In the Photo: The American Red Cross Team; Stephanie Ceccherini of Workforce Wellness; Bob Lipman of WTPL, 107.7 FM, The Pulse; Bob Lobel of WTPL, 107.7 FM, The Pulse; Zach Lawson of The Scott Lawson Companies; and Scott Lawson of The Scott Lawson Companies.

The Scott Lawson Companies hosted their 3rd Annual Blood Drive & Wellness Fair on Tuesday, June 5. The American Red Cross team was there with the blood bus collecting blood. Between staff and numerous guests, 24 pints of blood were donated. The Bob Lobel show from WTPL, The Pulse, was there to promote the event. A big thanks to everyone who helped make the day a success!

In the Photo: The American Red Cross Team; Stephanie Ceccherini of Workforce Wellness; Bob Lipman of WTPL, 107.7 FM, The Pulse; Bob Lobel of WTPL, 107.7 FM, The Pulse; Zach Lawson of The Scott Lawson Companies; and Scott Lawson of The Scott Lawson Companies.

The Scott Lawson Companies hosted their 3rd Annual Blood Drive & Wellness Fair on Tuesday, June 5. The American Red Cross team was there with the blood bus collecting blood. Between staff and numerous guests, 24 pints of blood were donated. The Bob Lobel show from WTPL, The Pulse, was there to promote the event. A big thanks to everyone who helped make the day a success!

The New Hampshire Job Training Fund, in collaboration with the Community College System of New Hampshire, focuses on helping businesses train and retain the skilled workers they need to remain a viable New Hampshire business. Since 2007, the state has issued more than $4.6 million in grants to help train over 13,000 current and new workers. In that time, there has only been 13 Sigma-One Members and Zero LISIG Members to take advantage of this state grant. This left us, as your workers’ compensation third party administrator, bewildered. Do our Members just not know the funding is available to them, are they being denied the grant, is the application process too arduous? So we did some research. We sat down with two Sigma-One Trust Members who are recent recipients of the grant so we could give you the full inside scoop.

Special Hermetic Products, Inc., a manufacturer of hermetic seals, received a grant to have 9 staff members participate in solder training held at their facility in Wilton, NH. The manufacturer has various competitors world-wide, but most importantly they ship their products overseas, requiring them to maintain specific ISO certifications. “Our customers require us to hold a certification in soldering,” said Joan Poulicakos, director of human resources. “The solder training has allowed us to maintain our certification, which is important to our overall success as a manufacturer.”

The participants ranged from new and current solder department employees, inspectors and engineers. “It was helpful to have other staff members outside of the solder department participate in the training,” said Melissa Crooker, solder/epoxy department supervisor. “The inspectors and engineers don’t normally get to see the process from start to finish, which allows them to see the ins and outs.”

When asked about how they discovered the NH Job Training Fund, Joan said, “From the Manchester Area Human Resources Association. They reached out to us, because we’re members, informing us of the grants.” Joan emphasized that she feels the information for the program is not readily available and should be promoted by the state NH’s business community. “We [Special Hermetic Products, Inc.] knew we needed to provide our staff with the solder training. It was just a matter of budgeting for it,” Joan said. “So as soon as we found the NH Job Training matching grant program, we applied.”

Joan described the application process as well-managed, but rather intense. From the sixteen packet submission just to qualify to the ten-member Job Training Grant Review Committee and their questions Joan said, “We really appreciated Kathy DeRoches (director of workforce development, Manchester Community College) help through this process. She was right there guiding and coaching us making sure we collected and provided the appropriate documentation.”

D.S. Cole Growers, a wholesale grower of annual plants, located in Loudon, NH had a very similar experience.

Nurseries are a fascinating industry – differentiated by an innate sense of traditionalism, proprietary knowledge and profound beauty. However, the nursery and landscaping trades continue to face challenges due to relatively low consumer spending, housing sector issues, elevated transportation costs, marketplace uncertainty and labor availability. For the 150,000 square foot commercial greenhouse, D.S. Cole Growers, these challenges have not been easy to overcome.

“We have quite a bit of competition to worry about,” said Doug Cole, owner of D.S. Cole Growers. “We compete against the large, 100 acre greenhouses who sell to the Wal-Marts of the world, and on top of that we’re fighting against the shrinking pie of smaller, similar to our size greenhouses who are all competing for the small to medium, Mom & Pop customers. We’re also shipping a little closer to home because transportation costs are so high, which can be rather limiting.”

As a wholesale grower, D.S. Cole Growers, combines elements of the manufacturing and distribution industries. They were aware that there may have been some inefficiencies in their business process, and identifying and eliminating them would contribute to their success through these challenging times. The company determined training on value stream mapping, a lean manufacturing technique, would best suit their needs. However, like most businesses who have survived the last few years, cash for training like this is not always readily available. Leaving the company to ask, “is this training a necessity or a luxury?”

D.S. Cole Growers decided to seek help from the State of New Hampshire. They discovered the New Hampshire Job Training Fund through a local reference who had gone through the process. “I’m so happy we decided to seek grant money,” said Doug. “The training has done great things for not only the individual employees who participated in the training, but our business as a whole is really reaping the benefits. Our employees have truly come together as an empowered and enthusiastic team with one goal in mind: to complete the job on time, the first time, with minimum waste. We’ve seen growth across the board! This was a no brainer for us.”

Overall, Comp-SIGMA Ltd supports this program and strongly recommends that our Members take advantage of it when needed. We recognize that our Members continue to express a need for a highly-skilled workforce. The NH Job Training Fund has assisted businesses across the state by providing a timely and practical tool to meet training needs. The grants match up to 100% of what a company spends on training. We believe upgrading the skills of your workforce will allow your business to expand and grow, as well as improve New Hampshire’s overall economy.

For more information visit the NH Job Training Fund website, located at www.nhjobtrainingfund.org.

The site, www.scottlawsoncompanies.com, has been updated with a fresh layout, and more intuitive navigation to better explain and promote services offered by The Scott Lawson Companies. The updated site also provides quick access to popular resources like training, marketing materials, social media links, featured articles, newsletters and online claim reporting.

HealtheRoads™ is a new online wellness resource that allows wellness program clients to access the lastest wellness news and tips, participate in challenges, track goals using the confidential journal, participate in group forum discussions and contact their wellness coach. The portal is neatly integrated with the company’s conventional face-to-face wellness coaching, and was designed to enhance the overall experience of the client.

Both sites were designed to be more streamlined, and will be continuous works in progress. The Scott Lawson Companies will consistently update the sites with better resouces and information for all things related to workplace safety, health and wellness.

About The Scott Lawson Companies

Scott Lawson Group, Ltd. (SLGL), Comp-SIGMA Ltd., and Workforce Wellness LLC are subsidiaries of The Scott Lawson Companies. Scott Lawson Group, Ltd. is one of the leading worker health & safety consulting firm in New England; Comp-SIGMA Ltd. is a third party administrator for workers’ compensation in N.H.; and Workforce Wellness LLC provides on site wellness programs and health risk assessments that work to improve the health of employees and lower the cost of group health insurance.

Located in Concord, New Hampshire, The Scott Lawson Companies have been providing total workforce preservation since 1978 and have served over 5,000 customers nationwide. The Scott Lawson Companies are on the web at www.scottlawsoncompanies.com.

Establish a Culture of Safety

Proactive loss prevention is absolutely essential for work environments. Maintaining proper safety throughout an organization can decrease the occurrence of injuries which will ultimately lower your workers‘ comp claims. We encourage our clients to exhaust all efforts in order to prevent losses before they happen.

Fraudulent Claims

While maintaining proper safety is critical for injury prevention, employers must also be well prepared for when an injury does occur. Legitimate or not. With recent economic events, employers have seen spikes in workers‘ comp claims following, and often just before, layoffs. Many workers will consider reopening or a filing a new workers‘ comp claim as a source of income.

For many of our clients, we suggest that they diligently conduct ongoing testing of assorted physical functions related to a job within their organization, such as hearing exposure. This will give employers the most accurate baseline measurement that they can track and respond to quickly at the first sign of problems, instead of after a claim has been filed.

Making the Right Hires

Fortunately the economy appears to be strengthening, and many of our clients are experiencing an increase in orders and are rehiring to keep up with production demands. Whether our clients are hiring 1 or ten new workers, we encourage them to adopt at least two practices to avoid hiring high-risk workers.

Before a new worker is hired, it is important that a pre-employment physical be conducted. The potential hire will be screened by a doctor to ensure that he/she can safely perform the job, and any prior physical ailments will be identified and recorded.

Once a potential hire has been deemed a good fit for an organization, a thorough new hire orientation must be completed to familiarize the new hire with the work environment and to ensure he/she has a strong understanding of what is required from his/her position.

Employers can’t completely eliminate all risks involved, but there steps that can be taken to prepare for defending against those risks. Managing workers’ comp takes foresight, preparation and execution, but business owners and managers don’t have to go at it alone. Comp-SIGMA can help!

To read the full article, click here! 

Comp-Sigma’s Loss Control team has collected data from claims they have managed in the past, and found that the frequencies of injuries are great and also extremely costly.

Some common orientation mistakes are overwhelming the employee with to much information and names packed into one day, showing long orientation movies, and failing to properly prepare for the new hires arrival.  Instead, try getting their families involved in the process, and giving the employees enough work to be productive on their first days.  Also, providing orientations that are not rushed or boring helps keep their interest level high and always use feedback to improve their job tasks.

Proper new hire orientation can raise safety awareness, prevent costly injuries and lead to an increase in production.  Plan ahead, and provide enough training for your new hires!  You will be glad that you did.

There are six key elements OSHA sees as necessary components of a successful prevention program, they are:

1. Management Leadership
2. Worker Participation
3. Hazard Identification
4. Hazard Prevention
5. Control, Education & Training
6. Program Evaluation & Improvement

Developing I2P2 into a standard is not an easy task; however, OSHA head, David Michaels called it the Agency’s highest priority of 2011.  Michaels and the Agency have been promoting the initiative heavily.  Michaels has made close to a dozen speeches since announcing the rule in April, the Agency has held five stakeholder meetings to get input on how to draft it and recently unveiled a new I2P2 webpage to increase interest in the coming initiative.

This is and will be a very important issue for business owners.  Keep checking back for the latest I2P2 information.

I was speaking with a co-worker one day, and she mentioned that a Bikram Yoga studio in town was giving a discount to employees, in our office, who wanted to try Yoga.  This was my opportunity to go with someone who was familiar with Yoga – so we picked a day and went after work.  When we got to the studio, we immediately took our shoes off.  Bikram is done in bare feet! I registered, grabbed a complimentary mat, and changed into running shorts and a tank top.  It is a good idea to spend five or ten minutes just laying in the room before class too…Oh yes, I forgot to mention that Bikram Yoga classes are done in heated rooms at 105 degrees fahrenheit.  Now, if you don’t like the heat that is OK!  Fortunately, the Bikram studio is a dry 105 degrees….but it is hot!

So if your still with me, and the temperature doesn’t bother you then we will keep going!  Studios and class sizes differ and I would guess there were roughly 20 people in class.  Mirrors positioned at the front of the room are extremely important because you need to concentrate hard on yourself and the postures.  It should be mentioned that not one person is going to look at you, and think your new!  Everyone is looking at themselves, so if your shy and you think Bikram isn’t for you…don’t be!  Each class begins with a set of breathing exercises which is nice, and then we begin the 26 postures.

I had no idea how to perform the postures, but the instructor is very informative and you can observe others if you need to.  I should mention that you will sweat the ENTIRE TIME.  It is a good idea to bring at least two bottles of cold water, and it is also important to go at your own pace.  If you need to lay down at anytime during the class you should.  I have spent half an hour just laying on the mat before, and concentrating on my breathing.  I have noticed lower stress levels and I am definitely more flexible after going to a handful of classes.  I encourage anyone who has ever wanted to try Yoga to check out a Bikram Studio.  I am very glad I did!

The Scott Lawson Companies, a leading Worker Health and Safety, Workers’ Comp Third Party Administrator and Employee Wellness firm in New England, is pleased to announce its recent hire of Miranda Yeaton, who will join The Scott Lawson team as the Marketing & Communications Coordinator. This new position was created in response to current economic challenges and the increased need to develop the brand as well as focus marketing strategies and activities.

“As the company has grown, and especially in this very turbulent economic time, we felt the need to execute a more focused marketing effort and it made good sense to bring portions of it in-house,” said Scott Lawson, President and Founder of The Scott Lawson Companies. “The outcome will hopefully be a more consistent marketing approach based on relationship development with clients and a more coordinated effort between our three companies, better delineation of account ownership and an ultimate increase in leads, prospects and sales.”

As a graduate of Newbury College, Yeaton studied Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and Finance.  She comes to us with over seven years of marketing and sales experience.  Yeaton will be filling a critical role in support of sales efforts. Marketing campaigns and strategies will be a primary objective. Other responsibilities include social media management and all communication and public relations, including press releases, quarterly newsletters, and advertising placements.

“Miranda’s experience and creativity make her a great fit for the company. We are delighted to welcome this talented young woman to our team,” said Scott.

About The Scott Lawson Companies

Scott Lawson Group, Ltd. (SLGL), Comp-SIGMA, Ltd., and Workforce Wellness are subsidiaries of The Scott Lawson Companies. The Scott Lawson Group, Ltd. is a leading worker health & safety and laboratory services firms in New England; Comp-SIGMA, Ltd. is a third party administrator for two of the Self Insured Trusts for workers’ compensation in N.H.; and Workforce Wellness provides on site wellness programs and health risk assessments that work to improve the health of employees and lower the cost of group health insurance.

Located in Concord, New Hampshire, The Scott Lawson Companies were founded by Scott Lawson in 1978 and have served nearly 5,000 customers nationwide. The Scott Lawson Companies are on the web at www.scottlawsoncompanies.com.

Contact
The Scott Lawson Companies
603.228.3610
info@slgl.com

SLC is celebrating Commute Green NH by launching their own challenge to their employees. Themes for each day of the week have been created to encourage employee participation.  “Our office is very team oriented,” said Stephanie Ceccherini, Wellness Coordinator, Workforce Wellness, a Scott Lawson Company.  “Our wellness team was excited to come up with creative ideas for Commute Green NH.  We felt the themes would allow for our employees to be on the same track and work together towards a common goal.”

The schedule is as follows:

Monday, May 16^th: Stay Put Day; Tuesday, May 17^th: Telecommute Day; Wednesday, May 18^th: Carpool Day; Thursday, May 19^th: Be Green Your Own Way Day; Friday, May 20: Bike To Work Day

“I’m really excited to be participating in Commute Green NH this year.  Aside from the environmental message and benefits, it’s an excellent employee wellness exercise, promoting physically and socially healthy alternatives for commuting to work,” said Zach Lawson, Vice President, The Scott Lawson Companies. “We have several team members that are already signed up for group bike rides to work, and many others that are coordinating carpooling. I am anxious to see the miles that our team saves, but even more so to experience the relationships that it bolsters.”

With all the opportunities for the employees to become involved, the wellness team anticipates a 100% employee participation rate.  “This is a hefty goal, but our employees value teamwork and service, and truly understand the positive effect their participation will have in the community,” said Ceccherini.  “As a company, we believe that providing workforces around the world with creative ways to improve the environment, boost team morale, and get people overall healthier is beneficial for everyone.”

About Commute Green New Hampshire

This year, the Commute Green New Hampshire is challenging employers, municipalities and schools to reduce 50,000 vehicle miles traveled from May 16-20 as part of the Statewide Challenge.  To participate in this exciting challenge, you simply need to live or work in New Hampshire. For more information, visit http://www.commutegreennh.org.

About The Scott Lawson Companies

Scott Lawson Group, Ltd. (SLGL), Comp-SIGMA, Ltd., and Workforce Wellness are subsidiaries of The Scott Lawson Companies.  Scott Lawson Group, Ltd. is one of the leading worker health and safety, and laboratory services firms in New England; Comp-SIGMA, Ltd. is a third party administrator for two of the Self Insured Trusts for workers’ compensation in N.H.; and Workforce Wellness provides on-site wellness programs and health risk assessments that work to improve the health of employees and lower the cost of group health insurance.

Located in Concord, New Hampshire, The Scott Lawson Companies were founded by Scott Lawson in 1978 and have served nearly 5,000 customers nationwide.  The Scott Lawson Companies are on the web at http://www.scottlawsoncompanies.com/

Contact

The Scott Lawson Companies

Miranda Yeaton, 603/228.3610

myeaton@slgl.com