Fun Facts About PPE

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the last line of defense, not the first, when it comes to protecting workers. When it comes to establishing controls to decrease hazards, first comes elimination, then substitution, then engineering controls, administrative controls, work practice controls, then finally PPE.

PPE goes back hundreds of years. As far back as the 1st century there have been recorded cases of PPE used for dust and respiratory protection. As we have studied injury and illness in the workplace over the centuries we have evolved and developed ways to protect our workers.

Did you know?

• Employers must provide PPE to their employees. OSHA and OK PEOSH states that employers must supply required PPE items to employees when a hazard is present (29 CFR 1910.132).

• Training on PPE is imperative and required. OSHA and OK PEOSH requires all employers to provide training to each employee who is required to use PPE based on an on-the-job hazard assessment.

• PPE is a “point of contact” control. Meaning that because a hazard is not able to be removed thru elimination, substitution, engineering, or administrative controls the workers must have and use PPE to protect them from the hazard and reduces the likelihood of exposure to the hazards.

• The most common types of PPE are: Head protection, eye and face protection, respiratory protection, hand & skin protection, and hearing protection. Choosing not to provide protection and enforce its use can and will cost your organization financially, ethically, and morally.

Property, Let Us Help You

Keeping up with your property schedule is important and can be very time consuming. The good news is we are here to help! We understand how busy our members are, so we want to help you feel at ease on the insurance side of things. We can assist with a multitude of things including building values, construction types, square footages, quotes, and even roof inspections on newly acquired buildings. Ensuring that you have adequate building values is most important. Having a loss on a building that is undervalued is the last thing we want for our members. We want to be able to fully indemnify you when there is a loss and the best way to ensure that is to have accurate information which results in adequate values.

If you feel that you have buildings that aren’t insured adequately or haven’t been reviewed in a while, please contact the OMAG Underwriting Department. We can work with you over the phone or in person to obtain information needed to get buildings insured adequately. Through this process we can also help identify structures that aren’t currently covered. We will provide desktop appraisals for these structures and any currently scheduled structures to get them valued where they need to be. We will then provide a quote and let you see any change in coverage and premium before changes are made to your policy. The best part is any mid-year increase in premium from our review is waived for that policy year!

Don't Make Disaster Recovery A Personal Disaster

"Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success." - Henry Ford

The past few years have been tough on everyone. Every other day it seems there are new stories on the next world-ending crisis or celebrity punching match. Never has our attention been pulled in so many directions at once, and 2022 is far from over. As we know our state is prone to severe weather, but have you ever stopped to consider the age of your water pipes and if they happen to run directly over critical infrastructure? You have heard of cyber attacks ramping up in news stories, but have you truly accepted that these threats are something you may one day find yourself facing? Cook County in Illinois did just that. As the first government infected with the WannaCry virus in the US in 2017 they got an all too real-world test of their preparedness. Their response to the event was as follows.

"We initiated our standard security procedures to address the issue. No major Cook County operations are impacted at this time," - Frank Shuftan

Would your response be the same? When was the last time you performed a full disaster recovery test? Do you know what data you have recorded and where? How long would it take you to restore from backup and have you ever tested to ensure they are sufficient for a return to normal operation? How will loss of data impact your day-to-day operations? Is all this information recorded and easily accessible during an adverse event? Unfortunately, there is no secret I can share to remove planning and organization from disaster recovery. On the contrary, doing the hard work before it is needed is the only way to ensure success when you are faced with a disaster recovery event.

It’s safe to say the rules have changed living in our post covid world. With remote work becoming ever more prominent and our continued reliance on technology, we find ourselves more vulnerable than ever. We must strive in our day-to-day lives to remain prepared for routine failures and natural catastrophes alike. We here at OMAG would like to challenge you to start today. Begin with simply putting all the information you have together in one place. Start a discussion with your departments and begin to plan for the unexpected, you may be surprised by what you find.

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” - Greek Proverb

Police Liability Update: July 1, 2022

Preventing Eye Strain

Intense focus on computer screens, TV, reading, or even hours of driving may cause your eyes to become irritated and itchy. This is known as eyestrain. It is a common condition that has become more frequent in this digital device age.

Tips to help prevent eyestrain:

• 20-20-20 rule – Shift your focus to something other than the activity you are doing every 20 minutes. Focus on an object 20 feet away and look at it for 20 seconds, thus the 20-20-20 rule.

• Correctly position your screen – Make sure you are looking at your digital device at the proper distance and angle. The screen should be about arm’s length from your eyes. View the screen at slightly below eye level, but not so low you strain your neck to look down. Finally, try enlarging the text.

• Find the correct lighting – Lighting can be either too dim or too bright. Lighting should be from behind you if you are reading. Dim lights when watching TV or using a computer, this may help reduce eyestrain. Adjust the brightness on devices as needed. Shade the windows and use filters to reduce glare.

• Multitask correctly – Transcribing notes to your computer may also cause problems not only with eyestrain but with head and neck pain. Position printed material so it is between your keyboard and your computer screen.

• Use Eye Drops – Focusing intensely on screens can result in a reduction in how many times you blink per minute. Less blinking makes eyes get dry and irritated. Using eye drops can help resolve this issue.

• Check the Air – If you are working in a space with poor air quality it may cause eyestrain. You can improve the air with a humidifier or keep the heat down.

  1. Wear Proper Eyewear – Talk to your eye doctor to determine if you need special eyewear. You may need specialized lenses, devices, or eye therapy to assist in preventing strain.

  2. Reduce time spent on a single activity – Limit the time you are exposed to a single activity requiring intense focus. Reduce the amount of daily screen time on devices.

  In many cases, making changes such as the ones noted are all you need to treat eyestrain. If you experience eyestrain that is severe or lasts a long time, talk to your doctor. You may need corrective lenses, or it could be a symptom of a more serious condition.

Workplace Posters

Every workplace should have a location where workplace posters are posted. This location should be a conspicuous place, i.e., break room, and/or other areas that are accessible to all employees, at each job site in every department/division. If you do not have all these posters, you may print copies at:

https://oklahoma.gov/omes/services/employee-benefits/required-workplace-posters.html

The posters are as follows:

1. Employee Polygraph Protection Act Notice

2. E-Verify Notice

3. FMLA Employee Rights and Responsibilities

4. Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law Notice

5. Employee Rights Under the FLSA Notice

6. OSHA Notice

7. Oklahoma Discrimination Notice

8. Notice to Workers and Registration Certificate

9. Your Rights Under the Oklahoma Minimum Wage Act

10. Form 1A – Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Notice and Instruction to Employers and Employees (English and Spanish)

11. Oklahoma Public Employee Occupational Safety and Health Notice

12. Department of Justice Right to Work Notice

13. Your Rights Under USERRA Notice

Contact OMAG if your city/town requires assistance in determining what workplace posters are needed, or if you need an audit of your workplace postings.

ADA Interactive Process

Who bears the responsibility between the employee and the employer to request an accommodation under the ADA?

Employee or Employer?

Generally, the individual with the disability is responsible to inform the employer that an accommodation is needed and make a request for an accommodation. However, if an employer is aware that an employee has a disability or knows, or should know, that an employee is experiencing problems because of the disability, the employer should initiate the reasonable accommodation interactive process. The interactive process is a way of communication between the employee and the employer to ensure that the employer can provide reasonable accommodations to the employee with the disability. The interactive process requires employers to:

• analyze job functions to establish the essential and nonessential job tasks,

• identify the barriers to job performance by consulting with the employee to learn the employee’s precise limitations, and

• explore the types of accommodations that would be most effective.

Employers can demonstrate a good faith attempt to accommodate by meeting with the employee, requesting information about the limitations, considering the employee’s requests, and discussing alternatives if a request is burdensome. Because the interactive process imposes mutual obligations on employers and employees, an employer cannot be liable for failure to accommodate if a breakdown in that process is attributable to the employee.

City Spotlight - Ponca City, Oklahoma

Ponca City has the amenities normally found only in larger communities, quality affordable housing, outstanding educational opportunities, and beautiful recreational and cultural venues.

Ponca City is abundant with outdoor options such as walking trails, bike trails, disc golf courses, five splash pads, tennis courts and Wentz Golf Course, a four-star rated golf course, on the shores of Lake Ponca. Ponca City has a growing Downtown Arts District and boasts its own local brewing company, Vortex Alley Brewing, as well as community theatre, children’s theatre, and three dance studios. Enjoy an inclusive environment with collaborative community partners and innovative local government.

Lake Ponca is an 800-acre lake located within the city limits for fishing, boating, swimming, camping, and of course relaxing. Kaw Lake is a 17,000-acre lake located just 9 miles to the east. Ponca City is home to the state-of-the-art Ponca City RecPlex which includes a rock-climbing wall, family pool, competition pool, indoor and outdoor walking tracks, ball fields, weight rooms, exercise equipment, fitness programs, as well as youth summer camps.

Educational opportunities for children through adults abound in Ponca City through organizations such as Northern Oklahoma College, Pioneer Technology Center, Ponca City Public Schools, University Center, Inventors and Entrepreneurs Network, Ponca City Library, Ponca City Young Employees, along with three private schools.

Ponca City’s rich cultural heritage is home to the Pioneer Woman Museum, Conoco Museum, Marland Grand Home, Marland Mansion and Estate, Ponca City Art Center, Ponca City Country Club, Poncan Theatre, Standing Bear Museum, and Veterans Plaza. Stop in and visit Ponca City soon!

Liability Coverage for Police K-9s

OMAG’s liability coverage extends to the actions of a Police K9 in most cases. Liability coverage applies to losses that are not expected or intended (i.e. an accident). If a loss could be the expected or intended result of an intentional action by an Officer (i.e. using the K9), then the loss only qualifies for coverage if the use of the K9 was for the purpose of protecting persons or property from some imminent threat.

Injuries resulting from a K9 bite are typically covered because the bite was either accidental or was the result of an intentional K9 deployment to apprehend a suspect. Intentional deployments will qualify for liability coverage so long as they are justified by a need to apprehend a suspect who is a threat to persons or property.

A Police K9 can also cause damage to property when deployed for drug detection purposes. In those cases, coverage turns on how the K9 was trained to alert to the presence of narcotics. K9s trained to passively alert would not be expected to cause damage to property when they alert and, therefore, qualify for coverage. By contrast, when a K9 is trained to actively alert, it can be expected that their alert could result in damage to property (most often: scratching paint on a vehicle). In those cases, the property damage would not typically qualify for coverage because, at the time the K9 is deployed, there are typically not facts establishing a present threat of injury to persons or property.

OMAG in Action: Volume 2

OMAG in Action - Issue 2