Gift Focus - Jul/Aug 2018 (Issue 108)

Is your selfie jeopardising your security, and are there really ways to control your employers’ liability costs? Insurance broker TH March answers your need-to-know questions… How safe are your selfies? SELFIE SECURITY While social media can be a valuable tool for entertainment and communication, it can also open the door to crime. When you share pictures of your location or possessions on social media, you enable criminals to target you for criminal behaviour. None of your social media posts are ever truly private. And can you really trust all of your “friends” on social media networks? With that in mind, follow these tips to stay safe while enjoying social media: 1. Monitor what you share. A simple selfie can give away more information than you think. Wearing a certain logo or revealing certain landmarks in a picture can clue a criminal into your location. Don’t forget that considerations like age and gender must be protected too. Remember to only add people on social media whom you know and trust. 2. Turn off geolocation settings. Every smartphone has location settings imbedded. If you don’t turn these settings off, apps can then use your location data for their benefit. When you post from a certain location, not only does the app know where you are but it often shares your location as well. Protect yourself by denying apps from using your location for their advantage. 3. Understand that nothing on social media is private. If you wouldn’t share something in person, don’t share it on social media. Be especially cautious of posts that are public, such as on Twitter. Anyone can find you through a hashtag and then discover your profile in an instant. Always err on the side of caution and privacy when posting. WAYS TO CONTROL YOUR EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY COSTS We are often asked for advice regarding employers’ liability insurance, so here are a few tips that should help readers negotiate this often tricky subject. Be aware that insurers will likely analyse your claims history when underwriting your employers’ liability premium, so it follows that if you can help to control your claims, you could lower the price you have to pay. Q: What should I do if/when an accident happens? Investigate accidents immediately and thoroughly. Take corrective action to eliminate hazards, and be aware of fraud. Q: What should I do straight away? Report all claims to your insurer immediately. Alert the insurer to any serious, potentially serious or suspect claims. Frequently monitor the status of the claim, and communicate with the adjuster to resolve them as quickly as possible. Q: On return to work, how do I deal with an injured employee? Take an aggressive approach to providing light duty to all injured employees upon their release from treatment. Supervise light-duty employees to ensure their conformance with restrictions. Q: What about more serious cases? In serious cases that involve lost time, communicate with the loss adjuster to demonstrate your interest in returning the injured employee back to gainful employment. Q: Do I get colleagues involved? Set safety performance goals for those with supervisory responsibility. Success in achieving safety goals should be used as one measure during performance appraisals. Q: What procedures should I put in place? Develop a written safety programme, and train employees in their responsibilities for safety. Incorporate a disciplinary policy into the programme that holds employees accountable for breaking rules and rewards them for correctly following safety procedures. Frequently communicate with employees, both formally and informally, regarding the importance of safety. And make safety an absolute priority. Lead from the front! Senior management must be visible in the safety effort and must support improvement. Q: What about keeping records? Evaluate accident history and near-misses at least monthly. Look for trends in experience. Take corrective action on the worst problems first. Talk to your insurance broker if you have any questions at all – they are there to help! Further information: TH March is a chartered firm of insurance brokers. Established in 1887, the company has offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Sevenoaks, as well as its National Administration Centre in Yelverton near Plymouth. To find out more, call +44 (0)1822 855 555 email giftware@thmarch.co.uk , or visit the website thmarch.co.uk 144 giftfocus

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