UMA Annual Awards and Installation Banquet

Ron Zarbock Honored with Spherion President’s Award

Congratulations to UMA Member Spherion Staffing on this accomplishment!

Ron Zarbock Honored with Spherion President’s Award

 

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – May 6, 2015 — Spherion Staffing Services, a local recruiting, staffing and workforce solutions provider backed by the resources of a $2 billion global workforce leader, announced today that Ron Zarbock, franchise owner of the Salt Lake City, Ogden and Orem offices, is a recipient of the 2015 President’s Award.

 

The President’s Award is given to six franchise owners that have created consistent revenue and gross profit growth over the past three years. With that, the owners were also recognized for their service excellence, community involvement and participation in internal Spherion initiatives.

 

“Ron is a great example of how working closely with our clients, understanding our local communities and providing service excellence breed consistent growth,” said Sandy Mazur, Spherion president. “He personifies the discipline and drive necessary for success in today’s marketplace and demonstrates commitment to the industry by being actively involved in every phase of business operations. Ron’s leadership is unrivaled in his market as he continues to build a successful operation focused on providing top-notch service to its clients.”

 

Zarbock has been with Spherion for more than eight years and owns offices in Utah that provide staffing services along the Wasatch Front and Wasatch Back – from Logan to Nephi, Heber City to Tooele. He is also the director of Tifie.orgHumanitarian, a nonprofit organization committed to finding and creating jobs for those in need. Additionally, Zarbock is an active member of the local chambers of commerce, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) chapter, the Wasatch Employers Network, the Utah Manufacturers Association and other community organizations.

 

About Spherion

Spherion Staffing Services is a leading recruiting and staffing provider that specializes in placing administrative, clerical, customer service and light industrial candidates in temporary and full-time opportunities. As an industry pioneer for more than 68 years, Spherion has sourced, screened and placed millions of individuals in virtually every industry through a network of offices across the United States. Spherion offers companies a unique combination of personalized customer service backed by the resources, knowledge and geographic breadth of a $2 billion dollar workforce leader. Last year we helped more than 3,000 clients find the right talent to meet their workforce goals. Each local office is individually owned and operated by a team of staffing specialists who are known throughout the community, well-acquainted with your business and supported by a strong network of talent. As one of the fastest growing industries, Spherion is actively expanding into new territories, with more than 75 franchise markets available. To inquire, visitwww.spherion.com/franchise. To learn more, visit www.spherion.com.

How Safety Impacts Your Bottom Line

by Greg Summerhays

The Benefits of Safety:

Workplace safety efforts help to decrease costs and keep employees working. When a workplace injury occurs, how much does that injury truly cost an organization? The financial answer is not always clear, but the cost is often underestimated.

Typically, actual injury costs are between 5 to 50 times the size of the obvious direct costs of medical expenses and salary for the injured worker. An organization may also be surprised to analyze the revenue required to recover the costs associated with a workplace injury.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, costs associated with occupational injuries and illness can comprise as much as 5% of a company's total costs. These costs include direct and indirect costs.

Direct Costs

Direct costs of an injury include medical costs, lost wages and higher insurance premiums. Insurance costs increase based on the rise in claims frequency and severity, which will directly influence an organization's experience modifier, or e-mod. An organization’s e-mod is calculated by the National Council on Compensation Insurance and is based on your payroll and claims costs history compared to other similar organizations in the company’s industry. If the organization’s claims frequency and severity is above the average, the company’s e-mod will be above a 1.00. If claims frequency and severity is below average, the company’s e-mod will be less than 1.00. The increased costs due to an increase in claims history is illustrated by the following example:

Indirect Costs

Similar to the invisible portion of an iceberg, there are a number of indirect costs associated with accidents that are not as easily seen. These indirect costs have been estimated to be from 5 to 50 times the size of the direct costs. Indirect costs include money spent on things such as repairing damaged equipment, lost time to fill out accident reports, time/money spent on hiring and training replacement personnel and lost productivity/quality because less experienced employees replace key injured employees.

Revenue Required to Recover Costs

Few employers understand the additional sales and productivity efforts required to make up for lost profits associated with accidents. The two following examples show how a company can calculate the revenues needed to maintain profit margins and cover the cost of accidents.

To calculate how much a company would have to make up in sales to pay for a claim, complete the formula below.

How to Lower Costs

An effective safety program can help prevent injuries, reduce costs and make a substantial contribution to a company’s bottom line. The most effective safety program is one that is fully integrated into the way the company conducts its business. Companies should focus safety programs on the systems and processes that have the greatest potential to cause injury.

Greg Summerhays is Director of Public Relations at Workers Compensation Fund. WCF offers ongoing safety training, and UMA members are eligible for a 5% premium discount through a partnership with WCF. Visit www.wcfgroup.com for more information.

Apply for the 2014 UMA Best Practice Awards

The awards will be presented at the UMA Manufacturing Summit on 9-11-14. See application below to apply.

2014 UMA Best Practice Awards Application

Hand Injury Prevention

By Greg Summerhays - Workers Compensation Fund

No matter what we’re doing, we generally use our hands all the time. Because we use our hands so often, our hands can be cut, bruised, punctured, fractured and burned. This can occur during the course of work, at home, and during recreation. By recognizing hazards, using personal protective wear and following established safety rules and procedures, you can save your hands from injury and yourself from an unnecessary disability. There are times when it can be unsafe to wear gloves, such as when working with machinery with exposed moving parts. However, there are many activities where using a proper glove will prevent an injury or at least minimize the severity of the injury. 

When involved in material handling activities, take the time to put on a good pair of leather gloves. Without the use of gloves, rough or sharp edges, burrs, protruding bolts, and wood splinters can all cause minor to severe lacerations and punctures. Prior to handling chemicals, read the material safety data sheet (MSDS) to know what, if any protection is needed, and follow the instructions. For example, if a butyl rubber glove is recommended, then a butyl glove should be used. Substituting a regular rubber glove, unless recommended, could prove disastrous. If unsure as to the proper protection, ask your supervisor.

When handling hot or extremely cold materials, a proper thermally protected glove will guard against burns. If handling glass or metal with very sharp edges or if using cutting materials, a cut resistant glove would be best. 

The Right Tool
Always use the right tool for the right job. Never substitute a wrench for a hammer, a screwdriver for a chisel, a pocketknife for a utility knife, etc. In addition to using the right tool, keep tools and equipment in good repair and maintain sharp cutting blades.

§  Periodically inspect tools for cracks, wear, and proper function.

§  Repair or replace worn or cut power cords. Tools such as sockets and wrenches that are worn should be replaced to prevent slippage.

§  Dull utility knives or saw blades take more effort and force to cut the material. This can cause slipping or kickbacks. Keep blades sharp! Don’t use broken tools! 

Safeguards

When working with machinery, make sure all guards are in place and properly adjusted. Some machinery such as presses and shears are equipped with two hand actuation controls that are designed to keep your hands out of harm’s way.  

§  Never remove or circumvent guards as they are designed to protect you from coming in contact with potentially dangerous moving parts.

§  Never bypass safety controls in order to speed up work. Always be aware of where you put your hands. Areas without guard protection can still be dangerous. 

Repetitive Strains

Hand strains can be caused from force, frequency of motion, hand position and static grip. You can avoid strains by observing the following: 

§  Periodically change your grip and wrist position.

§  Take mini-breaks for periodic hand, finger and wrist stretches.

§  Utilize tools with a properly designed ergonomic grip.

§  Rotate through different job tasks. 

Do’s and Don’ts

§  Do turn off power and do utilize lockout procedures where appropriate, especially when cleaning, repairing and inspecting machinery.

§  Do use a push-stick when cutting on a table saw.  Don’t wear rings, watches or bracelets, especially around machinery.

§  Don’t grab for dropped tools. 

Focus
It only takes a small distraction when using a tool or piece of equipment to lose concentration. Focus on what you are doing and don’t let yourself become distracted. When engaged in an activity involving tools or equipment, don’t talk to anyone until you’re done and don’t interrupt your co-workers when they are involved in an activity that demands their full attention. Never become distracted by other things going on around you. 

Conclusion

§  Before you start a job, take a minute to think through the task. Ask yourself:

§  What hazards are involved? (chemical, thermal, mechanical).

§  What precautions need to be taken? (gloves, tools, push stick).

§  Then follow through without taking shortcuts.

Greg Summerhays is Director of Public Relations at Workers Compensation Fund. WCF offers ongoing safety training and UMA members are eligible for a 5% premium discount through a partnership with WCF. Visit www.wcfgroup.com for more information.

10 Tips to Lower Workplace Injuries and Save Your Bottom Line

By Greg Summerhays

During these economic conditions, workplace safety efforts have become even more imperative to decrease costs and keep employees working. When a workplace injury occurs, how much does that injury truly cost an organization? The financial answer is not always clear, but the cost is often underestimated. Typically, actual injury costs are between 5 to 50 times the size of the obvious direct costs of medical expenses and salary for the injured worker. An organization may also be surprised to analyze the revenue required to recover the costs associated with a workplace injury.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, costs associated with occupational injuries and illness can comprise as much as 5% of a company's total costs. These costs include direct and indirect costs.

Direct Costs
Direct costs of an injury include medical costs, lost wages and higher insurance premiums. Insurance costs increase based on the rise in claims frequency and severity, which will directly influence an organization's experience modifier, or e-mod. An organization’s e-mod is calculated by the National Council on Compensation Insurance and is based on your payroll and claims costs history compared to other similar organizations in the company’s industry. If the organization’s claims frequency and severity is above the average, the company’s e-mod will be above a 1.00. If claims frequency and severity is below average, the company’s e-mod will be less than 1.00. The increased costs due to an increase in claims history is illustrated by the following example:

Indirect Costs
Similar to the invisible portion of an iceberg, there are a number of indirect costs associated with accidents that are not as easily seen. These indirect costs have been estimated to be from 5 to 50 times the size of the direct costs. Indirect costs include money spent on things such as repairing damaged equipment, lost time to fill out accident reports, time/money spent on hiring and training replacement personnel and lost productivity/quality because less experienced employees replace key injured employees.

How to Lower Costs

An effective safety program can help prevent injuries, reduce costs and make a substantial contribution to a company’s bottom line. The most effective safety program is one that is fully integrated into the way the company conducts its business. Companies should focus safety programs on the systems and processes that have the greatest potential to cause injury.

 The following 10 tips can increase workplace safety, reduce injuries and accidents, and save your bottom line:

1.   Clean up your act - literally. With slips and falls accounting for one of the top causes of workplace injuries, simply keeping floors clean of liquids and other obstacles can greatly reduce the potential for an accident. Most problem areas include spilled water around drinking fountains and rest rooms, dirty floors and walkways cluttered with equipment or boxes that obstruct walkways.

2.    Install and require the use of all safety equipment. Too often, safety equipment is removed from machinery or bypassed in hopes of saving time. Whether it's finger guards or hard hats, the lack of safety equipment leads to accidents.

3.    Cover up exposed wiring and replace frayed wires. Older buildings often need to have electrical work inspected for frayed and exposed wiring.

4.    Encourage employees to voice their safety concerns to a supervisor. Many times, concerns are raised by employees only after an accident occurs.

5.    Take note of injury trends. If workers are taking time off due to back injuries, it's a good idea to place proper lifting posters around the workplace and even conduct a proper lifting seminar.

6.    Have first-aid kits readily available and provide training.

7.    Adopt written safety/health and substance abuse (drug and alcohol) programs.

8.    Properly train employees on all equipment and safety procedures.

9.    Consult your workers' compensation provider or your state's division of workplace safety and health. Your state likely advises businesses on workplace safety without the threat of being penalized.

10.    Ensure that every employee takes safety seriously.

Greg Summerhays is Director of Public Relations at Workers Compensation Fund. WCF offers ongoing safety training and UMA members are eligible for a 5% premium discount through a partnership with WCF. Visit www.wcfgroup.com for more information.