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All posts by: Brittany Hollman

Firework Safety

Summer is synonymous with barbecues, parades and fireworks displays. But along with all the festivities are plenty of visits to emergency rooms – especially during July.

In 2016, at least four people died and about 11,100 were injured badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. And while the majority of these incidents were due to amateurs attempting to use professional-grade, homemade or other illegal fireworks or explosives, thousands were from less powerful devices like small firecrackers and sparklers.

More fires are reported on July 4 than any other day of the year. On a typical Fourth of July, fireworks account for two out of five of all reported fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Each year, fireworks cause on average 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires and nearly 17,000 other fires resulting in thousands of injuries.

The National Safety Council advises everyone to stay away from all consumer fireworks and to only enjoy fireworks at a public display conducted by professionals.

Following are some fireworks that are legal for consumers to purchase and use in some states. But just because they are legal doesn’t mean they’re safe. Check out this video by the NFPA.

Sparklers

Every year, young children can be found along parade routes and at festivals with sparklers in hand, but they are a lot more dangerous than most people think. Parents don’t realize they burn at about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and many children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet.

Bottle Rockets

These small rockets are attached to a stick, lit by a fuse and typically fired from a bottle. Teens have been known to have bottle rocket wars, firing them at one another and causing chest, head and eye injuries.

Physicians at Vanderbilt Eye Institute at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have seen so many eye injuries caused by bottle rockets they conducted a study they hope will lead to better education and “legislative enhancements” on fireworks safety.

“The majority of the children (in the study) ended up with reduced vision, and probably half of those were deemed legally blind,” said Dr. Franco Recchia, associate professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Vanderbilt.

Firecrackers

Firecrackers are designed to explode on the ground. They are often linked together by one long fuse and explode in a series. They are designed to be very noisy, but they also can cause burns and other serious injuries.

Roman Candles

Roman candles eject multiple exploding shells from a tube the user holds in his or her hand. There have been numerous reports of children losing fingers, severe burns and other injuries, which are sometimes caused when the device gets jammed.

Two Words About M-class Fireworks

Just don’t.

You hear them go off every year: M-80s, M-100s, even M-250s. The unmistakable explosions associated with these devices can rattle the windows of homes for blocks. They are produced illegally and without quality control, have short fuses and cause hundreds of extremely severe injuries each year.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives outlines the risks of these explosive devices.

If They’re Legal…

If fireworks are legal to buy where you live and you choose to use them, be sure to follow the following safety tips:

  • Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
  • Never allow young children to handle fireworks
  • Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
  • Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
  • Never light them indoors
  • Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
  • Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
  • Never ignite devices in a container
  • Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
  • Soak unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
  • Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire

Better yet, grab a blanket and a patch of lawn, kick back and let the experts handle the show.

Content Courtesy of: National Safety Council

Kinney Pike Account Executive Becomes President Of The Champlain Valley Association Of Insurance Professionals (CVAIP)

Williston, VT – Elizabeth Harlow, a Commercial Lines Customer Service Agent and Account Executive in Kinney Pike Insurance’s Williston Office, was recently installed as President of the Champlain Valley Association of Insurance Professionals (CVAIP). Harlow was honored with this title at a recent gathering of Insurance Professionals in Colchester, Vermont.

Harlow previously served as the President Elect, Vice President and Secretary of the CVAIP. Additionally, she was the Membership committee chair, the Safety committee chair, and also worked on the audit committee for the organization.

Harlow’s duties as President include: presiding at all meetings, serving as ex officio member of all committees (except the nominating committee), appointing chairpersons to standing and special committees and distributing information from IAIP’s Council Director, Regional VP, or other International Officers/Committee Chair persons to local members.

“Elizabeth continues to show her passion for the insurance industry, in and out of the office. We are pleased to have her preside over this local organization, as Kinney Pike Insurance is continually committed to being involved in the local community.” stated Doug Corman, Kinney Pike Principal.

About Champlain Valley Association of Insurance Professionals (CVAIP):

The CVAIP is the regional chapter of the International Association of Insurance Professionals. With almost 40 members, CVAIP represents many of the agencies, carriers, and restorative specialists in the state of Vermont.  Many members have been working in the insurance industry for over 10 years. CVAIP provides learning and networking opportunities for individuals at any stage in their insurance career from novice to pro.

About Kinney Pike Insurance:

Kinney Pike Insurance, founded in 1904, is one of the largest independent insurance agencies in Northern New England with seven locations: Rutland, White River Junction, Williston, Randolph, St. Johnsbury, Poultney and Swanton.  Kinney Pike is a full-service agency specializing in commercial insurance, personal insurance and employee benefits.  Kinney Pike holds the distinction of being Vermont’s only Assurex Global Partner, an exclusive Partnership of the most prominent independent agents and brokers in the world, and has been chosen as Vermont’s only Best Practices Agency by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America since 1995.

Kinney Pike Insurance Receives Quality Management Award

Rutland, VT – Kinney Pike Insurance is proud to announce the company has received the E&O Plus Quality Management Award for the fourth consecutive year. This award is presented to insurance agencies demonstrating outstanding devotion to quality management in serving their clients and a commitment to excellence in the area of Errors & Omissions prevention and mitigation. This mark of distinction puts Kinney Pike Insurance in an elite group, as it is one of only 23 firms participating in the E&O Plus Program to receive this award for 2017.

Kinney Pike Insurance recently underwent a rigorous audit and the award is based on their commitment and compliance to providing quality services. The audit and annual quality award are conducted and presented by E&O Plus, a risk retention group sponsored by Assurex Global, a worldwide network of insurance brokers.

“This honor highlights the exceptional work of our employees in our commitment to quality, professionalism, and exceptional service to our clients,” stated Doug Corman, Kinney Pike Insurance Principal. “We routinely audit our work to ensure we’re providing the best possible service to our clients, and are very proud to share this award with our employees.”

About Kinney Pike Insurance:

Kinney Pike Insurance, founded in 1904, is one of the largest independent insurance agencies in Northern New England with seven locations: Rutland, White River Junction, Williston, Randolph, St. Johnsbury, Poultney and Swanton. Kinney Pike is a full-service agency specializing in commercial insurance, personal insurance and employee benefits. Kinney Pike holds the distinction of being Vermont’s only Assurex Global Partner, a prestigious international consortium of top brokers worldwide.

What Does Marijuana Legalization Mean for Employers in Vermont?

Marijuana will soon become legal in the state of Vermont… Is your business or organization ready for the change? Marijuana legalization is official July, 1 2018 and we suggest preparing now. Unfortunately, the new law has already drawn serious concern from employers across the state especially from a workers compensation standpoint. It is our hope that this article will provide some deeper insight into several components that can better protect you as an employer.

The first thing we suggest, is reviewing and updating your current policies. Remember, your first area of protection is always going to be documentation. This type of document typically opens up with a policy statement describing the company’s viewpoint/stance on the subject. If you are going to drug test there must be a policy in place and employees must be given notice. It is also recommended that this policy have an acknowledgement area signed by the employee and kept in their personnel file.

Drug testing procedures can include:

Pre-employment testing – personnel applying for positions may be required to pass a chemical screen test as a condition of employment.

Reasonable suspicion – all staff members will be tested for drugs and/or alcohol when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the staff member has violated the organization drug and alcohol policy. The organization, in such circumstances, may also require the employee to submit to appropriate tests for alcohol or prohibited drugs or substances in her/his system. Failure to promptly permit such searches and tests will be grounds for immediate discharge.

Among the situations where the organization may exercise its “reasonable cause” right to test and search include the following:

  1. An observable symptom of a staff member being under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  2. On the job accidents involving medical treatment or property damage
  3. Unexplained significant changes in behavior (e.g., abusive behavior, repeated disregard of safety rules or procedures, insubordination, etc.)
  4. Failure to complete or comply with a treatment program already started
  5. Personnel admissions regarding drug or alcohol

Post-accident – ost-accident testing may be required when a staff member is involved in an accident, whether the staff member is responsible for the accident in whole or in part when another person is operating the equipment or motor vehicle. Post-accident testing may be required in the event of an injury requiring medical care, damage to property or in a near miss situation that could have resulted in injury or damage.

Random testing – currently you cannot randomly drug test employees in the state of Vermont. However, Federal law supersedes for all drivers who hold a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and operate a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV). These drivers will be subject to alcohol and controlled substances testing pursuant to the United States Department of Transportation & Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations.

Approved Workplace Drug Testing Labs

If your employee refuses to test or cooperate with the testing process in a manner which does not allow the test to be conducted; depending on your policy in place, this will typically result in termination of employment.

In general an Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) referral is typically a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee. Employers often provide information on EAP services to employees when there are performance issues or when the employee has disclosed to the employer that he or she is having difficulty dealing with personal issues.

If an employee tests positive, employers are required to provide information and an opportunity to attend EAP services. Employers cannot terminate the employee provided that the employee agrees to participate in and to successfully complete the rehab program. The employee may be suspended only for the time needed to complete such a program. If the employee has been brought back and fails a subsequent drug test after the original then they may be terminated.

It is also important to have supervisors who are trained on the subject, this way they can make it clear to employees that marijuana use on or off the job can have serious consequences. Currently, Reasonable Suspicion Training is only required by DOT. However, this type of training is becoming more prominent in other industries due to the legalization of marijuana. The purpose of this training is to teach supervisors to identify circumstances and indicators that generate reasonable suspicion that an employee is using or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, supporting referral of an employee for testing.

If you any questions feel free to contact our Risk Management Coordinator, Ryan Wilson at 802-295-3329 or [email protected]

For more information check out these additional resources:

http://www.wcax.com/content/news/Marijuana-policy-changes-on-the-job-474943803.html

http://digital.vpr.net/post/employment-drug-testing-and-vermonts-pot-laws#stream/0

https://www.thecannabist.co/2016/12/01/marijuana-laws-for-employees/68546/

https://www.uvm.edu/consumer/businesses/drug-testing

https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/21/005/00513

Article written by: Ryan Wilson

DISCLAIMER:

The information included in this publication and accompanying materials was obtained from sources believed to be reliable for informational purposes only. Northern Safety Solutions/Kinney Pike Insurance and its employees make no guarantee of results in connection with any training, materials, suggestions, or information provided. This information is only a tool to assist you in managing your responsibility to maintain safe premises, practices, operations, and equipment. All sample materials serve as a guideline, which you can use to create your own programs, policies, and procedures to reflect your own operations. Furthermore, it cannot be assumed that all possible hazardous conditions or unsafe acts that may exist are covered, every acceptable safety method is contained in this publication, or that specific circumstances may not require additional methods or alternative safety considerations. It is the user’s responsibility to confirm compliance with any applicable local, state or federal regulations. Information obtained from or via Northern Safety Solutions/Kinney Pike Insurance should not be used as the basis for legal advice or other advice, and should be confirmed with alternative sources. Implementation of any practices suggested by this information is at your sole discretion; and Northern Safety Solutions / Kinney Pike Insurance or its affiliates shall not be liable to any party for any damages whatsoever arising out of, or in connection with, the information provided or its use.

Featured Client: COVER Home Repair

COVER Home Repair is a volunteer-driven community asset that strives to make homes safer, warmer, drier, and more energy-efficient, for those who otherwise could not afford to do so.

Founded in the Upper Valley in 1998, COVER’s mission is to foster hope and build community by bringing together homeowners and volunteers to make urgently needed home repairs. COVER’s target population is low-income homeowners, many of whom are elderly and/or disabled.

Examples of the type of work COVER does are roof repair and construction, accessibility ramps, replacing stairs, floor repair, widening doorways, and installing grab bars and handrails. COVER’s weatherization program focuses on air sealing homes to increase energy efficiency and lower heating bills.

COVER also runs a store, The COVER Store, which sells donated quality furniture, tools, appliances, building materials and more. Sale proceeds help to fund COVER home repair projects.

The Store accepts gently used furniture, cabinets, appliances, tools, windows, doors, lighting fixtures and resells these items at unbeatable prices. The Store also runs a voucher program that helps qualifying recipients furnish their homes for little or no cost. In recent years, COVER’s book department has gained popularity with a reputation of having a quality selection of books marked at just two dollars apiece!

Eighty-five percent of COVER homeowners make less than the Federal Poverty Guideline, which is $17,420 for a two-person household. Qualifying home repair and weatherization projects must meet the following criteria: the repair must be urgently needed; the home must be within 45 minutes of our facility in White River Junction; the repair must be suitable for volunteers and the homeowner wants to be engaged in the project in any manner that they are able. Homeowner engagement can look like anything from being part of the work crew, making lunches and snacks, or just sitting with volunteers and staff sharing stories.

During the winter months, COVER staff and volunteers weatherize homes using its blower door and infra-red camera to detect the location of cold air infiltration and seal the leaks. At an average cost of $100 in materials, COVER can help save hundreds of gallons of heating fuel and reduce heating expenses! 

Community support is essential to COVER’s work. COVER also enjoys support from all its volunteers and local businesses like Kinney Pike.

Each year COVER’s staff and volunteers touch the lives of hundreds – whether it’s a senior citizen who wants to stay in his/her home as long as possible or a single parent at the risk of losing his/her home unless urgently needed repairs can be made.

In the past twenty years, COVER has helped thousands of families stay warmer, drier, and safer. Whether you donate to or shop in the store, it helps your neighbors in need. You can also help your neighbors by volunteering on a home repair project – you will be provided with lunch, tools, and experienced instruction, so no special skills required!).

For more information and to see current volunteer opportunities, please visit COVER’s website www.coverhomerepair.org or follow them on Facebook. To donate items to the COVER store, please visit the website for donation guidelines or email [email protected].

The COVER Store is located at 158 South Main Street, White River Junction. Hours are Monday through Saturday 10 am-5 pm and Sunday 10 am – 3 pm.

Article written by: Lisa Ricci, Volunteer Coordinator of COVER Home Repair

Cyber Liability and Why You Need It

In today’s market, no growing business can isolate itself from online communications and commerce. Yet avoiding the internet entirely is the only way to guarantee your company will not be exposed to cyber threats. Once a business is online it will always be exposed to some residual risk it cannot feasibly address in a disaster recovery plan, business continuity plan, or through an information security technology solution.

As a business owner, a hack isn’t just your website going offline or your data files locked up for ransom slowing down productivity. Based on industry regulation and data privacy laws, you could be liable for fines, and until you remediate any vulnerabilities found, you may not be able to re-open for business to serve customers and generate revenue. This is where a quality cyber liability and business interruption insurance policy comes into play. With a policy payroll goes through, bills can get paid, and your life can continue as “normal” as it can during the crisis that is a major cyber incident.

The devastating financial impact of a cyber incident

Businesses, especially small and medium-sized ones, should prepare for the possibility of a data breach. That risk is no longer a remote one. The Ponemon Institute surveyed small businesses in the U.S. in 2017 and found that more than 61 percent had experienced a data breach, an increase from 55 percent in 2016. Another worrying statistic: Sixty percent of small companies go out of business within six months of a data breach. The financial impact is one big reason

According to Dr. Larry Ponemon, the founder of the Ponemon Institute, the average cost in 2017 of a data breach due to damage or theft of IT assets and infrastructure is $1,027,053, and the average cost due from disruption to normal operations also increased to $1,207,965 — a combined total of over two million dollars from a cybersecurity incident from direct IT remediation costs and indirectly through lost revenue.

If hackers access personally identifiable information (PII) through your company’s online systems, you will likely be held responsible and become liable for related data privacy losses. The immediate costs incurred are for hiring a forensics team, notifying customers, setting up call centers to handle customer calls, paying for customer credit monitoring services, legal and regulatory fees, and using the services of a crisis management firm.

In addition, business interruption can create commercial contractual breaches for failure to perform services resulting lost sales and broken customer relationships, especially if the remediation from the cyber breach take weeks or months. Lingering beyond the return to “normal operations” sits the underestimated intangible costs from the long-term damage due to the loss of company reputation.

The business owner, as a result, must make additional expenditures to regain customer trust in order to recover successfully from a data breach. Target, in an attempt to regain customer confidence after its 2017 cyber breach, announced it would speed up adoption of more secure chip-and-PIN-technology in its stores and for its branded credit and debit cards, a $100 million cost which was not covered by their insurance.

What gaps does cyber insurance fill?

A quality cyber insurance policy is designed to address business losses from the myriad impacts of a cyber breach, including data loss, business interruption, and network damage. Traditional commercial general liability and property insurance policies typically exclude cyber risks from their terms and many cyber addendums being added to business owner’s policies (BOP) are woefully incomplete.

Cyber insurance providers are not required to underwrite anyone. Many require certain IT controls and processes in order for basic eligibility. If you answer “yes, I have a firewall with updated software” and later it turns out a breach occurs because the firewall software wasn’t patched a claim can be excluded. Business owners who adopt top quality preventative measures often receive reduced insurance premiums and the option for higher liability coverage limits. Typically absent from coverage I’ve reviewed is the loss of future revenue from damage to a company’s reputation, costs to improve internal technology systems, and losses stemming from the theft of intellectual property.

Cyber liability policies typically cover a variety of both liability and property losses when a business experiences a data breach. Network cybersecurity and privacy policies address the company’s liability for a data breach in which customer personal information is exposed or stolen by unauthorized access to the company’s network. The range of covered expenses associated with data breaches can include notification costs, credit monitoring services for customers, legal costs to defend claims by state regulators, other fines and penalties, and losses resulting from customer identity theft.

With the wide variety of policy types and liability coverage areas, be sure to analyze your cyber liability policy to better understand your coverage areas and the gaps you may need to fill to ensure your business is protected should a cyberattack or accident occur. Here are a few example questions to ask your insurance agent:

  • Is this policy an endorsement to an existing policy or is it standalone?
  • Does the policy cover both first and third-party losses?
  • Are there any exclusions that apply if my security measures change during the policy period?
  • If a security flaw from a third party’s product is exploited, am I still covered?

The cyber risk triad: accidents, attacks and liability

Business risk has moved online for the majority of companies while the spending to defend against risk has not. Physical security spending is nearly universal on alarm systems, surveillance cameras, and general liability insurance. Cyber security spending today may include a firewall and some anti-virus though rarely includes an insurance policy. Small business cyber insurance policies are available in 2018 so do your business and customers a favor and call your agent or broker today to inquire about a robust cyber insurance policy. Remember, sixty percent of small companies go out of business within six months of a data breach. Let’s bring this percentage down!

Content Courtesy Of: CSO from IDG

Kinney Pike Insurance Welcomes a New Media and Communications Specialist

Rutland, VT – Kinney Pike Insurance has added Brittany Hollman as their new Media and Communications Specialist.  Brittany is based out the Williston office but provides statewide support for the agency.

Brittany joins Kinney Pike Insurance with experience in the media and communications industry and a BS in Public Relations and Event Management from Champlain College. As a new addition to the agency, Brittany is excited to bring a fresh perspective and creative thinking to the Kinney Pike team.

“Adding Brittany will help Kinney Pike strengthen its brand awareness and build on its digital and social media presence,” said Doug Corman, one of three Kinney Pike Insurance Principals.

About Kinney Pike Insurance:

Kinney Pike Insurance, founded in 1904, is one of the largest independent insurance agencies in Northern New England with seven Locations: Rutland, White River Junction, Williston, Randolph, Poultney, St. Johnsbury, and Swanton.  Kinney Pike is a full service agency specializing in commercial insurance, personal insurance, and employee benefits. Kinney Pike holds the distinction of being Vermont’s only Assurex Global Partner, an exclusive partnership of the most prominent independent agents and brokers in the world.