March 2, 2021
Potential Environmental and Regulatory Liabilities at Real Estate Entities
The most common environmental and regulatory exposures encountered by real estate entities include: Contaminants from known and unknown historical usage/operations or neighboring properties. Investigation and defense due to local and regional soil and groundwater contamination. Air emissions from ammonia-based refrigeration systems. Construction debris containing hazardous materials (e.g. paint cans, tars, etc.) Sick Building Syndrome (i.e....
February 24, 2021
OSHA’s Latest COVID-19 Guidance for the Construction Sector
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout offers significant promise in the ongoing effort to curb the pandemic. However, even in the midst of this rollout, it’s vital for employers to promote workplace health and safety measures to protect their staff from COVID-19 exposures. The construction industry is no exception to these protective measures, especially considering that most...
February 18, 2021
Maintaining Effective Sprinkler Heads
Sprinkler heads are largely responsible for detecting the presence of a fire at your commercial property and activating the sprinkler system’s water dispersal capabilities—thus suppressing the flames and mitigating damage. Data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) suggests that effective sprinkler systems can reduce total deaths and property loss from fire incidents by over...
February 17, 2021
Commercial Vacancies Are Reaching New Highs: How To Make The Most Of 2021’s Opportunities
By the end of 2021, some people will have returned to work on-site, but many others will never return. The pandemic has permanently changed how and where millions of people will work in the future. The change is expected to have a significant impact on real estate markets nationwide. Although some people, myself included, have...
February 16, 2021
Employers Concerned About Mental Health, Stress Impact on Safety
More than 90% of employers are concerned about mental health and chronic stress impacting their workers’ fitness for duty, according to the results of a survey released Monday by the National Safety Council. The Itasca, Illinois-based council surveyed employers about workplace impairment in 2020, finding that 93% of employers believe that fitness for duty extends...
February 1, 2021
OSHA Issues New Prevention Guidance on COVID-19 in the Workplace
On Jan. 29, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The guidance is intended to inform employers and workers in settings outside of health care of the risks of being exposed to or contracting COVID-19 at work. This guidance is meant...
January 29, 2021
Hard Property Market To Continue in 2021, With Higher Rates, New Exclusions: RPS
The property insurance market will continue to harden through 2021, with rising exposures and reinsurance costs driving primary rates higher, according to a report from wholesale broker Risk Placement Services (RPS). RPS expects rate increases in the high-single digits to 15% range on clean accounts. Increases are expected to be higher on accounts with losses....
January 28, 2021
Most Costly OSHA Violations for the Construction Industry
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) keeps records not only of the most frequently cited standards overall, but also within particular industries. An analysis of the most recent statistics from OSHA reveals the top standards cited in the fiscal year 2020 for the construction industry (NAICS 23). Many of these recurring violations are associated...
January 26, 2021
CDC Provides Guidance on Ventilation in Buildings
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a webpage providing guidance on ventilation in buildings to reduce COVID-19 exposure indoors. The CDC provides recommendations on what heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) strategies employers should use to lower the risk of exposure to COVID-19 throughout the workplace. One of the recommendations is...
January 18, 2021
5 Mental Health Employee Benefits Trends for 2021
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have reported increases in anxiety, depression and thoughts of suicide. The toll that the pandemic takes on mental health increases daily. Before the pandemic, 5% of employed workers reported poor or very poor mental health. Now, 18% of employed workers struggle with mental health issues. The COVID-19...