The first step that you need to take is to make a comparison between the rates of several auto insurance companies. This may look easy, but you may need to exert a lot of inconvenience in determining which among the quotes that you were able to gather is the best. You have to look deeply into the rates, terms and coverage of the car insurance as well as its additional features like accident forgiveness and road assistance service.

You may get car insurance from the company where you have availed your life, health and home insurance and you will get a discount for sure. As time passes, you car will depreciate and you cannot prevent this from happening. So, it would be a nice idea to change your comprehensive insurance into car insurance with limited coverage. This way, you will carve down a big percentage of your premium. You will, likewise, save a lot if you pay your premiums in an annual mode.

Having a good rating in your driving record can also derive you a discount. In case you never met an accident and receive a ticket for the past three years, there’s a great chance that you will be paying lesser premiums. However, if you have teens living in your home, they will not be covered by the car insurance unless you get them a separate policy. This is because teens are aggressive drivers and they are more prone to accidents.

The rate of your insurance depends greatly on the kind of car that you have. Expensive or luxury cars have higher premiums for they are hot in the eyes of bandits that is why it would be a edifying idea to first ask insurance agents how much will it cost you for the car that you intend to purchase.

You can get yourself a great deal on car insurance if you exactly know how to do it. All the things mentioned above are sure ways of helping you pay lower insurance premiums.

If in case you have approach to the notion you are a high risk driver its time so that you can study if you can cut help your motorized vehicle insurance and get it cheaper than what youre paying now. The very first thing you may need to do is test in witht the department of motor vehicles and see what hurdles you may have to recover from to obtain your cheaper car insurance.

Reductions to obtain cheap high threat auto insurance coverage On-line are available you precisely have to know what to do. Should you owe money for tickets, fines, or some other offenses get those paid off first before you search high risk auto insurance. Subsequent, take into account a safe driving class the place the course affords training wanted to earn you more conscious of the results being an irresponsible driver. When you could have completed this course start gathering data on varied auto insurnace corporations and pay attention to each.

Progressive Insurance coverage

Trendy as you might have virtually definitely seen has an agressive advertising and marketing campaign with all their commercials. But do they really provide low-cost high inconvenience auto insurnace? The long reply is yes, but you’ll have to pay premium costs at first for a sure grace period before you’ll be able to qualify for cheaper automotive insuarnce. They have a plan where you may assume your personal price. To a certain point visibly, nevertheless it is supplied to their customers to assist them lower the prices of car insurance together with excessive danger plans.

Allstate Insurance coverage

Allstate Insurance is among the oldest insurance firms nonetheless available, and so they present particular charges for top danger drivers. They present the secure driver discount, which allows a person’s rates to drop for not having an accident throughout a a lot of size of time. This may mean you can unearth low cost high threat auto insurance and may can help you minimize your threat clean, whereas getting paid to not have an accident.

Direct General Insurance coverage

Direct Common Insurance is relatively new to the market and is a specialty insurance that focuses on those who have a hard time being insured with other companies. They are usually the primary stop for individuals in search of low-cost excessive threat auto insurance.

If have a file with a number of infractions to your report you’ll likley be thought-about a excessive danger driver and need automobile insurance. Not all firms tackle high danger drivers nonetheless the businesses mentioned do. In the event you can evident fair a few things up you may catch paying much less and really acquireCheap High Risk Auto Insurance and decrease your month-to-month automotive insurance expenses. Getting Low cost auto insurance when youre a risky driver due your irrespsonsble actions will price you at first. However upon getting things cleared up getting Cheap High Risk Auto Insurance will grow to be a reality.

The first thing you need to resolve how much insurance do you need. Surly the best insurance is the one that gives you the best coverage you need to protect your self. Every state has a minimum insurance requirement that is different from the other states, so the best place to begin is at your state’s department of insurance website. You will need to keep in mind that the minimum requirement may not be enough for you if you were involved in a serious accident. If you can afford the higher costs go for it because the extra protection worth’s every penny you pay.

There are several ways to regain a titanic auto insurance quote, try to look for discounts that you qualify for such as
• Defensive driving discount
• Good student discount
• Discount for anti thief devices
• Discounts for safety devices

These discounts can directly decrease your insurance premiums. Execute sure to check online for the best rates, shopping for insurance quotes is easier than ever. You can go an insurance comparison website and compare different quotes to determine the best one for you.

Design sure to catch a quote that covers all of your needs, try to avoid the quotes that have more things than you need and the quotes that have fewer things than you need.

Throughout the heartland of the country farmers line up their derelict vehicles. Arranged like trophies on the mantle, this formation of junked and obsolete cars, trucks and farm equipment is left as if in hard times they may be called back into service.

In many rural regions it can be hard to bag a practical way to deal with this unsightly collection. Fortunately in Duluth MN and most metropolitan areas properly disposing of unwanted vehicles is as simple as making a phone call.

In my case I found myself with one too many cars. The old Geo Tracker, though still a semi-reliable mode of transportation was dissolving before my eyes. Rust had already removed a good portion of the body and with small mechanical issues accumulating on a daily basis it just became time to put the trusty steed to rest.

I considered trying to sell the vehicle out lawful. Knowing it was worth maybe $500 on a good day. Though not very pretty it still could get someone to and from work through the worst winter had to offer. The engine didn’t use oil, the four wheel drive worked pleasing, and she started faithfully through the coldest weather. At 30 mpg in the summer it seemed a shame to let her go.

Donating the vehicle crossed my mind as well, it could serve someone less fortunate then myself continuing on indefinitely.

Unfortunately in our litigatious world one needs to be concerned with personal liability. Admittedly one front brake wasn’t completely up to snuff as a cheap repair left things less then perfect. With a short high ground clearance vehicle handling on the highway and in ice conditions was a little tricky.

The final issue of concern was even though in Minnesota all that is required to sell a car is for the owner to sign the title and hand it to the buyer. The buyer is then required to take it to the Motor Vehicle Registration Office and transfer the title.

As happens all too often today, especially when cheap older cars are involved, the buyer doesn’t have the money to properly process the transaction. Without the required auto insurance he will simple just drive the car on the existing registration putting off or just plain ignoring the need to transfer title.

Down the road he has an accident, or collects some traffic tickets and if your lucky the car gets impounded. Guess who the authorities come after for damages, fines, and storage fees. You, the unruffled legally registered owner of the car. You may have sold it a year ago, but if the title was never transferred your still liable.

I’ve had it happen to me, and seen it happen to family and friends time and again. After many phone calls and a bit of a legal hassle the problem has been resolved, but you sure don’t want to go through that.

This time the better way is to simply recycle the vehicle. I placed a call to Chesney’s Auto Salvage. They offered me $100 for my rolling collection of still usable parts. Though they are closed on weekends I can tumble off the car in their lot at my convenience and they will promptly mail me a check.

With this method of disposal the car is immediately and forever taken off the road. Usable parts will be stripped, stored, and cataloged then offered for sale at a considerable discount from new parts. At the point the remaining hulk has nothing to offer all fluids will be drained and sold, the body will be crushed and off to the steel mills it goes to return as a shiny recent car on some dealers lot.

A nice clean operation removing all liability issues the moment you hand over the keys. Your old dead automobile has become a useful resource helping to conserve our finite quantity of natural resources.

Most salvage operations also offer the option of having them near and tow away your vehicle if your unable to deliver it to them. What could be easier, pick up the phone and with one call your eyesores are gone. You’ve made a little money and your legal responsibilities have been addressed. To top it off you’ve done a “Green Living” act of kindness to the environment.

Allstate has asked the court to hold the documents sealed.

This is not the first time that Allstate has had itself targeted for lawsuits because of a failure to pay claims. A federal court is still waiting for that insurance company to turn over and make public over 12,000 PowerPoint slides made for it by a management consulting firm that started working with the insurer in the early 1990s. The court order was given to Allstate in 2004, and it is amazing that a large corporation is not complying with that order; non-compliance like that is rare.

The company says that it is enchanting in “civil disobedience” by denying the order, refusing to let its proprietary secrets and management techniques be stolen by competitors.

But the reason for the court order centers on the claim made by one lawyer in a well-researched book that the management consultant was brought in to note Allstate how to re-structure its claims paying policies and deny its claims adjusters in such a way as to be able to avoid paying on a lot of claims by its policy holders.

Allstate also attempted to block the publication of that lawyer’s book, which was released in 2006. The insurer says that it was using the management training to be able to better protect itself against insurance fraud.

This journalist had Allstate auto insurance in the later 1990s for one year. Although I had a perfect driving record when I bought the insurance, I was the victim of a four-car accident on a fast-moving New Jersey highway that. No one was injured and I was the only one of the four drivers found faultless.

While Allstate paid my claim expediently, I was summarily dropped by the insurer months later for unstated grounds. The company informed me that it had chosen to exercise its “two percent rule” option, under which it is permitted by law to drop two percent of its policy holders in any given year for any reason the company finds to be a good one.

My settlement amount for the accident exceeded the amount of premiums that I paid to Allstate in that year’s time.

“It appears that Allstate devised its claims-handling process to avoid paying claims to homeowners and did so at the very same time homeowners were, quite literally, stranded and desperate due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. These records shed light on Allstate’s behavior after Hurricane Katrina and Allstate is horrified of the public scrutiny,” said Michael Lucas, a Public Justice attorney.

Source:
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (PR Newswire), “Consumer Advocates Oppose Allstate Insurance Company’s Efforts to Hide Its Post-Katrina Pay-Out Procedures”

The easiest way to choose life insurance plans is to figure out how each idea will affect you and your dependents. Once you understand how life insurance works, you'll be better equipped to win a policy that will benefit your loved ones in the event of your passing.

Term Life Insurance

The simplest and most straight-forward life insurance plan is term life, which is a death help, humdrum and simple. You purchase a policy for a specific amount and choose the term over which you want to carry the policy. If you pass away during that period, and your policy payments are current, the amount of the plan will pay out to the beneficiary.

No complications, no complex savings plans to decipher. Term life insurance is best for low- to upper-middle-income families whose lifestyles do not lend themselves to whole life policies. The rates are cheaper and it's easier to get approved.

According to SmartMoney.com, however, it can be difficult to catch out a term life insurance plan if you are over age 50, and sometimes impossible after age 65. Insurance companies hedge their bets, so to speak, and whole life insurance might be the only option for seniors.

Whole Life Insurance

There are dozens of types of whole life insurance, with is part death benefit, part savings and investment tool. This might sound like a good combination, but the returns on investments are almost always lower than those you would win in a 401(k) or IRA, for example, and in some types of whole life insurance plans, you don't even have any control over how those investments are distributed.

Young people with significant disposable income might support from whole life insurance plans. If you can find a good financial adviser who can recommend a policy that will age well over twenty or thirty years, it might be worth it. However, for most people, term life insurance is the most practical solution.

Borrowing from Life Insurance

The one main benefit of whole life insurance plans is that some of them allow you to borrow money from the reserves in certain increments. If you have sudden medical bills or are laid off, you have another source of income until you can come by back on your feet.

The problem with this is that it's just as dangerous as borrowing from your 401(k). You can extinguish up paying double tax on the money you pay attend, and you can significantly reduce the death benefit available to your dependents, should you pass while the loan is still outstanding.

Choosing Among Life Insurance Plans

If you want to hold the fair type of life insurance, a financial planner or adviser is essential. He or she should be an independent agent, not an employee of the life insurance company or even your bank, and should be experienced in helping consumers make these types of decisions.

Make sure you look at all the terms and conditions of each life insurance plan and consider how it will affect your loved ones upon your death.

* This observe was designed to examine OSHA and Florida’s Partnership and provide research in both a positive and negative light.

* Small Business Safety under the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

* The Status of Florida and OSHA, working hand in hand to provide a multi-cultural, diverse state with workplace safety.

* Flaws within OSHA and opposition towards OSHA

* Workplace Safety, OSHA reality or technology as the benefactor.

Research consisted of queries with various government and scholastic entities, including but not limited to the US Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, University of South Florida, and the Florida Legislature. Additional sources included literary guides such as the New York Times, the Press Room, and the honorable Henry Bonilla representing the 23rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives along with other fine providers of information. Results of this research, discussed more fully in this report, indicate that OSHA, while a boon to the average employee, could be a long tedious government run-around to those that truly require workplace investigations of safety hazards.

We would be please to discuss this report and its conclusions with you at your request. My team and I thank you for your confidence in selection our group to prepare this comprehensive report.

Table of Contents

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT (OSHA)… 1

HELP OR HINDERANCE 1

Executive Summary 4

OSHA for Small Businesses: Pros and Cons 5

Small Business Safety 5

Florida University System Lend a Guiding Hand 6

OSHA Bridges the Language Gap 7

Florida Follows Federal Guidelines 7

U.S. Department of Labor Honors Exemplary Businesses 7

Fraction 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.7

Florida’s Stake in the Agriculture Business 8

Better Safe than Sorry 8

OSHA: A Critical Plan 9

Opposing OSHA 9

OSHA Suffers Lawsuits 10

Workplace Safety 10

The Ergonomics Standards Belief 11

Is the Notion Cost Effective 11

Figure 1 11

Summary of OSHA Cost Errors 11

Inspections as a Deterrent 9

Economic Feasibility 12

Bibliography 13

Executive Summary

Jobsite safety and health is a top priority for workers in the United States. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federally run agency, was created to ensure that people would have a safe environment to work in.

OSHA has been charged with improving workers’ health and safety since 1970, but few studies claim it improves workplace safety at all. Most cannot find a notable reduction in workplace fatalities or injuries due to OSHA. Studies set the annual cost of OSHA’s regulations as high as $11 billion per year to run the current health and safety policies it has in spot. Even pro-OSHA studies show that the agency annually generates three times more cost than it generates in benefits.

The Three Amiga’s supports restructuring OSHA with reform. The state of Florida currently has in place a collaborative partnership under Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which provides education, training, and technical assistance; and employers are encouraged to avail themselves of this assistance without awe of becoming involved in a major controversy with the agency. OSHA must focus their attention on more significant safety and health problems, so that the regulatory program will effect greater overall risk reduction benefits.

This witness supports the concept of providing employers with the incentive to improve their safety and health performance voluntarily in cooperation with their employees. This study also advocates reforming OSHA’s standards and making them as practical, cost effective, and performance oriented as possible.

Improving safety in the workplace is a team worry. Both employers and employees share the responsibility for safety. There must be provisions that create a role for the employer’s safety program.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration aims to ensure worker safety and health in the U.S. by assisting employers and employees to create better working environments. Since becoming law in 1970, the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act and OSHA have helped cut workplace fatalities by more than 60 percent and illness rates by 40 percent. This success has occurred while the nation’s employment figures have more than doubled from 56 million workers at 3.5 million organizations to more than 115 million workers at 7.1 million sites.[1]Although the statistics appear to support OSHA’s success, others glance the agency as a hindrance to worker safety. This report will cover both of these views.

Minute businesses in Florida engaged in business involving interstate commerce are subject to the regulations of OSHA.[2] There are exceptions to audits and inspections (i.e. ten or fewer employees or a business made up of only immediate family members), but the liability of hazardous working environments are not removed or eliminated.

Under its provisions, an employer must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that cause, or are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to employees regardless of the size of the business. Every business in Florida covered by the OSH Act must comply with federal workplace safety and health standards. In South Florida, OSHA’s Area Office in Plantation provides advice education, and assistance to small business people, trade associations, local labor affiliates, and other stakeholders who ask help with occupational safety and health issues.[3]

For those small businesses in Florida with eleven-or-more workers, OSHA requires employers to: 1.) inform employees of the organization’s safety regulations 2.) Post OSHA Job Safety and Health poster in a permanent place where notices to employees are usually posted 3.) Report within eight hours to the OSHA area office (by telephone or in writing) any fatal accident involving an employee or any other accident resulting in the hospitalization of three or more employees 4.) Maintain up-to-date (within six working days) records of all occupational injuries and illnesses 5.) post the annual summary of the organization’s OSHA No. 200 log on February 1st of the following year and maintain that posting in a conspicuous situation for the entire month of February; 6.) Retain all records of occupational injuries and illnesses for five years after the demolish of the year; and 7.) Furnish a place of employment free from recognized hazards that could cause death or serious injury to employees. (This catchall enables an OSHA inspector to cite an employer who should have recognized a serious hazard, even if OSHA does not have a specific standard related to that hazard).[4]

Florida University System Lend a Guiding Hand

Here in Florida, small business is fortunate to have a friend in the State University System. The University of South Florida’s “Safety Florida Consultation Program” in Tampa offers free services that can help lower costs. Taking advantage of this service can assist an employer with:

• “Complying with federal safety and health standards to reduce the risk of injuries and OSHA citations.

• “Identifying deficient safety conditions with full-service worksite evaluations and to assess required programs and determine safety needs.

• “Writing detailed reports that define specific actions that can be taken to correct predicament areas and improve existing safety programs.

• “Delivering technical guidance and information outlining how to comply with federal standards.

• “Providing printed materials on occupational safety, including copies of OSHA standards, as well as industry and government guidelines.

• “Assisting in implementing safety programs mandated by OSHA. • “Support in the reduction of workplace injuries by providing safety and health programs tailored to a particular business or workplace.”[5]

This has proven very helpful to Florida employers who have seen their employee total case incident rate decline by 4.9 percent and their employee lost workday incidence rate decline by 8.9 percent. Furthermore, a study by the Florida Legislature found that more than nine thousand Florida employers received a two-percent reduction in their workers’ compensation insurance rates and research has also shown that lasting improvements in workplace safety are made through consultation, education, and

training, as compared with simply strict enforcement.[6]

OSHA attempts to reach every employee and employer, even those who do not speak English as their first language. Particularly of interest in Florida is the fact that the agency maintains a Spanish webpage and Spanish-speaking operators at a national call center during business hours. Various publications, training materials and videos are also provided in Spanish.[7]

Florida Follows Federal Guidelines

In Fiscal Year 2004, OSHA has a staff of 2,200, including 1,123 inspectors and the agency’s appropriation is $457.5 million.[8]Since Florida has not yet established its possess health and safety program, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are responsible for ensuring compliance with the law. OSHA, under the leadership of the Secretary of Labor in Washington, may conduct site inspections and require employers to make self-evaluations.

U.S. Department of Labor Honors Exemplary Businesses

The U.S. Department of Labor says that using all the resources available to improve upon health and safety in the workplace, certain exemplary small businesses can ask participation in OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). Eligibility for participation in Enchanting includes receiving a comprehensive consultation visit, demonstrating exemplary achievements in workplace safety and health by reducing identified hazards and developing and implementing an effective safety and health program. Small businesses well-liked into SHARP may receive an exemption from scheduled annual inspections-not complaint or accident inspections-for one year.[9]

(the Act) encourages States to develop and operate their own job safety and health programs.OSHA approves and monitors State plans

Alaska

Arizona

California

Connecticut*

Hawaii

Indiana

Iowa

Kentucky

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Nevada

New Jersey*

New Mexico

New York*

North Carolina

Oregon

Puerto Rico

South Carolina

Tennessee

Utah

Vermont

Virgin Islands*

Virginia

Washington

Wyoming

Note: The Connecticut, Unusual Jersey, Unique York and Virgin Islands plan coverspublic sector (Region and local government) employees only.

One dwelling of great interest to OSHA in the state of Florida is agriculture. Florida agriculture, including forestry and seafood, made an annual economic impact of $53 billion. More than 81,000 people work on some 40,000 farms around the state, and more than 50,000 are employed in other activities related to agriculture. The state’s agriculture enterprises range from large citrus, vegetable and cattle operations to small family-operated farms. Safety in Florida agriculture is especially challenging to OSHA because: 1.) the state’s agriculture enterprises are diverse; 2.) safety knowledge among workers varies; 3.) manual labor is used extensively; and 4.) the climate creates year-round stress.[10]

Compliance Safety and Health Officers from the Department of Labor are authorized to enter Florida businesses at reasonable times and without delay, to inspect a physical plant, question an employer and review records required by the OSH Act (OSH Act, Allotment 1903. Approach notice of inspections is not given, except in cases of apparent imminent danger, in circumstances where the inspection can be more affectively be conducted after regular business hours, when necessary to assure the presence of representatives of the employer and employees, and in other circumstances determined by the OSHA area director (OSH Act, Part 1903.6).[11]

Employee benefits when safety and health are priorities at the workplace. Every worker wants to contribute through the job, even when the primary purpose of work is to make a living. Safety and health add value to the lives of workers in Florida by enabling them to preserve an honest income and provide for their families. Getting distress or sick on the job is not just physically painful, but on-the-job injuries and illnesses can also significantly reduce income, increase stress, and hinder a full and enriching family life.

Establishing great and healthful working environments in Florida require every employer and employee to make safety and health a top priority. The entire workforce-starting at the CEO and downward to the newest employee-must realize the importance of safety and health by acknowledging that these are keys to the small business vision, identity and success.

In this regard, OSHA believes it provides leadership and encouragement to employers and workers in helping them recognize and realize the values of safety and health on the job. The agency’s ultimate goal has always been, and continues to be, the reduction of injuries, illnesses and deaths to zero in the workplace.[12]

OSHA: A Critical View

Although The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH ACT) was created to regulate the private sector, it has been accused of having many flaws and some feel OSHA should be abolished altogether. These opponents base their opinions on modern statistics from refutable sources showing a lack of progress, as well as serious financial losses that taxpayers absorb. Additionally OSHA does not cover public workplaces such as school systems and municipal governments.[13] These are only a few of the many criticisms aimed at OSHA.

Some opponents think OSHA is a useless entity that sometimes does more pain than good. A recent article, written by Thomas J. Kneiser and John D. Leeth, states just that. Their paper, appropriately titled Abolishing OSHA, cites the case of the Pymm Thermometer Company,” the second largest manufacturer of mercury thermometers in the United States.

Employees of Pymm worked in a non-ventilated windowless basement with no respirators or protective clothing. Their job was recycling mercury from customary thermometers. For five years, OSHA had known about serious health problems among the plant employees, including asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. Mercury poisoning can damage organs including the brain. The company was not even fined when “puddles” of mercury were found on the floor when inspected.

Finally, when a worker who had formerly worked for the plant stated suspicions that one of his former co-workers was suffering from brain damage, OSHA got alive to. Mercury fume levels in the plant were five times higher than the acceptable level, which can cause serious illness and even death. OSHA fined Pymm $1,400 and ordered them to clean up.

Five years later Pymm has not complied with OSHA’s recommendations. When an employee suffering from severe health consequences went to the news media, OSHA enforced the recommendations. However, serious violations were allowed to stand for five years, and the consequences were severe. More than half of Pymms 100 workers, and many of their children also suffer from serious mercury poisoning. [14]

Many firms realize that the likelihood of an inspection is minimal. The typical American worker may see an OSHA once every seventy-five years, or once every thirteen years if they are employed in a risky profession. Companies generally know that they can simply agree to comply with inspector recommendations to avoid future inspections.

OSHA Suffers Lawsuits

OSHA inspectors seem reluctant to shut down companies or impose severe fines even when their findings expose serious health and safety issues.

Case in point is The United Auto Workers (UAW) and the United Steel Workers of America (USWA) who have united in a joint lawsuit filed October 21, 2003[15]. The lawsuit requests that OSHA set spruce air standards in United States factories. Because OSHA took no action, ten years ago when the UAW first petitioned them, millions of workers have been exposed to perilous chemicals and developed serious health problems.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety,[16] a government agency that researches health problems for employees in the United States, collected evidence about metalworking fluids and suggested a standard of 0.5 milliliters per cubic meter of air for both oil and synthetic metalworking fluids.

OSHA is required to submit a standard or state a reason for not doing so within sixty days of the (NIOS) recommendation. After Four years, OSHA has not complied, and even withdrew the recommendation from consideration and millions of factory workers are still being exposed to hazardous chemicals.

Although several reports have shown a decline inworker fatality, (in 1925 there were 16 fatalities per 100,000 workers, whereas by 1993 that number had dropped to 3.5 per100, 000), there is no real decrease in on the job injury or illness. Fatalities in the workplace had begun to decline even before OSHA, possibly due to safety technology, and the occupational distribution of labor. To the contrary, illness and injury in the workplace tend to follow the economy. The more people employed, the higher the injury rate. OSHA serene does not conceal the self-employed, who tend to work in higher risk professions and account for 20 percent of workplace fatalities

The Ergonomics Standards Plan

Most recently, OSHA proposed its Ergonomics Standards Program.[17] Ergonomics is the study of the design and intention of equipment in a healthy comfortable manner.[18] This Program Standard states that an employee who complains of a

musculo- skeletal disorder (MSD) must complete a complicated series of steps in order to determine whether OSHA covers them. It is a far from cost effective policy.

Furthermore, employers have been effectively dealing with these injuries for many years on a volunteer basis. The efforts of these business owners has decreased stress related injury by 22 percent since 1993.If OSHA implements the Ergonomics Program it will force employers to follow rigid guidelines, thereby reducing flexibility for targeted response. Companies will be forced to spread resources more thinly to address every complaint, many of which are discovered to be invalid, resulting in less effective coverage, as well as higher costs for employees.

Opponents of the Ergonomics Plan point out that OSHA made a series of mistakes in its financial understanding and the costs will likely outweigh the benefits and cause, damage to existing programs employers have in set. The table below shows these errors as well as the corrected estimated cost: [19]

Error or Omission ItemOSHA EstimateOSHA ErrorCorrected Estimate

Computation of Annualized Cost

$4.2 billion

$1.6 billion

$5.8 billion

Compliances baseline

$4.2 billion

$5-$7.5 billion

$9.2-$11.7 billion

Assess potential MSDs

$0

$2.5-$29.7 billion

$2.5-$29.7 billion

Familiarization time

$0.2 billion

$3.1 billion

$3.3 billion

Other time parameters

$0.9 billion

$12.8 billion

$13.7 billion

Training for fixed jobs

$0

$0.6-$1.2 billion

$0.6-$1.2 billion

Increased MSD reports

$0

$5.6-$39.2 billion

$5.6-$39.2 billion

Total

$11-$12 billion

$31.2-$95.1 billion

$35.4-$99.3 billion

(Employment Policy Foundation; fact &fallacy: April 10, 2002)

OSHA’s costs far outweigh the benefits. According to an article published in The Yale Journal on Regulation,[20] and written by Robert Hahn and John Hind, it costs OSHA $11 billion per year to run the current health and safety policies it has in place. The benefit to workers through health care costs and injury reduction they estimate is $3.6 billion per year. Even best case reports exhibit the costs outweigh the gains three to one.

In conclusion, many proponents feel OSHA would benefit if supplied with a larger budget and more resources, but it already spends an exorbitant amount of taxpayer dollars on programs that are largely ineffectual. Abolishing OSHA completely may leave some workers largely unprotected, so the respond probably lies in complete reformation. OSHA is in the business of reform, but who will reform OSHA?

Bird E., Ronald; Fact & fallacy; Analysis Misses the Target in Predicting Ergonomics Rule;

Bonilla, Henry; The Workplace Preservation Act;; Remarks

(4 March 1999)

ErgoDynamo.com;

The Florida Legislature. “Addendum to OPPAGA Report No. 97-25 Agency Response from Dept. of Labor & Employment Security.” January 1998. (4 June 2004).

HR.BLR.Com; Florida Safety and Health;

Kneisner J.,Thomas; Leeth P, John; Regulation; The Cato Review of Business and Government;AbolishingOSHA; (2003)

Lehtola, Carol J., Charles M. Brown, and William J. Becker. “Inspections, Citations, and Proposed Penalties – OSHA Standard 1903.” University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. November 2000. (5 June 2004).

The New York Times; Work Place Safety is Growing Concern;

Olexa, Michael T., Aaron Leviten, and Kelly Samek. “Florida Solid and Hazardous Waste Regulation Handbook: Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).”University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. December 2003. (6 June 2004).

Polopolus, Leo C., Michael T. Olexa, Fritz Roka, and Carol Fountain. “2003 Handbook of Employment Regulations Affecting Florida Farm Employers and Workers: Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) [Federal].” University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. December 2002. (5 June 2004).

Press Room; UAW and USAW Sue Secretary of Labor…;

< http://www.uswa.org/uswa./program/content/616.php> (21 October 2003)

Smith, Sandy; Safety Zones; Unions sue to Force OSHA to Set Clean Air Standards in Factories;; (22 October 2003)

University of South Florida Consultation Program. “Ask USF Safety Florida to Protect Your Profits with an Effective Safety Program.” n.d. (4 June 2004).

U.S. Department of Labor. “OSHA Help for New Businesses Fact Sheet.” 2002.

(4 June 2004).

U.S. Department of Labor. “OSHA Facts.” 2004.

(7 June 2004).

U.S. Department of Labor. “OSHA Handbook for Small Businesses.” 1996 (Revised),

(4 June 2004).

[1] U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Facts, 2004, available at http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/oshafacts.html; Internet; accessed 7 June, 2004.

[2] Leo C. Polopolus et al., 2003 Handbook of Employment Regulations Affecting Florida Farm Employees and Workers: Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) [Federal], December 2002, available at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FE408; 5 June 2004.

[3] U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Help for New Businesses Fact Sheet, 2002, available at http://www.

Osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/newbusinesses-factsheet.pdf; 4 June 2004.

[4]Polopolus, 2003 Handbook of Employment Regulations Affecting Florida Farm Employers and Workers: Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) [Federal].

[5] University of South Florida Consultation Program, Ask USF Safety Florida to Protect Your Profits with an Effective Safety Program, n.d., available from http://www.safetyflorida.usf.edu/Pdf/Safetypr.pdf; 4 June 2004.

[6]

[7] U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Facts.

[8] Michael T. Olexa et al., Florida Solid and Hazardous End Regulations Handbook: Occupational Safety and Health Act, December 2003, available at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FE447; Internet; accessed 6 June 2004.

[9] U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Facts, 2004, 32-33, available from http://www.osha.gov.as/opa/ oshafacts.html; Internet; accessed 5 June 2004.

[10]Carol J. Lehtola et al., Inspections, Citations, and Proposed Penalties-OSHA Standard 1903, November 2000, available from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_OA059; 5 June 2004.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid,

[13]HR.BLR.COM; State HR Answers & Tools Online; Florida Safety and Healthhttp://hr1.blr.com/Article.cfm/Nav/3.12.48.0.25134.25134>

[14] Kneisner J., Thomas and Leeth D. John; Abolishing OSHA, 2003;

[15]Press Room; October 21, 2003;< http://www.uswa.org/uswa/program/content/616.php>

[16]The New York Times; Work Place Safety is Growing Concern http://www.saja.org/stories/safety.html

[17]ErgoDynamo.com:

[19] Bird E. Ronald: Osha Analysis Misses the Target in Predicting Ergonomics Rule Cost, fact & fallacy.

[20][20] Kneisner J., Thomas and Leeth D. John; Abolishing OSHA, 2003;

Term life, often referred to as “renters insurance”, is the simplest type of coverage. The client will pick the face amount of death benefit they desire, and the length of time they want coverage. When the time frame is gone, their coverage is gone. There is no cash build up in term policies, but several do have conversion privileges through the life of the policy. You can convert the term policy to a permanent policy with the health rating you received at the time of the original policy, but with the premium of your attained age at the time of conversion. Many clients take out a term policy because of affordability, and then convert to a permanent policy at a later age when they can better afford the premium.

Whole life insurance comes in two different types. Straight whole life or variable whole life. Both policies develop cash value over the life of the policy, and the amount of the value is determined by how well it is funded, and performance of the existing value. Both straight and variable whole life have fixed premiums with each payment. The main difference is that in the straight whole life, the cash value is placed in fixed interest vehicles, with a guaranteed minimum interest. The variable whole life places the cash value in a separate account, which is market driven gains. You may have a better chance of growing the internal cash value at a much faster pace, if you don’t mind having the risk of the market.

The newest of the types of life insurance are the universal life products. These are a permanent insurance, as long as they are funded properly. The premiums can be flexible, which works better for a lot of people, young and old. It is a lot like the whole life policies, except for the flexible premiums. Universal life is supported by the fixed interest vehicles, while the variable universal life is supported by market accounts internal in the policy.

A graded benefit policy is for those that are uninsurable. For the first two years of the policy, the client pays premiums, but only has full death back if they were to die of an accident. Death due to illness will result in the premiums that have been paid will be refunded to the beneficiary if the individual, plus a set amount of interest. These are usually small face amount policies that allow an individual to have some sort of final expense coverage in place.

Life insurance is a valuable tool in planning for all types of scenarios, and is actually cheaper today than it was twenty years ago. Life expectancy is longer, so premiums are lower. It is always good to review your policies you have in place at least yearly to make sure they are performing as needed. Life insurance is normally not for the policy holder, but for the loved ones left behind in case of death. Make sure you have properly planned for all possibilities.

Limits of Liability: Each auto insurance policy carries limits of liability. I like to describe liability insurance as “coverage for the other guy.” This fragment of your auto insurance policy provides monetary limits that will be paid out in the event of an accident that you are legally deemed responsible for. In most cases, these limits are broken down into three categories: Bodily Injury per person, Bodily Injury per occurrence, and Property Damage. Generally, your policy will list three numbers that represent how many thousands of dollars your policy offers under each category.

For example, if your liability limits are listed as 100/300/100, this translates as $100,000 is the maximum amount your policy will pay out for bodily injury damages sustained by any one person in any single occurrence. $300,000 would be the maximum paid out for bodily injury damages sustained by all people in any single occurrence. Lastly, $100,000 would be the maximum paid out for any injure you do to someone else’s property in any single occurrence.

Recommendation on choosing your liability limits.When choosing your liability limits on your auto insurance policy, there are a couple things to keep in mind; the rising cost of health care and the “sue-happy” society in which we live. The state of Wisconsin requires that you carry limits of at least 25/50/25, however, this is NOT adequate coverage. If there are injuries resulting from an accident in which you are legally liable, $25,000 will not last long in a hospital these days. Also, if there is a law suit brought against you for the accident, $25,000 will be gone very quick as well. My recommendation is to carry liability limits of at least 250/500/100 and possibly supplement your auto insurance policy with a Personal Liability Umbrella policy which would give an extra $1,000,000 of liability protection.

Medical Expense: This coverage is optional. It provides a limit for medical payments if you or anyone in your vehicle is injured in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. The limit that you choose will be provided on a per person basis.

Recommendation on choosing your medical expense limit.Even though this coverage is optional, I would recommend taking it, as it is very inexpensive. Even if you have health insurance and feel you have no need for this coverage, you never know if your passengers carry health insurance or not. Also, even if you have health insurance, many times you need to meet a deductible before anything will be paid out. Medical Expense coverage has no deductible. I recommend choosing a limit of $10,000 or higher. If your policy has a limit of less than $10,000, your policy will pay medical expenses for up to a year. However, if your policy limit is more than $10,000, your policy will pay medical expenses for three years. For a few extra dollars, you get two years of extra coverage.

Uninsured Motorist: Every auto insurance policy includes this coverage. This limit in your policy provides coverage for bodily injury for you and your passengers if you are hurt in an accident with an uninsured driver, as long as they are at fault. Similar to liability limits, this coverage is displayed on your policy in two categories: Bodily Injury per person and Bodily Injury per occurrence.

Recommendation on choosing your uninsured motorist limit. Many people space their uninsured motorist limit equal to the liability limits they carry. My recommendation would be to choose limits equal to or higher than your policy’s liability limits. The reasoning for this is simply, why take care of someone else better than you take care of yourself and your passengers?

Under Insured Motorist: This coverage is optional. This coverage is very similar to Uninsured Motorist and provides coverage for bodily injury for you and your passengers if you are afflict in an accident with a driver who does not carry enough insurance to shroud your medical bills. This limit is required to match the limit set in your policy for Uninsured Motorist.

Recommendation on choosing your under insured motorist limit. Even though this coverage is option, I would recommend including it in your policy. Generally, the cost is about $2.00 a month, which is a small price to pay for the peace of mind it provides in knowing that you are taken care of even if there are irresponsible drivers on the road.

Comprehensive: This coverage is optional. Many people refer to comprehensive coverage as providing coverage against “acts of nature.” Some examples of covered instances would be windshield cracks, deer hits, hail damage, vandalism, etc. Your policy will list a deductible for this coverage, which means that you will be responsible for a set amount of money if there is a loss, and your insurance company will pay for the remaining reasonable costs to fix or replace the vehicle.

Collision: This coverage is optional. This coverage will shroud repairs or the replacement of your vehicle minus any depreciation, if you are in an accident that is deemed your fault. If you carry this coverage on your policy, similar to comprehensive coverage, you will have a deductible, or set amount of money you will be responsible for before the insurance company will pay for the remaining reasonable costs left over for the repairs or replacement of your vehicle.

Recommendation on choosing whether or not to carry comprehensive and collision coverage: The first step is to ask yourself several questions about your vehicle and your financials. Is your vehicle over ten years customary? Do you have a loan on it? How much would your vehicle be worth as blue book value? Would you be able to afford to pay for damages out of pocket if your vehicle was severely damaged or needed to be replaced? If your vehicle is over ten years old, unless it is in immaculate condition, it may not be worth paying extra for comprehensive or collision coverage. However, if you still have a loan on your vehicle, the bank usually will require you to carry this coverage on your policy, no matter what the value or age. Also, if your vehicle is not worth great anymore due to mileage, condition, or age, it may not be worth paying the premium for these coverages as compared to what you will actually get for the vehicle if something happens to it. A top-notch rule of thumb is that if you can afford to construct small repairs or replace the vehicle out of pocket, you should not carry these coverages, as it will cost you more money in the long run.

Emergency Roadside Service: This coverage is optional and usually varies from company to company. Many times it will include towing costs up to a certain distance or amount of money if your vehicle breaks down. Also, some policies may also cover costs for a locksmith and labor costs when you run out of gas or get a flat tire.

Recommendation on whether or not to carry emergency roadside service coverage: Many people carry this coverage on their auto insurance policies as it is usually the least expensive route when compared to companies who offer towing packages, such as AAA. However, if you have a package through AAA or through the dealership you purchased your car from, it would not be necessary.

Rental Reimbursement: This coverage is optional. If you carry this coverage on your auto policy, you will be allotted a specified amount of money to put towards a rental vehicle if your car is being repaired due to a covered loss. Many times the coverage will be listed in two categories: maximum payout per day and maximum payout per occurrence; for example, 30/750, means you would have $30 to put towards a rental vehicle per day with a maximum of $750 paid out per occurrence.

Recommendation on whether or not to carry rental reimbursement coverage: You should carry this coverage on your policy if you would have no other vehicle to use if yours was being repaired. Again, AAA or similar companies may offer this coverage in their packages, and if you have a package that includes it, it is not necessary to include this coverage in your auto insurance policy.

Overall, each auto insurance policy may be worded a bit differently and each person has a different need for the limit of insurance and which coverages they carry on their policy. The best advise would be to make determined and schedule a yearly insurance review with your agent, as life changes, and your policies should keep up. You agent will make sure your limits are adequate and that your policy includes personalized coverages that fit your particular needs. If you do not have an insurance agent or your agent does not provide these services, it is best you find another company, as you can pay really cheap rates…but chances are your coverage will fall short when you really need it and most people work too hard for a living to take that chance.