Insurance Insights ~ May 2001

Workplace Deaths Down in U.S.

Workplace deaths in the United States have dropped by nearly half over the past two decades, the government said in April, crediting new technology, stricter safety regulations and a shift in the economy toward safer service-industry jobs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 5,285 workers died from on-the-job injuries in 1997, the latest year for which figures are available. That is a rate of 4.1 deaths per 100,000 workers - down 45% from 1980, when it was 7.4. "The hazards workers face are considerably different," said Suzanne Marsh, a statistician at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. "We're moving from an industrial country to a more of a service-oriented country." The CDC also credited new technology and stricter safety regulations.

Avoiding "Desk Rage" at Work

Unfulfilled job expectations, long work hours, and a general lack of job security have made work environments, particularly those at dot-coms, extremely volatile, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), which says incidents of desk rage and associated workplace violence are on the rise.

Employees of service-related companies seem to experience the highest incidence of workplace violence, with stress on the job as the main cause. Department of Justice information reveals that, on average, 2 million people are victims of workplace violence each year. About 1,000 of those are homicides, with assaults, assaults with a deadly weapon, robberies, and rapes, making up the rest.

Another form of workplace violence, known as "desk rage," which includes screaming, throwing objects, and other serious acts of violence against coworkers, has increased. Providing appropriate training to employees is a demonstration that management takes threats and aberrant behavior seriously. Employees should be encouraged to report such incidents to management.

To help prevent such episodes, the III recommends:

• Developing workplace safety guidelines.
• Considering the purchase of workplace-safety insurance coverage.
• Identifying and documenting high-risk behavior in employees.
• Properly screening new and potential employees.
• Training management to deal with customer or employee complaints.

There are also some ways for management to check for high-risk employees. Watch for these identifiers:

• Direct or veiled threats of harm.
• Intimidating, belligerent, harassing, bullying, or other inappropriate and aggressive behavior.
• Numerous conflicts with supervisors and other employees.
• Bringing a weapon to work, brandishing a weapon at work, or making inappropriate references to guns, and expressing a fascination with weapons.
• Making statements that show a fascination with other incidents of workplace violence, or that indicate approval of the use of violence to solve problems.
• Making statements that indicate desperation over family, financial, or other personal problems, to the point of considering suicide.
• Excessive use of drugs or alcohol.
• Extreme changes in behavior.

The III also recommends purchasing the correct insurance coverage that will help protect a company from the tangible and intangible costs of workplace violence. This would go hand in hand with developing crisis communication plans to protect employees and the business.

Tips on Buying Motor Home or Travel Trailer Insurance

Many owners of RVs elect to insure their RV on the same policy that insures their autos, even though these policies were not designed to insure the specialized equipment found on a RV. Most policies do not include the coverage that the RVers may need.

If you insure your RV on your auto policy, it typically doesn’t include coverage for clothes, cameras, tools, bicycles, dishes and other personal property. Unfortunately, your homeowner’s policy has a limit for personal belongings off-premises. The downfall is should you file a claim for your RV on your automobile policy, you may lose certain discounts and your rates may increase. Also, your homeowner policy generally has a deductible of $250 or more that may apply to the personal belongings.

Some of the attached accessories you may add after you buy your motorhome or trailer, such as awnings, antennas, or a satellite dish, may also not be covered. Make sure you buy a policy that covers these items, even if you add them after you buy the RV.

Ordinary auto policies exclude coverage for emergency expenses if you can’t stay in your RV due to a covered loss. Check with your insurer to make sure you have this coverage. Costs for lodging and meals can easily top $100 per day.

Before you call your automobile insurance agent to add on your RV, make sure you ask your agent to quote your RV with a company that specializes in this, such as Foremost. This company specializes in the recreational vehicle market and may provide certain coverages that your auto policy does not.

INSURANCE INSIGHTS is an electronic newsletter published monthly (except for January and August) by G. C. Weimer Associates, Inc. Information contained herein is accurate to the best of our knowledge and belief as of 5/1/2001. If you have a topic of interest for a future issue, e-mail us at info@gcwinsure.com.