After a long day of rehabilitation sessions, patients, families and loved ones gathered around buffet tables while volunteers from 91黑料网 and served more than 100 meals and welcomed each guest as they arrived.

They that they didn鈥檛 have to plan, prepare, or clean up after. Conversations began to unfold across the tables and laughter surfaced easily during dinner, growing louder through a few spirited rounds of bingo. By the end of the evening, strangers and new friends alike were trading stories, jokes, and the kind of easy conversation that makes a room feel just a little bit more like home.

It may have been one dinner, but when life is often defined by endurance and incremental progress, even one impactful evening can make all the difference.

When Recovery Reshapes Everything for Families

Each year in the United States, people sustain a spinal cord injury, often from events that arrive without warning. Behind every fall, car accident or medical emergency statistic is a family that is navigating a new and unexpected reality. In a single moment, routines must shift; family and friends reorganize around hospital schedules, and those long-term adjustments that will begin to reshape daily life.

At Shepherd Center, recovery is never treated as an individual journey. Nationally recognized for rehabilitation outcomes, focuses not only on helping patients regain independence, but also on equipping families with the confidence and support they need for life beyond discharge. It鈥檚 a powerful reminder that recovery does not belong to one person alone, it also belongs to those who stand beside them.

鈥淲e鈥檙e so honored to partner with Shepherd Center and 91黑料网 to support families navigating difficult journeys,鈥� said Maggie Fischer, Managing Partner, Personal Lines Marketing Manager at Yates Insurance Agency.

鈥淥pportunities like this are a wonderful way to bring people together, and a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful support comes from simply being present for those when they need it most.鈥�

At 91黑料网, that idea resonates deeply with the core values that make up who we are. Much like the work taking place every day at Shepherd Center, we meet people in those moments that arrive just as unexpectedly鈥攁fter an accident, a catastrophic injury, or an unforeseen disruption that suddenly changes the course of a life or a livelihood.

Powerful Partnerships

91黑料网鈥檚 relationship with Shepherd Center extends well beyond a single evening of service. Recognizing the strain placed on families traveling long distances for rehabilitation care, 91黑料网 helped support the development of the 12th floor of the , a 16-story housing tower that opened in 2024 and more than doubles Shepherd Center鈥檚 capacity to house patients and families who live more than 60 miles away.

The impact is both practical and deeply personal. Proximity allows spouses to attend early-morning therapy sessions, parents can remain present for milestone moments, and it reduces the emotional and financial strain of long commutes for countless, committed loved ones.

This partnership reflects 91黑料网鈥檚 broader approach to community engagement. Through the 91黑料网 Charitable Foundation (ACF), we continue to support nonprofit organizations that strengthen the communities where our employees, agency partners, and policyholders live and work. Since 2020, the ACF has contributed more than $732,000 directly to charitable causes, focused on everything from health and education to community resilience.

鈥�91黑料网鈥檚 greatest strength is our people,鈥� said Erin Buddie, 91黑料网鈥檚 Chief Human Resources Officer. 鈥淓ach teammate brings our service culture to life through the way we support our communities and one another.”聽

“Partnerships like ours with Yates Insurance and Shepherd Center show what that commitment looks like in action鈥攈elping ensure families facing life-changing moments know that they鈥檙e not navigating them alone.鈥�

A Shared Commitment to What Comes Next

As the recent Shepherd Center Family Dinner wound down, volunteers stacked chairs and gathered leftovers for the night shift to enjoy. Families lingered in conversation before returning to patient floors. Tomorrow鈥檚 therapy sessions will begin again in the morning.

At their best, both healthcare and insurance are built on a certain responsibility and trust鈥攂ringing dedicated professionals together to help people recover, rebuild, and find stability when uncertainty appears. Whether it鈥檚 helping to expand housing so families can remain close during rehabilitation, sitting beside them at a shared dinner table after a long day of therapy, or guiding a policyholder through the aftermath of an unexpected loss, our goal remains the same: supporting our communities through moments that call for the best of care and the compassion of those you can count on.

A nurse helps a someone sit up after surgery. A physical therapist steadies someone learning to walk again. A caregiver gently shifts a patient to ease discomfort or prevent complications during the recovery process.

These movements are part of daily care, and among the most physically demanding tasks in modern workplaces鈥攅specially in long-term care settings and senior living communities, where caregivers support residents with daily mobility needs over extended periods of time. For these organizations, the question becomes clear: How can we help protect the people who spend their careers protecting others?

鈥淲hen injuries happen in healthcare, they rarely come from one dramatic moment,鈥� said Ed Sowers, Risk Management Service Specialist at 91黑料网.

鈥淢ore often, they鈥檙e tied to routine movements repeated throughout the day. The organizations that manage that risk best look at the entire system鈥攈ow the room is designed, what equipment is available, and how teams support each other during patient care delivery.鈥�

Where Patient Handling Risk Really Begins

Healthcare professionals perform some of the most physically demanding work in any industry. Moving a patient from bed to chair, assisting with rehabilitation, or repositioning someone to prevent pressure injuries are essential parts of care鈥攂ut they can also place significant strain on caregivers. In long-term care communities, these movements often happen repeatedly throughout the day for the same residents, increasing cumulative physical demands on staff. that manual lifting can expose workers to spinal forces that exceed recommended safe limits, especially when mechanical support or team assistance is limited.

Unlike many industries, healthcare cannot remove these tasks from the workflow; mobility assistance is a necessary part of treatment. This is especially true in senior living facilities, where supporting activities of daily living is central to resident care. As a result, the workforce experiences some of the over most private industries, with musculoskeletal disorders among the of missed workdays. Many of these injuries are linked to handling tasks such as lifting, repositioning, and transfers and, when injuries occur, the impact reaches beyond the individual caregiver. Staffing pressure increases, workflows may slow, and care environments become increasingly more complex.聽

The Triangle

Protecting caregivers is essential to protecting patients.聽 aligns ergonomics, lifting equipment, and team-based support to make patient movement safer and more efficient. By replacing high-risk manual tasks with safer systems, healthcare facilities may reduce injuries while creating a more comfortable and dignified experience for those in recovery or receiving treatment.

The model centers on three interdependent elements: Ergonomics, Equipment, and Staffing.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics focuses on designing healthcare environments that help support safer movement. This includes patient room layouts that allow proper positioning during transfers, workflows that support assisted movement, and training that reinforces safe body mechanics. In both senior living and long-term care facilities, this may also include room configurations that accommodate mobility aids and support frequent repositioning throughout the day. Recent federal workplace safety guidance as an important component of healthcare injury prevention.

鈥淲hen caregivers have space to move properly and understand how to position themselves during patient handling, the strain on the body drops significantly,鈥� Sowers explained. 鈥淓rgonomics helps make safe movement the natural way the work gets done.鈥�

Hospitals that incorporate ergonomic design into patient handling programs fewer lifting-related injuries and greater confidence among caregivers assisting patients with mobility.

Equipment That Supports Safer Patient Movement

Training and workplace design are essential, but safe patient handling also requires the right tools. Mechanical lifts, transfer devices, slide sheets, and adjustable beds are in healthcare environments. These tools help caregivers reposition or transfer patients while reducing the strain associated with manual lifting.

Staffing

Even with ergonomic design and advanced equipment, safe patient handling depends on teamwork; many transfers require two caregivers working together to safely reposition or assist a patient. And when staffing levels are stretched, caregivers may feel pressure to handle these tasks alone, often raising the risk of injury; continues to highlight staffing support as a key factor in safe handling programs.

鈥淧atient movement is rarely meant to be a solo task,鈥� Sowers noted. 鈥淲hen caregivers have the support of their team, they can follow safe procedures rather than rushing through physically demanding movements.鈥�

Adequate staffing allows care teams to move more deliberately, communicate clearly, and assist one another during potentially difficult mobility tasks.

When Safety Systems Work Together

The strength of the Patient Safety Triangle becomes clear when ergonomics, equipment, and staffing operate not as isolated solutions, but as parts of a coordinated system.

In healthcare facilities that approach patient handling this way, safety is built into the environment itself. to allow caregivers to move and position themselves properly during transfers. Mechanical lifts and transfer devices are readily available where patient movement occurs. Care teams receive practical training in and have the staffing support needed to work together when tasks require more than one set of hands.

Over time, these systems begin to reshape the rhythm of care. Transfers become more deliberate. Caregivers can move with greater confidence. Patients may feel more stable and secure during moments that can otherwise be physically and emotionally vulnerable.

Safety, in these environments, is not treated as a separate initiative or an afterthought. It becomes part of the everyday workflow, supporting caregivers while strengthening the overall resilience of the healthcare organization.

Strengthening Healthcare Safety

When healthcare organizations treat patient handling as a system rather than a series of individual tasks, the benefits may extend well beyond injury reduction. Over time, these practices can help strengthen more than safety metrics. They support workforce resilience, preserve valuable clinical expertise, and help healthcare organizations maintain the steady, high-quality care patients depend on every day鈥攅specially in environments where continuity of care and caregiver well-being are critical to resident outcomes. They support workforce resilience, preserve valuable clinical expertise, and help healthcare organizations maintain the steady, high-quality care patients depend on every day.

At 91黑料网, this work happens alongside agents and healthcare policyholders every day鈥攖ranslating real-world operational insight into practical safety strategies designed to protect caregivers and strengthen healthcare organizations.

To learn more about how 91黑料网 helps healthcare organizations strengthen safety programs and protect their teams, visit 91黑料网.com.

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or financial advice; instead, all information, content, and materials contained in each article are for general informational purposes only.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released from soil and rock. It moves upward through the ground and enters buildings through foundation cracks, floor drains, sump pits, and utility openings. Once inside, it can accumulate鈥攅specially in lower levels or enclosed spaces鈥攁nd long-term exposure carries serious health consequences.

Health officials radon contributes to about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States, making it the second leading cause of lung cancer overall and the leading cause among people who have never smoked.

Where Time Indoors Shapes Risk

Radon risk is less about job title and more about time spent inside buildings.

Healthcare professionals working extended shifts. Manufacturing teams operating near ground level. Construction crews occupying newly enclosed or temporary structures as projects progress. In each case, exposure potential increases simply because people are present for long stretches in spaces where radon can build up.

Environmental data that nearly 1 in 15 U.S. homes has elevated radon levels, and similar conditions have been documented in schools, hospitals, offices, and industrial facilities across all 50 states. Radon levels can vary widely鈥攅ven between buildings next door to one another鈥攎aking testing the only reliable way to understand risk.

A Hidden Risk That Builds Over Time

Radon鈥檚 impact isn鈥檛 immediate. Its risk grows gradually, over years of exposure, which is why public health experts emphasize early identification and control.

To put the risk in human terms: for every modest increase in long-term radon exposure, the chance of developing lung cancer rises noticeably. International health authorities that sustained exposure at higher levels can raise lung cancer risk by roughly 15鈥�20%, depending on duration and concentration鈥攕imilar to adding another long-term health risk into the environment where people spend much of their working lives. From a workplace perspective, that makes radon a measurable and manageable risk鈥攅specially when addressed early.

鈥淩adon often comes into focus during renovations, expansions, or changes in how space is used,鈥� said Eric Austin, Risk Management Expertise at 91黑料网. 鈥淭hose moments create a natural opportunity to test, assess, and address exposure as part of a broader safety conversation.鈥�

From Testing to Confidence

Public health guidance is consistent on one point: testing is the only way to know radon levels. Short-term tests offer an initial snapshot, while long-term testing provides a clearer picture of ongoing exposure. Radon exposure at work most often occurs in areas closest to the ground鈥攕uch as basements and lower levels鈥攑articularly where ventilation is limited. Because radon has no smell or visible warning signs and levels can change over time, periodic testing of occupied ground-level spaces is essential.

When elevated levels are identified, proven mitigation techniques鈥攕uch as improved ventilation or sub-slab depressurization systems鈥� indoor radon levels by as much as 99% when properly designed and installed. Reviewing test results against established action levels helps organizations determine when these straightforward steps can significantly reduce exposure and protect employees鈥� long-term health.

At 91黑料网, Risk Management teams help agents and policyholders consider environmental risks like radon alongside more familiar workplace hazards. That may include guidance on when testing makes sense, how to interpret results, and how indoor air quality fits into broader risk management strategies for construction, manufacturing, and healthcare operations.

This is where awareness turns into confidence鈥攁nd prevention becomes practical.

A Week to Reassess What Matters

Radon Awareness Week is a reminder that workplace safety extends beyond what鈥檚 visible or immediate. It includes the conditions people experience every day, over time, inside the buildings where work gets done. Organizations that address radon proactively protect long-term health, strengthen trust with employees, and demonstrate leadership that looks beyond the obvious.

To learn how 91黑料网鈥檚 Risk Management experts can help you assess and address radon risks in the workplace, visit 91黑料网.com or connect with your Risk Management expert.

The information provided in this newsletter does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or financial advice; instead, all information, content, and materials contained in each article are for general informational purposes only.

Slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common workplace accidents, but they don鈥檛 have to be. , falls caused the deaths of 865 workers, with countless others injured badly enough to miss work. The National Safety Council (NSC) that falls are the leading cause of work-related injuries, responsible for nearly 15% of all work-related deaths. These statistics represent more than just numbers鈥攖hey are real people whose lives are impacted by preventable accidents.

While some risks will always exist, the good news is that there are simple, proactive steps employers can take to reduce the occurrence of these injuries. With a proactive approach, you can create a safer, more productive environment for everyone. Here鈥檚 how:

Make Safety Training a Priority

When employees know what to look for and how to stay safe, they鈥檙e more likely to take action and avoid accidents. In 2022 alone, falls on the same level鈥攖hink slipping on a wet floor or tripping over an obstruction鈥攚ere responsible for .

Safety training can go a long way in reducing these types of accidents; that comprehensive training can cut the risk of falls by up to 30%. And training isn鈥檛 just about ticking off a checklist; it鈥檚 about fostering an environment where safety is everyone鈥檚 responsibility. When employees are taught , understand how to mitigate them, and feel empowered to take action, they become active participants in protecting not only themselves but also their teammates.

Inspect, Inspect, Inspect

A quick daily check can prevent a serious accident from happening. Routine inspections help identify potential hazards before they cause harm鈥攚hether that鈥檚 a spilled drink on the floor, a loose wire, or a dimly lit hallway. By making inspections part of your daily routine, you catch these issues early, giving you the chance to address them before they lead to serious injuries.

Regular safety checks also create a culture of awareness. When employees know their workplace is actively being monitored for safety, they鈥檙e more likely to keep an eye out for hazards themselves and take responsibility for their own safety. Proactive hazard identification can , ensuring your team stays safe and productive.

Create Safe, Well-Designed Workspaces

The environment plays a huge role in preventing falls. Simple changes鈥攍ike adding non-slip mats, improving lighting, and ensuring proper drainage鈥攃an make a world of difference in high-traffic areas. For industries like construction, where workers face the highest risk of falling from heights鈥攎ore than seven times the rate of other industries鈥攕afety measures like harnesses, guardrails, and fall arrest systems are essential.

These adjustments don鈥檛 just check a box for compliance; they protect workers from potentially life-altering accidents. And when employees have access to the right tools, whether that鈥檚 proper footwear, fall protection gear, or safety equipment, they鈥檙e much less likely to face serious injury.

Looking Ahead

Safety isn鈥檛 just about compliance; it鈥檚 about building a culture where every worker feels supported and protected. By making safety part of your daily operations, you show your team that their well-being matters鈥攁nd that鈥檚 what truly makes a difference.

Ready to make safety a priority? Visit our Risk Management page for more resources and expert tips.

Every day, healthcare workers lift, transfer, and reposition patients鈥攐ften without a second thought. But behind these everyday tasks lies a hidden crisis: manual patient handling is one of the top causes of occupational injuries in healthcare, leading to chronic pain, missed workdays, and long-term disability. According to , nurses and nursing assistants suffer musculoskeletal injuries at rates significantly higher than workers in construction or manufacturing.

鈥淧atient handling isn鈥檛 just a physical task鈥攊t鈥檚 a safety moment, every time,鈥� says Ed Sowers, Risk Management Service Specialist at 91黑料网.

What鈥檚 more troubling? Many of these injuries are preventable鈥攂ut persistent myths and outdated practices continue to put caregivers at risk.

More Than Lifting

One common misconception is that lifting is the sole hazard in patient handling. In reality, horizontal movements鈥攍ike sliding a patient from a bed to a stretcher or repositioning them in bed鈥攁re equally, if not more, dangerous. These movements often involve awkward postures, repetitive strain, and high physical exertion, all of which contribute to cumulative trauma injuries.

According to the , these high-risk activities place stress on the spine and shoulders, especially when performed without proper assistive equipment or technique. OSHA also reports that back injuries account for a majority of musculoskeletal disorders in healthcare, making safer patient handling an urgent priority.

Training Is Not a One-and-Done

Even the best equipment won鈥檛 prevent injuries if staff aren鈥檛 trained to use it properly鈥攁nd consistently. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) key components of an effective Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) program, including:

• Annual hands-on competency evaluations
• Ongoing mentoring by trained 鈥渟afety champions鈥�
• Training tailored to patient mobility levels
• Hands-on instruction with powered and non-powered equipment

Training should be continuous, not just during onboarding. The data shows facilities that implemented ongoing SPHM training programs saw a dramatic reduction in injury rates鈥�

Equipment Quality Matters鈥攁nd So Does Staff Buy-In

Slide sheets. Sit-to-stand lifts. Air-assisted lateral transfer devices. Reusable slings. While these tools are essential to reducing physical strain, not all equipment is created equal, and poor design or lack of user comfort often leads to underuse.

Research when selecting equipment鈥攐ne that includes nurses, aides, and other frontline caregivers. Their feedback on usability, ease of cleaning, and comfort helps ensure tools are effective and actually used.

Facilities should regularly evaluate patient handling devices for ergonomics, durability, and staff acceptance, and make upgrades when needed to support safe work practices.

Handle Proactive Solutions

The consequences of unsafe patient handling go beyond injury. from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nursing assistants had the highest number of cases involving days away from work among all occupations鈥攎ost commonly due to overexertion and bodily reaction.

The financial impact of these injuries is staggering: workers鈥� compensation costs, staffing shortages, and lost productivity quickly add up. More importantly, these injuries are emotionally and physically devastating for the dedicated caregivers we rely on every day.

Redesigning Care

Reducing these risks requires more than compliance鈥攊t requires a culture of safety, supported by leadership, equipment, education, and empowerment. Safe patient handling should be viewed as a core element of quality care鈥攐ne that protects not only patients, but also the skilled professionals who care for them.

鈥淲hen we invest in better tools, smarter training, and a culture of accountability, we鈥檙e not just checking a compliance box鈥攚e鈥檙e protecting the people at the heart of healthcare,鈥� Sowers added. 鈥淪afe patient handling is about making sure everyone goes home healthy at the end of the day.鈥�

At 91黑料网, we help healthcare facilities design and implement evidence-based safe patient handling programs tailored to their unique needs. From ergonomic assessments to staff training support, our team works with you to prevent injuries before they occur.

To learn how we can support your facility鈥檚 safety goals, contact your local 91黑料网 Risk Management Consultant.

It鈥檚 a common conclusion鈥攂ut often incomplete. The real insight comes when we ask more targeted questions:

• What shift were they working?
• What task were they performing?
• Was the incident related to patient handling, environmental hazards, or equipment?

These questions are difficult to answer with surface-level claims data. That鈥檚 why 91黑料网 utilizes Enhanced Location Coding (ELC) to help our policyholders鈥攁nd our own teams鈥攇o deeper, improve operational insight, and support safer outcomes.

What is Enhanced Location Coding?

Enhanced Location Coding (ELC) allows claims to be tagged with three additional, customizable fields鈥攕uch as: Shift (e.g., first, second, or third), Job Description (e.g., housekeeping, dietary, maintenance), or Cause of Injury (e.g., slip/trip/fall, needlestick, combative resident). These filters add vital context to each incident, empowering risk managers to analyze trends with greater accuracy and clarity.

For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that healthcare and social assistance workers experienced 455,700 nonfatal injuries, the highest among all private-sector industries. Of these, over 346,000 resulted in days away from work, restricted duty, or job transfer鈥攐ften due to overexertion, slips, and interactions with patients.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about recording what happened. It鈥檚 about understanding why鈥攁nd taking informed steps to make sure it doesn鈥檛 happen again,鈥� says Ed Sowers, Risk Management Service Specialist at 91黑料网. “ELC gives us and our policyholders the clarity to move from reaction to prevention. With better data comes better decisions鈥攁nd ultimately, safer outcomes.鈥�

How 91黑料网 Uses ELC to Improve Operations

91黑料网鈥檚 internal adoption of ELC has helped us deliver smarter, more efficient service. Through this initiative, we鈥檝e enhanced the integrity of our claims data, created a streamlined and consistent process for coding, and empowered service teams and policyholders to act on better insights

Our Claims Department plays a key role in the process, ensuring each applicable claim is coded accurately and promptly. This allows us鈥攁nd our agency partners鈥攖o identify and address root causes with greater speed and precision.

Who Benefits Most from ELC?

While ELC is beneficial across industries, it鈥檚 especially valuable for organizations that meet criteria such as:

• High Claim Frequency (e.g., 30+ claims annually)
• Diverse Departments (e.g., multiple job functions or roles)
• Decentralized Operations (e.g., locations with independent oversight)
• Strategic Reporting Needs (e.g., internal tracking for executives or board reporting)

In healthcare, common incidents鈥攕uch as needlestick injuries or injuries from combative residents鈥攃an be better analyzed with ELC. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that hospital workers experience over 385,000 needlestick and sharps-related injuries annually.

In manufacturing, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the most reported injuries. ), MSDs account for nearly one-third of all worker injury and illness cases. ELC helps correlate these injuries with specific tasks or shifts. In construction, recent BLS data that struck-by incidents resulted in over 21,400 nonfatal injuries in 2022. ELC can help determine which crews, tools, or job stages pose the most risk.

Key Benefits of Enhanced Location Coding

Organizations that implement ELC gain:

• Deeper Loss Insights: Analyze trends with greater clarity and specificity
• Root Cause Confirmation: Move beyond assumptions to verify contributing factors
• Targeted Loss Allocation: Assign losses to specific departments or shifts
• Customized Data Structures: Tailor filters to the needs of your business
• Improved Claims Analysis: Support more strategic decisions and prevention planning

These benefits align with OSHA鈥檚 recommendation for , which emphasize early hazard identification and customized safety planning. 91黑料网 teams are committed to working directly with policyholders and agency partners to determine the most relevant filters for your business. Whether you’re managing a skilled care facility, a manufacturing floor, or multiple job sites, we鈥檒l help you align ELC with your operations.

Looking Ahead

Building a culture of safety requires more than reporting鈥攊t demands clarity, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. By implementing Enhanced Location Coding, you can empower your team with the tools and knowledge needed to identify root causes, prevent repeat incidents, and operate with confidence every day.

At 91黑料网, we believe smarter data leads to safer decisions. Ask your Risk Management Consultant if Enhanced Location Coding could be the right tool for your safety strategy.