The wellness company Interactive Health has announced the winners of its 2012 Healthiest Companies in America awards. Now in its sixth year, the competition honors companies nationwide that create a culture of health through outcomes-based health management programs.

The 72 honorees attained both low health risk and high employee participation in their wellness program. Among this year’s winners are several colleges and medical centers, nonprofits, manufacturers, and a firefighters’ union.

A small percentage of an insured population can generate a disproportionate share of medical claim costs for an employer, says Interactive Health, but a culture of health can improve the health of at-risk employees while helping healthy employees stay healthy.

More information and list of winners >>

The Federal Trade Commission (FCC) has released an updated Cybersecurity Tip Sheet for small businesses. Broadband and information technology are powerful tools for small businesses to reach new markets and increase sales and productivity, but with the benefits comes the need to guard against growing cyber threats, says the FCC. While larger companies have taken steps to secure their systems, less secure small businesses are easier targets for cyber criminals.

Here are ten key cybersecurity tips from the FCC:

• Train employees in security principles. Establish basic security practices and policies for employees, such as requiring strong passwords, and establish appropriate Internet use guidelines that detail penalties for violating company cybersecurity policies. Establish rules of behavior describing how to handle and protect customer information and other vital data.
• Protect information, computers, and networks from cyber attacks. Keep clean machines: having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Set antivirus software to run a scan after each update. Install other key software updates as soon as they are available.
• Provide firewall security for your Internet connection. A firewall is a set of related programs that prevent outsiders from accessing data on a private network. Make sure the operating system’s firewall is enabled or install free firewall software available online. If employees work from home, ensure that their home systems are protected by a firewall.
• Create a mobile device action plan. Mobile devices can create significant security and management challenges, especially if they hold confidential information or can access the corporate network.
• Require users to password protect their devices, encrypt their data, and install security apps to prevent criminals from stealing information while the phone is on public networks. Be sure to set reporting procedures for lost or stolen equipment.
• Make backup copies of important business data and information. Regularly backup the data on all computers. Critical data includes word processing documents, electronic spreadsheets, databases, financial files, human resources files, and accounts receivable/payable files. Backup data automatically if possible, or at least weekly and store the copies either offsite or in the cloud.
• Control physical access to your computers and create user accounts for each employee. Prevent access or use of business computers by unauthorized individuals. Laptops can be particularly easy targets for theft or can be lost, so lock them up when unattended. Make sure a separate user account is created for each employee and require strong passwords. Administrative privileges should only be given to trusted IT staff and key personnel.
• Secure your Wi-Fi networks. If you have a Wi-Fi network for your workplace, make sure it is secure, encrypted, and hidden. To hide your Wi-Fi network, set up your wireless access point or router so it does not broadcast the network name, known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID). Password protect access to the router.
• Employ best practices on payment cards. Work with banks or processors to ensure the most trusted and validated tools and anti-fraud services are being used. You may also have additional security obligations pursuant to agreements with your bank or processor. Isolate payment systems from other, less secure programs and don’t use the same computer to process payments and surf the Internet.
• Limit employee access to data and information, and limit authority to install software. Do not provide any one employee with access to all data systems. Employees should only be given access to the specific data systems that they need for their jobs, and should not be able to install any software without permission.
• Passwords and authentication. Require employees to use unique passwords and change passwords every three months. Consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry. Check with your vendors that handle sensitive data, especially financial institutions, to see if they offer multifactor authentication for your account.

Create a free custom Cybersecurity Planning Guide >>

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new standards for cars and gasoline that it claims will significantly reduce harmful pollution, and prevent thousands of premature deaths and illnesses, while also enabling efficiency improvements in the cars and trucks we drive. These cleaner fuels and cars standards are part of the nation’s program for clean cars and trucks, which also include historic fuel efficiency standards.

According to the agency, the proposal will slash emissions of a range of harmful pollutants that can cause premature death and respiratory illnesses, including reducing smog-forming volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides by 80%, establish a 70% tighter particulate matter standard, and reduce fuel vapor emissions to near zero. The proposal will also reduce vehicle emissions of toxic air pollutants, such as benzene and 1,3-butadiene, by up to 40%.

By 2030, EPA estimates that the proposed cleaner fuels and cars program will annually prevent up to 2,400 premature deaths, 23,000 cases of respiratory ailments in children, 3,200 hospital admissions and asthma-related emergency room visits, and 1.8 million lost school days, work days and days when activities would be restricted due to air pollution. The agency expects total health-related benefits in 2030 to be between $8 and $23 billion annually. The program would also reduce exposure to pollution near roads.

The proposed standards will reduce gasoline sulfur levels by more than 60% – down to 10 parts per million (ppm) in 2017. Reducing sulfur in gasoline enables vehicle emission control technologies to perform more efficiently. EPA expects that vehicles built prior to the proposed standards will run cleaner on the new low-sulfur gas, providing significant and immediate benefits by reducing emissions from every gas-powered vehicle on the road.

The proposed standards will work together with California’s clean cars and fuels program to create a harmonized nationwide vehicle emissions program that enables automakers to sell the same vehicles in all 50 states. The proposal is designed to be implemented over the same time frame as the next phase of EPA’s national program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cars and light trucks beginning in model year 2017.

More information on EPA’s notice of proposed rulemaking >>

OSHA has published a new booklet that outlines safe procedures for emergency responders who may face fires and explosions caused by combustible dust.

Firefighting Precautions at Facilities with Combustible Dust will help keep emergency response and facility workers safe, says OSHA. Fire chiefs and other stakeholders who have reviewed the booklet describe it as “an excellent resource for explaining the hazards associated with combustible dust and outlining the best practices for pre-incident operational preparation by emergency responders.”

Since 1980, more than 130 workers have been killed and more than 780 injured in combustible dust explosions. The booklet describes how combustible dust explosions occur and uses previous incidents to illustrate how firefighting operations can prevent combustible dust explosions. The publication also explains the preparations emergency responders can make before a response and how these preparations will affect the operational plan during a response.

Combustible dusts include fine particles, fibers, chips, chunks or flakes that, under certain conditions, can cause a fire or explosion when suspended in air. Types of dusts include metals such as aluminum and magnesium, wood, plastic, rubber, coal, flour, sugar and paper, among others.

For more information, visit OSHA’s Combustible Dust page.

A Connecticut auto body repair shop is facing $54,300 in proposed fines following a recent inspection by OSHA to verify correction of hazards cited during a 2011 inspection.

In the latest inspection, OSHA identified hazards similar to those cited during the 2011 inspection. Specifically, equipment and materials, some of it flammable, were stored near paint spray booths and electric panels. The stored materials limited access to extinguish potential fires, presented fire and shock hazards and impeded cleaning around the booths, which allows potentially combustible materials to accumulate.

These conditions resulted in the issuance of two repeat citations with $40,000 in proposed fines. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

Additional hazards found included inadequate storage, disposal and cleanup of flammable and combustible materials; unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals; and an improperly located electrical outlet. These three serious violations resulted in $14,300 in proposed fines. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

The repair shop has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

More information on inspections >>

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has sent letters to about 9,400 workplaces whose injury and illness rates in 2011 were higher than the average rate for their industry.

Receipt of this letter means that workers in that particular establishment are being injured at a higher rate than in most other businesses of its kind in the country, says OSHA. These employers need to take immediate steps to protect their workers. As many as 2,500 workplaces could be inspected as a result of their inclusion on the list.

For help in reducing injuries and illnesses, the letter suggests, among other things, use of OSHA’s free safety and health consultation services for small businesses with 250 or fewer workers. The consultation program is administered through the states and is operated separately from OSHA’s enforcement program.

Letters were sent only to employers covered by federal OSHA; employers in states with their own safety enforcement agencies were not included. Nearly 15,000 employers received letters in 2011, and again in 2012.OSHA has not indicated why fewer letters were sent this year.

More information >>

Tables for determining the workers’ compensation benefits for Connecticut workers injured between January 1, 2013 and September 30, 2013 are now available. The tables have been updated to reflect a recent change in federal law requiring increased withholding of Social Security taxes.

The revised tables can be picked up at Rapid Print & Copy LLC, 139 Center Street in Bristol or ordered from them at:

P.O. Box 330092
West Hartford, CT 06133

• Phone: 860.490.8857
• Fax: 860.461.0551
• Email: rapidprintcopy@gmail.com

The cost for the tables through Rapid Print is:

• $24.46 ($23.oo plus $1.46sales tax) if picked up;
• $31.91 ($23.00 plus $7.00 shipping and handling plus $191 sales tax) if ordered.

The tables are also posted on the Workers’ Compensation Commission’s website.

A new report from the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) and Mercer indicates that employers who follow best practices for workplace health management programs are more likely to report improvements in medical cost trends, as well as improved employee health status.

In an analysis of data collected from more than 700 employers through the HERO Employee Health Management Best Practices Scorecard in collaboration with Mercer, researchers found that the best practices most strongly associated with positive outcomes were:

•  Including spouses in key components of the program
• Promoting all wellness activities under a single brand name
•  Having a formal, written strategic plan with financial objectives
• Active participation by senior leadership in wellness programs

The HERO Scorecard provides employers with an inventory of best practices for successful health management, and lets them see how their program stacks up against those in similar organizations.

As the Scorecard database grows, so does our ability to test the relationships between specific best practices and outcomes, says Mercer. For example, while it’s not surprising that effective employee communication is one of the keys to a successful program, the new study pinpoints the importance of giving the program a brand name.

Extending the program to spouses also had a strong impact on outcomes. Employers that permit spouses to participate in lifestyle coaching programs reported an average employee participation rate that was twice as high as the rate among employers that don’t include spouses (28% compared to 14%). When spouses were included in key components of the health management program, employers were also more likely to report improvement in health risk and in medical trend.

Now in its fourth year, the HERO Scorecard is beginning to reveal important trends in health management program strategy and design. Where health management programs once centered on managing chronic disease, best practice programs now also focus on preventing chronic disease by improving health habits.

For example, the majority of Scorecard respondents—70%—now conduct biometric screenings to alert employees to possible health risks, and offering personal coaching, by telephone, online, or face-to-face, has become one of the fastest-growing elements in health management programs. In addition, the use of financial incentives to drive employee participation in these programs is growing rapidly—and employers that use them are significantly more likely to report medical cost savings (76%) than those not offering incentives (46%).

For a free copy of the HERO Scorecard 2012 Annual Report or to learn more, visit the-hero.org (select the Scorecard link).

A Connecticut-based roofing contractor is facing a total of nearly $45,000 in proposed fines, chiefly for fall hazards identified during an inspection by OSHA’s Bridgeport Area Office.

The agency found workers exposed to falls of up to 11 feet 2 inches while they installed roofing without the use of fall protection. The workers had not been trained to recognize fall hazards and workers using a pneumatic nail gun were not wearing eye protection. OSHA had cited the contractor in 2008 and 2009 for similar hazards at several work sites.

As a result of these recurring hazards, OSHA issued the employer three repeat citations with $37,400 in fines. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The contractor was also issued three serious citations with $7,480 in fines for ladder hazards and not training workers to recognize ladder hazards. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Lack of fall protection means employees are one slip or step away from deadly or disabling falls, says OSHA.

For more information, visit OSHA’s Stop Falls webpage. The page offers fact sheets, posters, and videos in English and Spanish that illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures.