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Improving Safety in the Workplace: Drone Inspections

The versatility of drones is immense when it comes to accessing areas that were impossible or difficult to access before. The professional drone pilots that work with top drone companies and the military are nothing short of incredible. There are even drone racing leagues that can be viewed on various channels online and on television.

Drones have grown in personal usage popularity although there are some unfortunate amateurs that break their drones on the first flight. The ability to capture a beautiful view without putting yourself in peril has taken videography and photography to the next level. Commercial usage of drones is growing due to the incredible amount of ground that can be covered. Surveying an area has now become far more accurate and rapid due to drone imaging technology.

Imaging is a huge aspect of drone usage but so is the inspection of assets such as transmission and distribution lines, bridges or other areas of infrastructure. Accidental falls from heights are the main cause of death in construction workers. Doing a final inspection from a height can lead insurance costs for a business owner to skyrocket. Drone inspection helps mitigate risk which makes a worksite far safer. Inspecting a road is a perfect example as an inattentive driver can lead to the deaths of workers.

Pipelines can take hundreds of hours to inspect manually while presenting danger. The last thing anyone wants is chemicals to injure you or impact your health long-term. The fact that thermal imaging can be done on the pipeline makes it easier to find cracks or holes. Not to mention that these need to be scaled and can be quite slippery for an individual to traverse.

Adopting a comprehensive drone program as part of safety inspections has proven very effective for many industries. The number one benefit is that safety is improved when compared to more traditional methods. Additionally a drone inspection can be carried out quicker, and if the inspection is of an industrial plant then production does not have to be stopped for as long. The ability to inspect an industrial plant without stopping production pays for the drone inspection in itself. Today’s world is all about productivity and the bottom line which has led a number of industries to investigate the usage of drones.

Drones can also be used to assess natural disaster damage, which tends to be easier, quicker, and safer than teams on the ground. Drones can provide real-time footage for rescue teams, and help find people in distress. Infrastructure inspection during this time can be lifesaving as a downed electrical line can be deadly. The last thing anyone wants is more lives ruined after a natural disaster as the recovery process is already difficult enough.

Saving Money in the Process

Safety is most important in the workplace only to be followed by profit margins. Drone usage for inspections and a number of other areas can save time and money. Staying on schedule for a project is far easier when drones are being used to inspect an asset, rather than every measure that would need to be in place to physically scale and inspect a structure.

Solar farms are something that need to be inspected to ensure they are working efficiently and no panels are overheating. Doing this through thermal imaging can help make solar power more efficient. The ability to repair a panel that is not working at full capacity will help maximize the ROI on the panel. Improving clean energy is just the beginning as efficiency has always been a concern of critics of natural energy.

Drones are a part of the future that we need to get used to in a variety of areas. With Amazon testing out drone delivery, it could only be a matter of time before we see drones daily if we do not already. Drones improve the safety of a number of inspections and will continue to be adopted internationally. Finding a top company to assist with an inspection with licensed drone pilots, which is required for commercial use is imperative. FlyGuys can assist with your drone inspection needs and can provide a top drone pilot for your project/inspection.

How Companies Are Transforming The Workplace Dining Experience

There was a time when corporations weren’t horribly concerned about what was on the menu at their employee cafeterias. Those workers who weren’t brown bagging it from home were lucky to get a hot meal served at work. More often than not, they were fed from company leased vending machines.

But the “foodie” movement of the last decade that has affected how meals are served everywhere from restaurants to public schools has at last come to the business world.

Research has shown that businesses that provide filling, nutritious, appealing meals to workers are more likely to have productive and focused ones. And the disappearance of employee automats aren’t the only in house dining changes employers are making these days. Read on to learn of new changes impacting corporate food services.

1. Employee Expectations Are Greater

The “foodie” movement is no longer a novelty. One no longer needs to be a nutritionist to be aware of calories and the risks and benefits of certain kinds of food. The popularity of cooking television programs, classes, and books means that people are far more knowledgeable about how food is prepared and where it came from. This means that corporate food services need to offer workers not only more healthy eating options, but more ethnic and cultural choices as well.

2. Micro Meals

Research indicates that it’s healthier to eat many small meals throughout the day as opposed to three larger ones. Combine this trend with the on the go habits of many workers, and changes are being seen to dining facilities themselves. These areas are becoming smaller and more informal. The fare served at them seems to be more along the lines of snacks. But don’t expect soda and potato chips. Options include organic juices and teas, healthy salads, soups, and granola.

3. Eating Healthy

You are what you eat, and employers have been taking this saying very seriously over the last decade. As a result, many corporations have instituted “wellness programs” that focus on exercise and diet. These programs have proved very successful, with many companies reporting a near 80 percent employee compliance rate. In many cases, corporations are now hiring staff nutritionists in addition to offering healthy dining choices.

4. Knowing Where That Food Is Coming From

Restaurants are doing it. So are schools. And households are increasingly taking long looks at where their groceries are coming from and how they are produced. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that many businesses have adopted “responsible and sustainable food” policies for their own dining facilities. These include:

providing food histories to employees
responsible reuse and disposal of leftovers
investing in projects like community gardens

5. If You Build It, They Would Come

Surveyed employees have indicated that they would use a new or upgraded dining facility if their corporation offered one. Employees who have utilized dining facilities made available through employers report more chances to professionally collaborate, and companies experience greater overall workplace morale. As a result, employers are making increasing dining facility investments including better food, new furnishings, and even WiFi.

One additional trend as a result of these other trends is the increasing use of offsite food services. Flexible, trendy, and often cheaper than in house food services, the use of these businesses is expected to increase over time. This is good news for such business owners, as corporations increasingly and appreciatively take another look at that lowly lunchroom.

Article Sources:

http://www.corporatediningservices.com/cafeteria-management/food-services-for-companies.htm

http://www.foodservicedirector.com/research/big-picture/articles/impact-technology-foodservice

https://totalfood.com/technology-improves-organizational-health-healthcare-foodservice-operations/

Meeting Health And Safety Standards As A Business Owner

Those who own and run a company that inhabits an office or retail space and employ a number of staff need to make sure their premises and business practices meet health and safety standards set by local authorities and government bodies so that they steer clear of financial and legal penalties, as well as harm to staff. In order to keep your staff, yourself, and your business safe, owners need to make sure that they meet these standards in the property, or space that they occupy.

To ensure that their premises is safe, accessible and meeting the health and safety standards required, a business owner may need to make appropriate changes to the premises, or their daily routine, to guarantee that their company operates in a safe way.

Security and Safety

Businesses should make sure that their premises are both secure and safe so that they can prevent damage to property and injury to staff and customers. Business owner’s whose offices or retails spaces occupy the upper storeys of a building should make sure that their windows are safe and are only able to be partially opened to prevent serious injury from falling, and have suitable locks to help to help deter criminal activities.

Security measures also need to be applied to doors, and businesses that possess valuable items may want to make use of pin entry system as a precautionary measure. A business needs to also consider how they would evacuate a property and therefore management need to adhere to a building’s fire evacuation procedure, or create one of their own that will allow customers and staff to exit safely should an incident occur.

Access for All

Businesses in any industry need to make sure that their premises are accessible to all. In the UK, businesses need to comply with The Equality Act 2010 and make appropriate changes that allow for those with disabilities to easily enter and use the property and
space. Installing ramps and automatic doors will help those less able gain access to the premises.

Regulate Breaks

When employing individuals, businesses should adhere to the legal requirements in regards to regular breaks and working hours. Anyone who is over 18 and works more than six hours a day or shift is legally entitled to a 20 minute break, but businesses whose employees work in manual labour or spend their day using a computer may want to provide longer, or more regular breaks to avoid reduction of productivity and health issues.

Clean Work Space

The area in which your business operates should be kept to a high standard of cleanliness so as to avoid illness, contamination, and pests. An unclean premises can lead to serious problems in regards to employee performance, customer satisfaction, and even building structure if neglected for an extensive period of time. All of these problems can leave a business failing and unable to make a profit. By ensuring that your workplace is regularly cleaned and tidied by a professional office cleaner, your business can avoid any financial and legal problems that may arise from an unkempt office space and ensure that daily running and productivity is maintained at a high level.

Trained First Aider

Having a trained First Aider who is employed by your business means that should any incidents occur that require medical assistance, there is instant help available. Businesses will want to provide First Aid training courses for a select amount of their employees so that accidents and incidents that happen in the workplace can be quickly taken care of and assessed as to whether further medical assistance is needed.

About the Author: Beth Stubbings thinks that it is important for all businesses to be conscious of health and safety not only because they need to meet legal requirements, but also because of the effect it has on profits and staff productivity. She would recommend Bristol Cleaners to companies that require an office cleaning service for their business.

Cheated By The Fine Print? Contractors And Worker’s Comp

Independent contractors are eligible to file for workers’ compensation if they have their own workers’ compensation insurance or if they were hired to do a job by a company that provides these benefits.Landscapers, skilled tradespeople, painters, construction and domestic workers, and other types of independent contractors are deceived into believing that they are not entitled to workers’ compensation because they are not regular employees of a company. However, they are entitled to workers’ compensation in certain instances.

Companies who hire uninsured independent contractors to do a job must provide workers’ compensation insurance for them and anyone else the independent contractor hires to work on the job. So, independent contractors are entitled to workers’ compensation just like a company’s regular employees.

According to Stokes & Kopitsky, “Even if you work for a subcontractor who claims he is not responsible for providing
workers’ compensation, an experienced premises liability lawyer can help you find a general contractor or union that is. Independent contractors may have a personal injury claim for negligence that is not barred by workers’ compensation law.”

Independent Contractor or Employee?

Independent contractors differ from employees in the sense that they work for themselves whereas an employee works for a company. Independent contractors determine their own work hours, have their own tools or materials, get paid by the job, and pay their own local, state and federal taxes. Independent contractors are not covered by certain labor and employee laws. To cover themselves if they are injured on the job, independent contractors should purchase their own liability insurance and a workers’ compensation insurance policy.

Employees, on the other hand, earn wages and are obligated to follow the rules of the company who pay
s them. A company sets employees’ work hours, provides employees with tools and materials to do their job and withholds the local, state and federal taxes from their paychecks. Employees are protected by labor and employment laws and are entitled to workers’ compensation if they are injured on the job.

Misclassification of Employees

A debate has been raging for quite some time now over companies that classify an employee as an independent contractor. Companies save money in misclassifying employees because they are not obligated to withhold income taxes and provide benefits, such as overtime, unemployment insurance and family and medical leave.

The U.S. Labor Department has joined with states to look into this problem and is holding companies liable when they are found to have intentionally misclassified workers. Because the state and federal governments a
re working with the IRS over this issue, companies have been advised to review the status of each employee to make sure they are in compliance with federal and state labor laws.

Providing Benefits for Independent Contractors

Under the federal Fair Play Act, independent contractors carry the status of “employee” of companies who hire them. This is why a company who hires an uninsured independent construction worker to perform a job must provide workers’ compensation benefits.

If you are an independent contractor without workers’ compensation insurance, it would be to your advantage to purchase an insurance policy. However, if you have been told that you are not entitled to workers’ compensation, research federal laws and laws of your state or contact a workers’ compensation lawyer to get clarification before addressing the matter with the company who hired you

About the Author: Domonique Powell is an independent contractor who enjoys sharing information with others.

Is a Company Softball Team A Good Idea?

If most of us are honest with ourselves, we’d much rather be out with our friends having fun than at work. Even when we like our coworkers, it’s preferable to meet outside of the confines of work. While it’s true that coworkers sometimes find time to hang out away from the office, it’s hard to get everyone together at once. Many companies, however, have solved this issue by starting company softball teams. Workers all over the country get a kick out of participating in these “leagues,” but it’s important to remember that, with everything in life, a little bad always comes with the good.

Benefits of Company Softball Leagues

1) Morale Some benefits of hosting or being involved in a company softball league are rather obvious. Most people would automatically, and correctly, assume that this practice can increase worker morale. Additionally, a great deal of good publicity can come when the surrounding public recognizes that the company is engaged in enjoyable events. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to frequent an organization that takes the time in life to have fun?

2) Networking There are, however, a few lesser known benefits that those involved in a softball league can gain. For instance, these gatherings are a great way for employees to meet others to whom they’ve yet to be introduced. Knowing more people in the company is a quick way to get called on for special projects and even potential promotions.

3) Teamwork Additionally, the company will also benefit because the games will strengthen the relationships between workers and increase their ability to work together. This is really a priceless benefit when it comes to team and worker productivity. Some of the benefits for the employees, however, are even more important than they could imagine.

4) Performer Rewards Employees who choose to participate will also see benefits if the company ever falls onto difficult times. If employers have to choose a few specific people to let go, they’re much less likely to lay off those who actively made an effort to be part of the company’s social network.

Disadvantages of Company Softball Leagues

1) Behavior Issues Sadly, there are going to be some disadvantages related to company softball leagues, but most of these issues are related to mistakes and outright misbehavior by those in attendance. Bad sportsmanship, for instance, can ruin the entire atmosphere of the day and turn a fun event into a serious issue. Even worse, if the general public sees an employee act out of line, it will reflect badly on the entire company.

2) Injuries It’s also a problem when employees become injured during these games. A bit of unfair play or a simple misstep on the field can lead to a serious injury. This is bad for the employee, but it can also be detrimental for the company. Asking a Calabasas or a Charlotte personal injury attorney, you’ll find that laws governing work-related injuries not really “work-related” are complex, and this can lead to serious legal issues for the employer and their injured worker.

3) Compensation Disputes The bigger problem for an employee will arise after they’re injured at the game. They are often entitled to one form of compensation or another, but considering the fact that the injury didn’t actually happen during the course of one’s work duties, it’s likely that an employer will want to avoid paying extensive benefits. This makes it likely that an injured worker will want to get an injury attorney.

It’s a great thing for coworkers to come together and enjoy each other through a bit of outside-of-work competition. Even with the potential hazards of hosting a company softball team, the act itself carries numerous benefits which usually outweigh the potential risks. It’s simply important to have a few ground rules laid out, including sportsmanship and safety issues, to ensure that a company softball game is an enjoyable success.

A recreational athlete, Ann Bailey posts these notes to encourage company team sports, for benefit to both the business and the employee. Working to protect the rights of clients in injury cases, the Charlotte personal injury attorney group, Auger & Auger Attorneys at Law, advises both business owners and workers in all aspects of resolving compensation issues in company sports incidents.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cgabc/6046619514/