April 28 – a day that highlights the ultimate workplace risks
Tuesday April 28 is a day marked around the world in memory of the thousands of workers every year who die during the course or as a result of their work. In the US and many other countries it is called Workers Memorial Day; in Canada it is the National Day of Mourning. These deaths are not simply from injuries but often from work-related illnesses. The day is observed in a bid to raise awareness of the risks in the hope that workplaces will become safer. Figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show that there were 4,405 fatal work injuries recorded in 2013, while Canada recorded 902. Although many industry sectors have improved safety records there are increasing cases of workplace violence and suicide.
C-suite, risk managers not agreed on biggest risks
Company executives and their risk managers are not united in their view of the biggest risk to the business. That’s one of the findings of a new study by Aon which asked 1,400 CEOs, CFOs and risk managers about their perceptions of risk. The C-suite typically cite financial and economic risk along with technology failure as their biggest concerns; risk managers are focused on liability risk such as cyber attack, property damage and third-party liability. Stephen Cross, chief innovation officer of Aon Risk Solutions commented: “Such diverse views illustrate how imperative it is that the board of directors have effective and regular communication with risk managers to effectively assess and mitigate the company’s risk exposure.”
Other findings of the survey are that cyber risk has entered the top ten risks for the first time. Aon’s chief executive says that the risk is related to another major concern: “While new risks such as cyber have moved to centre stage, established risks like damage to reputation or brand, are taking on new dimensions and complexities. The interconnected nature of these risks reinforces the importance of strategic risk management in every organisation.”
Tara Reid’s partner fired from insurance company
Actress Tara Reid’s partner Aaron Kaufman has been fired from an insurance company according to a report by the LA Times. Kaufman was the chief technology officer at Blue Shield in California and is alleged to have blown $100,000 on his corporate credit card. Kaufman denies the allegations. The claims are made in a countersuit filed by the insurer after Kaufman took it to the Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging that it wrongfully terminated his employment, claiming retaliation for reporting financial wrongdoing. He also said that his sacking was a day before he was due to collect a $450,000 bonus. Blue Shield denies the allegations.
