Policyholder Bob Westbrook talks about what his partnership with Texas Mutual means to his business

Mr. Westbrook is also featured in our 2011 annual report. It documents a banner year in which we paid approximately $170 million in policyholder dividends. Get the report on our website at http://www.texasmutual.com/news/2011ar/Texas-Mutual-2011-Annual-Report.pdf

Make a New Year’s Commitment to Safety

You know those magazines they keep at grocery store checkouts? The covers are full of headlines like, “Top 10 Ways to Get in Shape” and “Earn More Money in Five Easy Steps.” There’s a reason these magazines are so popular: They give busy readers helpful, and sometimes not so helpful, tips in an easy-to-read format.

With that in mind, here are ten tips to help busy employers like you improve your safety program, increase your productivity and control your claim costs.

1. Focus on safety early. Safety training should be a key part of your new-employee orientation process. Do not let employees start work until they understand the hazards of the job and demonstrate that they can do each task safely. Safety training is also important for current employees who take on new tasks.

2. Practice behavior-based safety. Behavior-based safety programs are all-inclusive. Everyone, from the president to front-line employees, works proactively to identify and eliminate hazards. Employees are accountable for not only their own safety, but also their co-workers’ safety.

3. Track your accident trends. Use online tools from your carrier or something you create to find out which job tasks and areas of your facility have experienced the highest number of accidents.

Work and Substance Abuse Don’t Mix

Substance abuse is an addiction that does not abruptly stop during work hours. If someone has a drug or alcohol problem, it is likely to continue in the workplace, whether it comes in the form of abusing drugs or alcohol on the job, a reduction in productivity or absenteeism from work.

In recent years, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) program, of the 17.4 million illicit drug users, 75 percent of them were employed with either full-time or part-time work. Research also shows that between 10 and 20 percent of the nation’s workers who die on the job test positive for alcohol or other drugs.

Substance abuse can greatly impair reaction time—increasing the risk for workplace accidents. A drug-free workplace can increase productivity, make workplaces safer, and encourage people with alcohol and drug problems to seek help.

Prevention

Employers should be proactive about substance abuse issues in the workplace. The most important part of prevention is to institute a workplace policy on the matter. Employees should be clear on the rules and consequences. From their first day, employees should know that substance abuse will not be tolerated at work.

Age is More Than Just a Number

Thanks to the Baby Boomer generation, America is seeing its workforce grow in the older population. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that between 1977 and 2007, the employment of workers 65 and older increased 101 percent, compared with an increase of 59 percent for total employment.

With the recession that hit in 2008, not only did aging workers see a large increase in the workforce, but they also hit a record-high unemployment rate. According to the U.S. BLS, in February 2010, the jobless rate among workers aged 55 and older was 7.1 percent—just shy of the record-high of 7.2 percent in December 2009. In addition, these older workers who become unemployed remain jobless for extended periods.

With people working past retirement age, technology upgrades and a competitive workforce in the recession, aging workers may need special consideration to remain safe and productive on the job. Just as new employees, seasonal employees or bilingual employees deserve targeted training and tools to help them excel, aging workers may benefit from similar opportunities.

Eliminate Distractions Behind the Wheel

Auto accidents are the leading causes of on-the-job fatalities across the country. In 2008, they accounted for 1,215 deaths, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many of those fatalities—between 20 and 50 percent, according to reports—could have been prevented if the drivers had simply been paying attention.

Everyday tasks such as eating, putting on makeup, using the cell phone and changing the radio station divert our attention, putting us, our passengers and fellow drivers at risk.

In fact, a 2009 study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that people who send text messages while driving are over 23 times more likely to have an accident.

The monetary costs of on-the-job accidents are easy to quantify. Nobody, however, can put a price on the human costs.

Fortunately, most auto-related accidents are avoidable if employers and employees do their part.

Workplace Violence Should Not Be an Occupational Hazard

Workplace violence is the second-leading cause of workplace deaths, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Workplace violence could include verbal outbursts due to stress, a co-worker disagreement, a disgruntled customer, or be part of a criminal act. In its most extreme and dangerous form, workplace violence results in injury or homicide. No matter where an incident lies on the spectrum, workplace violence is a reality that employers need to consider.

A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and NIOSH found that each week in the United States, there are nearly 20 homicides and 18,000 assaults in the workplace. Preparation and planning by employers may help minimize the number of employees involved in a violent workplace incident.

Employers should prepare by considering scenarios for a violent situation. It’s important to remember that violence in the workplace may not be limited to employees. Workplace violence may include domestic disputes that continue in the workplace, violence between customers and violence arising from criminal acts.

The most important tool that employees have in dealing with workplace violence is remembering that avoidance and de-escalation of a potentially violent situation will almost never result in an injury. Trying to take control or assert oneself in a violent situation will most likely result in an injury. Employees in higher risk jobs should know how to recognize a potentially violent situation before it gets out of hand and to respond early while it is still controllable.