No Time Like Now

NO TIME LIKE NOW Employee safety and the story about moving a deer blind

By: CONNIE LAUGHLIN

any years ago, I wrote this article while sitting in one of our old hunting trucks at the deer lease. I was helping my significant other move a monstrous deer blind. I would say it was at least 18 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. It wasn’t your typical deer blind, either; it had a heavy-duty iron stand with a wood hunting blind on top.

He really needed a man’s help, but I was the only one available to lend a hand. For the most part, I sat in the truck and moved the trailer to and fro as he operated the forklift, trying to position the blind on the trailer so we could move it to another spot. There were some very tense moments as I watched him try to position this behemoth. There’s no time like now when it comes to safety. When you’re at home or at the ranch, and you do something stupid and hurt yourself, you should have known better! When talking about your business, there are numerous reasons you should put your safety program first – always!

The first reason is it’s your responsibility to see that your employees are working in a safe environment. You are liable for them! Gross negligence comes to mind, and you can probably forget about the exclusive remedy that workers’ comp policy provides. Every company needs some sort of safety program. I’ve seen too many workers’ compensation claims, even in white-collar businesses, so I know this is true.

Some business leaders I’ve spoken with have seen only minor injuries (some resulting in minor surgical procedures) so far, while some local companies have been M unfortunate and have had significant claims. Due to their lack of claims management expertise and safety programs, they were left to fend for themselves, pay expensive premiums and pay the ultimate price of not being able to bid for work since they failed to maintain a low Experience Modifier Rating. And it seems when you have one injury, there’s another one or two right behind it. Your safety and that of your employees should be the No. 1 thing on your to-do list. Every day you put it off, something else is going to pop up and it will never be done. Don’t risk the lives and well-being of your employees anymore. We hear about unfortunate accidents resulting in the loss of life due to simple accidents. We never think it could happen to us.

Anyway, back to my story: After loading the blind on to the trailer, I followed my significant other in the truck as he drove the forklift up a sharp incline on the way to the new home for the deer blind. As I watched him go up and then down that hill, I could tell how unstable that forklift was. And, of course, I knew he was not wearing a seatbelt. I must add right here that this man is the love of my life, but working with him in the field makes me nervous, as too many accidents happen around him. Ask his buddies – or me, for that matter. We all have our stories.

We finally arrived at the new spot, and now the task was to get the blind off the trailer and stand it upright. Things got more exciting as we tried to take it off the trailer. After numerous attempts, the thing I feared happened: It gave way and fell. Itwas half on and half off the trailer. When it fell, my significant other had a hold of the winch line

that was attached from the front of my truck to the blind. All I could see was his 6’2” frame flying through the air.

I ran as fast as I could in my sandals to his side. (Yes, I said sandals. I know I should wear snake-proof boots every time I’m out in the field.) I was worried sick he’d been hurt. But he was O.K., and the deer blind was put in its proper place, albeit looking rather beat-up.

When you play this odds game at work, you risk losing your business, as one hefty lawsuit could do you in. Have a risk assessment conducted at your place of business periodically. Get out that dusty safety manual (if you have one), and see if it requires updating – and, more than that, use it. Make sure you have a safety expert onsite holding regular safety meetings if you have a greyor blue-collar company.

One solution is to partner with a professional employer organization (PEO). They help provide a safe work environment, along with a turnkey robust human resources (HR) solution, including payroll administration. Additionally, you’re assigned a professional in HR to assist you with the HR side of your company.

Employment litigation can be a nightmare, so you must be incompliance with a long list of federal and state labor and employment laws. An HR professional knows how to take the bull by the horns and get your company running like a Fortune 500 company with all the employee stuff in place.

For your accident-prone employees, you might want to check into the optional benefit solutions they bring to the table. They’re excellent and very affordable! Take care of your business, and be safe.