Have you ever wondered if your building or small business “is up to code”? What does this mean?

Standards and codes are used by many U.S. communities, as well as many global markets, for safety and to help reduce property losses. These include International Code Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), local, county, state, insurance underwriting guidelines, and/or other codes that may be applicable in different jurisdictions.

With summer approaching, the start of hurricane season (June 1-Nov. 30) looms ahead. Before a named hurricane approaches your operating area, we encourage our agents and policyholders to take a few moments to create a plan that will help your clients and businesses prepare for and cope with extreme weather conditions. AmTrust and our loss control team supports the efforts of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) in helping to protect businesses and employees before, during and after a hurricane.

May 7-11 marks the fifth annual National Safety Stand-Down. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), with support from the National Safety Council, developed this weeklong event to help raise awareness of fall hazards nationwide in an effort to stop fatalities and injuries on the jobsite. Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 370 of the 991 construction fatalities recorded in 2016 according to the Bureau of Labor statistics.

Unfortunately, any small business could face the risk of a data breach or cyber attack. Regardless of how big or small your business is, if your data, important documents or customer information is exposed, recovering from the aftermath could be difficult.

If your business is the victim of a cyber attack and you're wondering what to do after a data breach, consider the following steps to help minimize the damage.

How Loss Control Management Can Help Avoid Workplace Injuries

Protecting a company’s most valuable asset – its employees – is of utmost importance. Promoting workplace safety to help reduce employee injuries and expensive claims is one way to help keep your workforce healthy and productive, and keep your premiums down.

Loss control is designed to help prevent or reduce the possibility of a loss, or to help reduce its severity if one does occur. Keep reading to find out more about how loss control professionals can help create a workplace safety plan to aid in reducing accident risks and workers’ comp claims.

Promoting and positioning your small business is a never-ending endeavor. Sometimes a heavier marketing effort makes sense, such as when the business first opens or during the holidays. Even strictly seasonal businesses cannot afford to go completely dark during their off-peak time. To remain relevant and successful in today’s hyper-competitive and crowded marketplace, it’s important to stay top-of-mind, both online and off.