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Bowers Insurance Blog
Here are a few helpful hints from Paul Davis Restoration on winterizing your home:
1. Get the Furnace Ready:
a. Call an HVAC professional to inspect furnace and clean ducts.
b. If home is heated by a hot water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly and when water appears, close them.
2. Get the Fireplace Ready:
a. Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds.
b. If the chimney hasn’t been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
3. Check the Exterior, Doors, and Windows:
a. Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
b. Use weather stripping around doors to prevent warm air from creeping to your roof, causing ice dams.
4. Inspect Roof, Gutters and Downspouts:
a. Adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from creeping to your roof.
b. Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts.
5. Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors:
a. Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
b. Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace/water heater.
6. Prevent Plumbing Freezes:
a. Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
b. Drain all garden hoses.
c. Insulate exposed plumbing pipe.s
d. Drain AC pipes and if your AC has a shut off valve, turn it off.
e. If you go on vacation, leave the heat set to at least 55 degrees.
Read More "Winterizing Your Home"
As you know, the Affordable Care Act allows certain employers
to be eligible for a tax credit. Specifically, the credit is geared
toward employers with 25 or fewer employees with average
income of $50,000 or less. Small employers face two important
deadlines in the coming weeks:
• September 15 – Corporations that file on a calendar year
basis and requested an extension to file to September
15 can calculate the small employer health care credit on
Form 8941 and claim it as part of the general business
credit on Form 3800, which they would include with their
corporate income tax return.
• October 17 – Sole proprietors who file Form 1040 and
partners and S-corporation shareholders who report their
income on Form 1040 have until October 17 to complete
their returns. They would also use Form 8941 to
calculate the small employer health care credit and claim
it as a general business credit on Form 3800, reflected on
line 53 of Form 1040.
In addition, tax –exempt organizations that file on a calendar
year basis and requested an extension to file to November 15
can use Form 8941 and then claim the credit on Form 990-T,
Line 44f.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
along with the IRS, will be targeting small businesses and tax
preparers through a new outreach campaign that includes
YouTube videos, emails and tweets to remind employers about
the upcoming extension deadlines and provide details on other
important information about the credit including:
• Business who have already filed can still claim the
credit.
o For small businesses that have already filed and later
determine they are eligible for the credit, they can
always file an amended 2010 tax return. Corporations
use Form 1120X and individual sole proprietors use
Form 1040X.
• Businesses without tax liability this year can still
benefit.
o The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 provided that
for Tax Year 2010, eligible small businesses may carry
back unused general business credits (including
the small employer health care tax credit) five years.
Previously these credits could only be carried back one
year. Small businesses that did not have tax liability to
offset in 2010 should still evaluate eligibility for the small
business health care tax credit in light of this expanded
carry back opportunity.
• Businesses that couldn’t use the credit in 2010 can
claim it in future years.
o Some businesses that already locked into health
insurance plan structures and contributions for 2010
may not have had the opportunity to make any needed
adjustments to qualify for the credit for 2010. These
businesses may be eligible to claim the credit on 2011
returns or in years beyond. Small employers can claim
the credit for 2010 through 2013 and for two additional
years beginning in 2014.
Additional information about eligibility requirements and
calculating the credit can be found on the Small Business
Health Care Tax Credit for Small Employers page of IRS.gov.
Read More "Health Reform Update- Small Employer Tax Credit"
- Always watch children when they are in or around the pool.
- Teach children basic water safety tips (no running, how to recognize when someone is in danger of drowning, etc.)
- Know how to shut off pool equipment in case of an emergency and post instructions so others can quickly do so.
- Never leave toys or floats in the pool when not in use – they can make tempting targets for toddlers to reach out for.
- Share safety instructions and pool rules with anyone who might at some point be in or around the pool.
- Teach your children to swim or enroll them in swimming lessons. Be sure you know how to swim as well.
- Learn how to do CPR on children and adults and update these skills regularly.
- Keep the pool area free from electrical devices, glass, and other hazards.
- Never let anyone swim alone.
- Limit alcohol use around the pool area. (The CDC reports that alcohol is a factor in many adolescent and adult deaths related to water recreation.)
- Place life-saving devices such as rings and poles within easy reach of the pool.
- Install pool and gate alarms along with a 4 foot tall fence around the perimeter of the pool.
Read More "Pool Safety"
Smith & Downey will be sponsoring a free breakfast seminar on June 16th to discuss Workplace Privacy. See the attached for further details on topics and how to register. We have seen a substantial increase in the number of inquiries regarding privacy-related issues. These questions pertain to both the acquisition of “private” information about employees and job applicants and the protection of an employer’s “private” information such as its trade secrets. In response, we are sponsoring a breakfast seminar that will discuss the following issues: ACQUISITION OF PRIVATE INFORMATION ABOUT EMPLOYEES/APPLICANTS1. Background checks, including an overview of applicable federal (e.g., Fair Credit Reporting Act) and state (e.g., Maryland Job Applicant Fairness Act) laws; 2. The non-health plan-related laws governing an employer's acquisition of employee medical and genetic information; 3. Drug and alcohol testing; 4. Criminal history considerations; 5. Social media considerations; 6. Social Security numbers (and related issues); and 7. Miscellaneous privacy issues, including employee use of employer telephones and computers. PROTECTION OF EMPLOYER’S PRIVATE INFORMATION
1. Overview of Uniform Trade Secrets Act; and 2. Use of non-disclosure, non-compete and trade secret agreements. The seminar will be held at Abilities Network, 8503 Lasalle Road, Towson, Maryland 21286, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 16, 2011. Continental breakfast will be provided and there is no charge for the seminar. Space is limited, so please contact Jamie Pasko at jpasko@smithdowney.com or 410-321-9000 if you would like to reserve a spot.
Construction sites can present many hazards to workers performing construction-related activities. Keeping a construction site clean of debris can help reduce these hazards. The benefits of good housekeeping far exceed the small additional effort required to establish good housekeeping practices at a construction site.
This checklist provides questions on job-site housekeeping that can help management prevent injuries and minimize losses.
Working Areas
Are safe accesses to the job site provided for all workers?
Are walking/working surfaces kept clear and any liquid spills cleaned up immediately?
Are stairways, passageways, and gangways kept free of material, supplies, or obstructions?
Is all debris and trash picked up and placed in their proper containers?
Are protruding nails, forms, scrap lumber, and other debris kept clear from work areas, passageways, and stairs, and in and around buildings or other structures?
Materials and Storage
Are items not being used (e.g., tools, cords, or chains) stored in their proper locations?
Are materials storage areas kept clean and free of unnecessary materials and debris?
Is loose scrap or light materials that may be blown off by high winds, properly secured?
Are empty cement bags and other dust-producing materials removed from the work areas?
Waste
Are trash and recyclable containers with self-closing covers placed throughout the job site,
marked for proper use, and emptied at regular intervals?
Are chutes provided to remove waste from above-grade floors?
Are drip pans used to collect oils and fluids?
Are all scrap, waste, recyclable, and surplus materials disposed of in accordance with
federal regulations and local codes?
Are all oil-soaked and paint-saturated rags, clothing, waste, or combustible refuse placed
in non-combustible receptacles with self-closing covers?
Is combustible waste scheduled for frequent collection and removal?
Are used oil containers and dumpsters locked to secure them from unwanted waste?
Home Office • 100 Erie Insurance Place • Erie, PA 16530 • 814.870.2000
Visit our Website at www.erieinsurance.com
COPYRIGHT ©2007, ISO Services Properties, Inc.
Read More "Construction Site Housekeeping Checklist"
Back injuries represent the largest single contributor to injury cost and insurance claims for most occupational environments. Back-injury prevention programs generally include administrative controls and/or engineering controls. Relying solely on administrative controls, such as training, to reduce costs has not proven successful. And, while engineering controls can be successful, they are most effective when coupled with administrative concepts. Listed below are some examples of management actions, administrative controls, and industrial engineering concepts that, when properly applied, will help to reduce the risk of back injuries. Management Actions • Identify the jobs and tasks that result in back injuries. • Modify or eliminate the task(s) causing back injuries. • Rotate personnel in and out of the jobs that cause back injuries. • Decrease the weight of objects being carried. • Provide nonskid footwear to workers. • Provide adequate lighting, work temperature, noise control, and good housekeeping. • Provide carts, hand trucks, utility vehicles, and wheelbarrows with large wheels. • Provide scissor lifts and spring lift tables. • Mark containers with the weight of the contents. • Provide handles on bags, boxes, and containers. Industrial Work Concepts to Reduce Back Injuries • Minimize body movements by reducing bending, twisting, and reaching motions. • Decrease the forces on the body by reducing the weight of the object and the forces due to moments (load x distance) or the distance between the load and the body. • Decrease carrying forces by eliminating the need to carry or by converting to push or pull actions. • Minimize the push or pull force needed to move an object or reduce the distance that has to be covered. • Reduce the weight of the object and/or reduce the traveling distance the object is carried. Workstation Design Actions • Fit the workstation to the worker (ergonomics). • Design workstations to accommodate the worker in both the sitting and standing positions. • Locate tools, materials, and controls close to the point of use. • Provide gravity feed bins and containers to deliver materials close to the point of use. • Equip workstations with mats to cushion floors and provide a nonskid surface. COPYRIGHT ©2006, ISO Services Properties, Inc. CH-50-24 10/9/06 The information contained in this publication was obtained from sources believed to be reliable. ISO Services Properties, Inc., its companies and employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with either the information herein contained or the safety suggestions herein made. Moreover, it cannot be assumed that every acceptable safety procedure is contained herein or that abnormal or unusual circumstances may not warrant or require further or additional procedure.
Read More "Actions to Prevent Back Injuries"
From: Smith & Downey Recently, we have seen a dramatic increase in inquiries relating to compliance with wage and hour laws, especially the Fair Labor Standards Act. Several factors are contributing to this surge, including a significant increase in Department of Labor investigations and an ever-increasing number of overtime lawsuits filed under the FLSA. In order to assist our clients and friends in complying with wage and hour laws, we are sponsoring a breakfast seminar that will discuss these issues from three perspectives: 1. Employer Compliance: Doug Desmarais will share observations from his perspective of representing employers in this area. 2. Employee Rights: Steve Lebau, from the plaintiff's law firm of Lebau & Neuworth, has agreed to share his point of view during the seminar. Naturally, this portion of the seminar should be invaluable to our employer clients. 3. Government Enforcement: Richard Castleton from our Firm will share insights from his previous work as an investigator for the DOL Wage and Hour Division. The seminar will be held at Abilities Network, located at 8503 Lasalle Road, Towson, Maryland 21286, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 25, 2011. Continental breakfast will be provided and there is no charge for the seminar. Space is limited, so please contact Jamie Pasko at mailto:jpasko@smithdowney.com or410-321-9000 if you would like to reserve a spot. As always, thank you for your interest and support.
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