Rancho Mesa Hosts Preparing for a CalOSHA Visit Workshop

Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On Friday, January 17, attendees gathered at Rancho Mesa’s Mission Valley office for the Preparing for a Cal/OSHA Visit workshop, presented by Carmen Cisneros of the California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Consultation Services Branch.

Cisneros explained the differences between a Cal/OSHA consultation versus an inspection visit, broke down the basics of enforcement, and gave tips on how to follow proposed regulations.

Attendees were able to ask questions and better familiarize themselves with the Cal/OSHA reporting and inspection process.

For more information on keeping in compliance with OSHA regulations, register for Rancho Mesa’s upcoming OSHA Recordkeeping and Annual Reporting webinar.

Preparing, Posting and Submitting OSHA Log Data

Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Beginning February 1, 2025, U.S. employers are required to post last year’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Form 300A Summary at their worksites. This form serves as a record of the company’s annual work-related injuries and illnesses. OSHA requires covered companies who have employed more than ten (10) employees during the previous calendar year—in this case 2024—to keep a record of work-related injuries and illnesses, and post the summary for employees to see. The form will need to remain posted through April 30, 2025.

There are some partially exempt industries that may not be required to comply with recordkeeping and posting regulations. A list of those industries can be found on the OSHA website.

Preparing OSHA Logs

OSHA logs encompass three forms most employers are responsible for maintaining throughout the year.

The 300 log lists basic details, including employee’s name, job title, date of injury or illness, location and a brief description for any recorded incident. It also includes severity of the injury or illness; number of days the employee was kept away from work or transferred as a result of the injury or illness.

Form 300A is a summary of the data recorded in the 300 log. It does not include any individual data like the employee’s name, but it does show incident totals including the total number of cases with days away from work. This is the form that must be posted at each worksite in an area where employee notices are usually displayed.

Form 301 is used to collect additional information specific to each individual injury or illness. This includes information about the worker who was injured and details about how the injury or illness occurred, and must be kept confidential.

Employers should be documenting incidents and maintaining OSHA Forms 300, 300A and 301 throughout the year.

Rancho Mesa’s SafetyOne™ mobile app and RM365 HRAdvantage™ portal (HR portal) can be used for incident data collection, and the tracking and generating of the forms 300 and 300A, respectively.

Posting OSHA Form 300A Summary

OSHA requires the Form 300A Summary is posted at the worksite in a prominent area and it must not be covered by other material, altered or defaced in any way. Employers must also send a copy of the summary to any remote employees, or those who do not report to the worksite on a regular weekly basis. If a company has no recorded injuries or illnesses in 2024, the OSHA Form 300A Summary reflecting zeros in the data fields must still be completed and posted.

Once all incident information has been recorded for the year in the HR portal, employers can download and print the Form 300A Summary from the portal’s Safety/OSHA Logs screen for each year and worksite. Then, post the summaries at the appropriate worksites.

Submitting Forms 300A, 300 and 301 Data

In addition to posting the Form 300A Summary at the worksite, covered organizations with 20 to 249 employees are also required to submit their 300A data to Federal OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) by March 2, 2025. The data can be manually entered into the ITA or a .CSV file with this data can be generated through the HR portal, which can then be uploaded into the ITA website.

OSHA also requires, “Establishments with 100 or more employees in designated high-hazard industries [to] electronically submit to OSHA detailed information about each recordable injury and illness entered on their previous calendar year’s OSHA Form 300 Log and Form 301 Incident Report.” This information is manually entered into the ITA.

Individual state OSHA requirements may differ slightly from Federal OSHA requirements. Be sure to check with your state’s OSHA division to ensure compliance.

Rancho Mesa’s OSHA Recordkeeping and Annual Reporting webinar explains how to generate the Form 300A Summary PDF and .CSV file in the HR portal.

Visit the OSHA Injury & Illness Recordkeeping webpage for more information.

Keeping Compliance Simple by Updating Employee Counts in the RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal

Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Businesses are constantly changing and evolving, and that means the staff is too; whether it’s hiring new employees, or transitioning employees into different roles. No matter how the staff of a company fluctuates, Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage Portal™ is an excellent resource to ensure compliance in any state.

Abiding by all federal and state laws is a necessity. But the laws employers are required to follow can change based on how many employees a company has throughout the year. A reliable way to maintain compliance that may fluctuate based on company size is by keeping the employee count up-to-date.

In the HR portal, employers can update their number of employees at any time to ensure compliance when using tools like the smart handbook builder, compliance dashboard, and other features. The smart employee handbook automatically updates depending on the number of people employed at the company in a specific state.

For example, in California there are a number of employment laws that apply to employers based on the company’s number of employees.  California employers with five or more employees must provide at least five days of bereavement leave. Another example would be employers with 25 or more employees must provide school involvement leave.

There are many laws that apply to employers based on employee count. The HR portal’s Compliance Dashboards help employers quickly see what laws apply at each employee count threshold. And, since each state may have different requirements, it’s a best practice to use the HR portal to ensure you are in compliance with your state’s laws.

If a business’s employee count is not updated to reflect the accurate number of workers, the handbook generated by the HR Portal could include information that is not applicable to the employer. Or, it may exclude information that is applicable. As a result, the employer could be out of compliance even though they believed they were adhering to what was in their handbook.

If you do need to update your employee count in the HR portal, follow these steps:

1. Log into the Rancho Mesa RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal.

2. Hover over the icon shaped like a person on the far right of your screen. This allows you to access your company settings.

3. Under “Company Settings” select “Company.”

4. At the bottom of the “Primary Location Information” section, enter the “Number of employees at this location.” This doesn’t need to always be the exact number, but try to be as accurate as possible, especially when your employee count is close to a threshold that may trigger a law to apply.

5. Be sure to save your changes by clicking the “Save Settings” button on the right side of your screen.

Once you’ve updated your employee count in the HR portal, it’s a best practices to review the employee handbook for any policy changes that require approval. At the beginning of the year it’s also best to review the handbook and address any policies that have changed based on laws that go into effect January 1st. 

Note, there will be an orange number next to each section that requires your attention. Click on the policy alert to review the change and select “Accept Policy Change.” Once the changes to your policy have been accepted, your employee handbook will be updated and compliant. Please make sure to review each update carefully, in order to ensure you are adhering to the changes within your organization.

Now that your employee handbook has been updated, make sure to distribute it to all employees to ensure they have the latest version.

Remember, it is important to update employee counts regularly to ensure HR compliance at every stage. A number of other HR resources are available for businesses of all sizes through the RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal.

Enhanced Flexibility of SafetyOne™ Observations with New Wildcard Field

Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

New changes have recently been made to the Observation Module in the SafetyOne™ platform.

The Observations user interface has been redesigned in both the SafetyOne™ administrator website and the mobile app. Administrators can now create a custom text field, that Rancho Mesa has named the “Wildcard Field”, that will be added to an observation in the mobile app. This new feature is not a requirement for an observation, and can be set as “active” or “inactive”.

The Wildcard Field will increase flexibility for Rancho Mesa clients using the SafetyOne™ platform, and will provide clients a place to document specific information, unique to their company’s process, while they are performing their safety observations.

The new field differs from preexisting SafetyOne™ features because of its more general use. In the past, safety administrators were only able to make notes on the individual questions and general notes on the entire observation. There previously was not a place to indicate specific identifiers that might be useful when analyzing company data across multiple reports.

For example, when conducting a fall protection observation, users can take advantage of the Wildcard Field to highlight key elements of that particular observation. So far, clients are using it to track phases of work, a specific building on a campus, room numbers, or logging permit numbers.

To set up this new field, first go to the administrator website. On the Observations screen, the new “Settings” tab now includes the Observation Report format options, plus the new wildcard field settings. Using this tab, the administrator can tell SafetyOne™ what the label of the wildcard field should be in the SafetyOne™ mobile app.

If an administrator does not need the Wildcard Field, unchecking the “Active” box will hide it on the Observation screen in the mobile app. If a user does choose to use the wildcard field, it can be made required or optional.

For questions about the use of the new Wildcard Field in SafetyOne™, contact your Client Technology Coordinator.

New Tree Care-Specific Toolbox Talks Added to SafetyOne™ Platform

Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa recently added 60 new tree care-specific toolbox talks to its SafetyOne™ platform.

The topics were added to support the agency’s growing tree care clients and help improve safety while on the jobsite.

“Part of how we provide the best level of service to our clients is by listening to their suggestions and needs,” said Brenda Khalil, Client Technology Coordinator with Rancho Mesa. “One way we do this is by providing additional resources through our SafetyOne™ Platform. We recently added tree-specific toolbox talks for our clients, and continue to build onto this extensive library of topics. Our goal is to consistently modify and update the resources we provide, to ensure each client is given the necessary tools to maintain a safe work environment.”

Rancho Mesa worked with both clients and subject matter experts to develop a comprehensive library of tree care toolbox talks that includes everything from aerial lift safety to proper use of wood chippers, and everything in between.

The 60 new toolbox talks are available in both English and Spanish, and are designed to offer a full year’s worth of safety meeting topics for tree care companies, plus a few additional options.

“We are excited to continue to support the tree care industry with these toolbox talks,” said Rory Anderson, Partner with Rancho Mesa and risk management expert for the tree care industry. “Safety is a top priority in the tree care industry, and having a strong safety program is essential to reducing risks. Our new tree care-specific toolbox talks are designed to help our clients build a culture of safety within their teams, addressing the unique hazards they face daily. By incorporating this content into their safety practice, clients can improve their risk profile, reduce accidents, and ultimately lower their insurance costs, making their business safer and more successful in the long run.”

The tree care-specific toolbox talks are accessible through the SafetyOne mobile app by supervisors, safety managers and foreman.

To enable access to these tree care-specific toolbox talks via the mobile app, Rancho Mesa recommends the SafetyOne administrator create a Tree Care toolbox talk group specifically for these toolbox talks. Assign these toolbox talks to the new group and set the group as the default. This will automatically enable the entire tree care library for all projects within the SafetyOne mobile app.

To find the tree care-specific toolbox talk topics in the SafetyOne™ administrator website, use the keyword “tree.” All topics in this library will display.

To access step-by-step instructions for assigning the tree care-specific toolbox talks to your team, visit our FAQ page, or contact your Client Technology Coordinator for more information.

Learning Management Gets New Look in SafetyOne™

Author, Alyssa Burley, Partner, Media Communications and Client Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

In a recent update, the training section on the SafetyOne™ website was revised to simplify the administration of online trainings.

SafetyOne website users will now see two menu options under the training section in the navigation panel: “Training Documentation” and “Learning Management System.”

While the training documentation screen has not changed, the new learning management system screen encompasses the functionality that was previously available on the now retired “Training Program” and “Assign Training” screens.

The new learning management system screen now displays four simple tabs across the top. Each tab is specifically designed for either performing the online trainings, managing the training content library, assigning trainings, or creating training groups.

“The screen is pretty intuitive with the new tabs clearly labeled and easily accessible,” said Brenda Khalil, Client Technology Coordinator with Rancho Mesa. “Seeing all options across the top of the screen helps our clients quickly navigate the screen.”

The “Perform” tab displays all courses that have been assigned to the logged-in user. It includes the option to view all training courses, or only the incomplete courses using the “All/Incomplete” toggle button.

The “Manage” tab is only available to platform administrators and allows them to upload new training courses, copy existing courses and delete training courses from the library.

The “Assign” tab is only available to platform administrators and allows them to assign the online courses to their employees. They can assign a single training to multiple users, or assign a single user to multiple training courses by using the “Trainings/Employees” toggle button.

The “Group” tab is only available to platform administrators and allows them to either group similar trainings together, or group users together. This simplifies the process of assigning multiple trainings to a group of employees.

For example, if the employer has a team of employees that will be driving as part of their job description, the administrator would create both a driver group for all drivers, and a driver training group for all driver training courses. Then, they would be able to quickly and easily assign all the appropriate driver trainings to all the drivers in their organization. Training groups can also be used to consolidate new employee orientation into one training group.

The new learning management system screen in SafetyOne is designed to streamline the administration of online training courses.

Contact your Client Technology Coordinator for more information on the new Learning Management System screen in SafetyOne.

Rancho Mesa Hosts Contractual Risk Transfer Workshop

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On Friday, August 23, 2024, Rancho Mesa enjoyed a great turnout for its workshop, Protect Your Company with Contractual Risk Transfer, presented by Alan Coppola from Travelers.

Attendees munched on cookies and sipped refreshments at our Mission Valley office, during the informative presentation. Coppola outlined the importance of including insurance requirements in written contracts on construction projects, and covered common risk exposures associated with these contracts.

Coppola closed his presentation by advising clients to assess their company’s contractual risk process to ensure they are fully protected.

Through workshops such as these, Rancho Mesa aims to help clients gain necessary information to keep their businesses secure and manage risk.

New SafetyOne™ Toolbox Talks Added for the Land Care Industry

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

In Rancho Mesa’s continued efforts to meet the industry-specific needs of our clients, 52 new toolbox talks have been added to the SafetyOne™ platform, specific to landscape and lawn care.

The new library covers a vast range of topics such as poisonous plant awareness, chainsaw safety, mulch and soil handling safety, green waste disposal, and PPE use for landscape contractors.

The 52 new toolbox talks are available in both English and Spanish, and are intended to provide a years-worth of lessons for land care companies.

For instructions about accessing the library of land care-specific toolbox talks, view the steps in the FAQ section of the Rancho Mesa website. For further questions about SafetyOne, clients can reach out to their client technology coordinator.

Rancho Mesa Hosts Captive Workshop at Mission Valley Office

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Information provided by Captive Resources, LLC.

On Friday, October 20, 2023 attendees gathered at Rancho Mesa’s Mission Valley office conference room for Control Your Insurance Costs With a Captive Workshop, presented by Doug Hayden of Captive Resources.

Hayden outlined the benefits of entering an insurance captive and how it can help organizations manage their insurance costs while clients enjoyed light refreshments and asked questions.

The presentation offered an in-depth understanding of the captive business model and how members play a role in the process, allowing for open discussion.

Rancho Mesa values offering accessible and informative workshops such as these monthly. Our next seminar is the 2024 Employment Law Update webinar on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

About Captive Resources, LLC
Captive Resources’ mission is to help companies control their insurance costs through the member-owned group captive model. Their industry-leading insurance professionals support every aspect of the group captives they advise, from claims advocacy to operational oversight, risk management, financial services, investment services and more.