured drivers rose from 12.7% in 1999 to 14.6% in 2004. The IRC studied data provided by eleven insurance carriers, which represents approximately 58% of the private passenger auto insurance market in the United States.
Although you may not hear much about it on the evening news, according to the FBI, cargo theft is on the rise and represents a threat to both our economy and our national security. Over the past five years, criminals involved in this type of activity have become more sophisticated, and more violent, in their methods. Due to this uptick in criminal behavior, the price tag associated with cargo theft is increasing. In fact, the Major Theft Unit in the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division estimates that cargo theft costs U.S. businesses up to $30 billion a year. Such estimates may not present an accurate scope of the problem because businesses are often reluctant to report thefts out of concern for their reputations or because they fear insurance premiums will increase.
Following a damaging fire, thunderstorm, hurricane, tornado, ice storm, or other disaster, one of your first concerns will be the structural damage your home has suffered and how to repair and restore it back to its original condition. In most cases, your homeowner’s insurance policy will pay for the labor and materials to repair your home and for you to temporarily live somewhere else while your home is uninhabitable.
Surety bonds are a form of protection that dates back to Babylonian times. Such bonds are a key piece of many public and private sector transactions. U.S. Customs, for example, requires importers to carry bonds to ensure compliance with rules and regulations. Courts require bail bonds to release criminal case defendants. Property or project owners require contractors to carry performance bonds. The Airline Reporting Corporation requires travel agents to meet certain requirements when carrying airline ticket stock, and an ARC Bond meets those requirements.
Many working parents have had their various issues and complaints with daycare and childcare centers. As an alternative to these forms of childcare, more and more parents are choosing to hire their own nanny or share one with another parent. However, many parents aren’t fully aware of the many financial risks involved with bringing a nanny into their home.
According to a November 2005 article published in the Insurance Journal entitled, “How to Write the Diverse Business of Lawyers Professional Liability,” between $1.5 and $2 billion is spent annually on Professional Liability coverage. With numbers such as these, it is important that any firm in the market for this insurance understand the factors affecting coverage rates.
According to Newsweek, one in four automobiles sold in the United States is a sports utility vehicle. Every SUV purchase nets an average of $15,000, according to Forbes magazine, in profit for the vehicle’s maker. Because of this high demand and lucrative sales potential, the makers of SUVs have been accused of ignoring safety when it comes to the design and production of their products. The biggest safety complaint about the SUV is its high rollover record.
The arrival of summer can mean several welcome events: a return to outdoors living, an opportunity for vacation, and more time with the family. One of the issues people may not associate with summer are the power surges that often occur due to the tremendous demand for energy, especially to cool homes. A power surge is a brief spike in electrical power. While on the surface it may not seem like much to be concerned about, power surges can cause serious damage by burning up electrical circuits inside appliances. They can also damage electrical outlets, light switches, light bulbs, air conditioner components, and even garage door openers.