Scott

July Brings Legal Changes for Employers in Many States

Posted on by Scott Moore

Oregon Statewide Transit Tax Important notice to ambulance service employers based in the state of Oregon: there is a new statewide transit tax taking effect on July 1, 2018. Beginning July 1st, employers must start withholding a tax of 1/10th of 1% from the wages of Oregon residents or from non-residents who perform services in Oregon. The Department of Revenue has published detailed information on the statewide tax with a list of available resources to assist employers with compliance. Iowa Lowers Standard for Positive Alcohol Tests Effective July 1, 2018, Iowa employers may lower their standard for taking employment action for positive alcohol tests from the old state standard of .04 to .02. Iowa has one of the strictest employment drug and alcohol testing requirements in the country. Employers are required to have a written policy that is distributed to all employees and job candidates for their review. Employers must establish a drug and alcohol awareness program alerting employees of the dangers of drug and alcohol use in the workplace, and most employees must be provided an option to enter a rehabilitation program instead of being disciplined. In addition, all supervisory staff must attend a two-hour initial drug and alcohol...

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Scott

OSHA Injury Reporting

Posted on by Scott Moore

Last year we notified AAA members that they must begin electronically reporting their workplace injury data to OSHA starting December 1, 2017 for 2016. This is just a reminder to all employers can begin electronically reporting their 2017 workplace injury data through the OSHA Injury Tracking Application (ITA). 2017 Injury Data must be submitted to OSHA no later than July 1, 2018. For employers in states that are covered by OSHA approved state level work injury regulations, OSHA has announced on April 30, 2018 that employers in states that have not completed the adoption of a state rule must also report their 2017 injury data through the OSHA ITA. If any member has not set up their account with OSHA on the ITA, we strongly suggest that you do so immediately. The AAA can assist members who need assistance ensuring they are compliant with this reporting requirement....

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Family Liaisons Following EMS Line of Duty Deaths

Posted on by Samantha Hilker

I was just a kid when I started in EMS. 23 years old, hungry for adventure, and ready for everything the world of EMS was prepared to give me. Car accidents, gunshot wounds, stabbings, intoxicated shenanigans, elderly falls, fist fights, medical emergencies, strokes, and cardiac arrest were all on my list of expected possibilities. One of the scenarios I had not thought of, and nobody presented to me throughout school and orientation, was the possibility of clocking in for shift and not going home. I do not recall line of duty deaths being a discussion point in the paramedic curriculum, job interview, or orientation process. I had experienced the unexpected loss of a younger sibling due to a motor vehicle crash before I started my journey in EMS, but the fact that life is short and unpredictable did not connect with the fact that I was knowingly and willingly walking myself into unknown and potentially dangerous situations with each response. Even after the UW Med Flight crash happened early in my career, and in my service area, we simply did not talk about our own potential for death as a direct result of our profession. Years later, after many more...

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Scott

OSHA: Transportation-Related Incidents Top Workplace Fatality List

Posted on by Scott Moore

Yesterday, OSHA issued a statement regarding fatal occupational injuries in 2016. Transportation-related incidents were the most frequent cause of workplace fatality in the United States last year. While the biggest part of our services is providing highest-quality medical care to people in need, the safe transportation of patients and crews plays a significant role. As an industry, we should do everything we can to ensure that every provider goes home at the end of their shift....

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Scott

Electronic Injury Deadline Now 12/31

Posted on by Scott Moore

This is an important reminder to all agencies who are required to electronically report their injury data to OSHA.  OSHA announced today that they are giving employers until midnight on December 31, 2017 to submit their injury data for 2016.  If you need assistance with submitting your injury data, please be sure to call or email the AAA.  We can assist you in making sure you meet the deadline.  As of January 1, 2018, employers will not be able to submit their 2016 injury data.

Scott

OSHA Electronic Injury Reporting Deadline Is Dec 15

Posted on by Scott Moore

Several months ago, we alerted AAA members that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had announced that it would further delay the deadline for employers to electronically file injury data until December 1, 2017.  With that deadline quickly approaching, we wanted to make sure that our members were prepared and reporting the data correctly. OSHA announced in July that it will be launching the new electronic Injury Tracking Application (ITA) on August 1, 2017.  The new rules are an effort to “nudge” employers to improve safety in the workplace by publishing employee injury data, as reported by employers.  Electronic data reporting would give job candidates and employees the ability to compare potential employers and their safety records.  Currently, most employers are required to record injuries that occur in the workplace, but this data is not easily available to candidates or OSHA itself.  It is anticipated that employers can expect greater investigative and enforcement actions after electronic injury reporting begins. Under the Old & New Rules Every year, ambulance services with 10 or more employees are required to record all workplace injuries that involve medical treatment beyond first aid, days away from work, restricted/transfer of duties, or loss of consciousness. ...

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LifeWorks Adapting to Change: Growing Stronger Through Change

Posted on by AAA Staff

Illness. Divorce. Financial difficulties. Job loss. We face unexpected changes and challenges throughout our lives. How can you learn to keep up a positive attitude and stay strong through life’s unwanted changes and challenges? The first step in coping with a crisis or challenge in your personal or work life is to put on your “reality glasses.” Reality glasses, a concept developed by Stephen Williams, an organizational psychologist from the U.K., are the glasses you use to look at and understand what’s going on in your world. When you put on your reality glasses, you stop, step back, and ask yourself: “Am I seeing this as it really is? “How big is this problem, really?” Or “Have I got this out of proportion?” When you assess the situation, you may discover that the problem or challenge you are facing isn’t as serious as you had thought. Or you may discover that it is serious indeed. But facing your problems with your reality glasses on helps you gain a sense of control. “You’ve moved into the driving seat,” says Dr. Williams. And that’s the first step in growing stronger through change. Once you’ve got your reality glasses on, here are two...

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Scott

September Is Suicide Awareness Month

Posted on by Scott Moore

This past year, nearly every EMS conference featured one or more sessions related to the mental health of EMS professionals. This November in Las Vegas, the American Ambulance Association Annual Conference & Trade Show will feature several sessions that will perform a reverse case analysis of PTSD and other mental health conditions affecting members of our profession. It is wonderful to see this issue being brought to the forefront given how many years the culture was to “toughen up”. This Friday begins Suicide Awareness Month. Awareness for mental health issues is at an all-time high in EMS but we still have a long way to go. Just two weeks ago we lost yet another Paramedic in my community to suicide and the numbers are rising. According to a study conducted by Fitch & Associates as part of the Ambulance Service Managers Program, mental health struggles and depression among fire and EMS professionals are widespread, more than 10 times that of the average American. However, a survey conducted by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) revealed that the majority of respondents stated that they were dissatisfied with the mental health services available through their employer and that most respondents (more…)