Renting out Lodge facilities and property for a special event is a great way to earn money for the Lodge and help serve the local community, but it is not without risk. Property damage, personal injuries and other claims can arise. Prepare your Lodge for special events with these tips:

Have a Risk Management Plan

Safety is best ensured and problems are best avoided by having a risk management plan before you begin hosting events. You can greatly reduce the risk of a claim by:

• Identifying any potential hazard risks for your event.
• Assessing the severity of the risk and the potential impact.
• Controlling the risk exposure by taking appropriate precautions.

Prepare for Inclement Weather

Weather is always a factor in any event planning. Whether the event must be cancelled or postponed, or […]

Each year there are thousands of injuries involving putting up and taking down holiday decor. You can reduce the risk to your members, guests and volunteers as you put Lodge decor away this season (keep this post in mind as you decorate for other holidays, too) by following these holiday decor safety tips:

Live and Artificial Trees

• Purchase a fresh tree to minimize the fire hazard and maximize long life.
• Cut off the bottom 2 inches of the trunk base for better water absorption.
• Water a live tree daily by filling up the tree stand basin.
• Install all trees at least 3 feet from all heat sources.
• Make sure the tree does not block doors or walkways.
• Ensure artificial trees are labeled as fire resistant.
• Take trees down before they […]
  

The much-loved Lodge kitchen could pose many hidden risks if your Lodge lacks the proper tools. Unsafe kitchens are more likely to result in serious injuries, which can result in costly claims and litigation.

These risks can be greatly reduced by supplying your Lodge’s kitchen with the right equipment, much of which is affordable and readily available.

Here is a list of tools and tips that can help your Lodge establish better kitchen safety:

1. Fire extinguishers

Make sure your Lodge has at least one Class K fire extinguisher to handle cooktop fires. Unlike common ABC Class extinguishers, these can disperse a wet agent that quickly cools hot metal surfaces and turns burning oil and grease into harmless soap in a process called saponification. It’s easy to clean up and doesn’t contaminate other […]

Last year, more than 77 million people across the country volunteered in their community, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service. Some of them may have been the very volunteers assisting your members and guests at your Lodge events.

Lodge volunteers play an important role, and it is the Lodge’s responsibility to ensure their safety, especially when they’re new to volunteering. This not only helps reduce the risk to volunteers and others at your location, it also helps ensure that volunteers get the most out their volunteer experience and keep coming back.

Follow these safety training tips for new volunteers:

Document Your Safety Procedures

The best safety plan is the one that is committed to writing. Documentation ensures that all necessary procedures have been accounted for, and that each volunteer […]

Despite fostering a unique environment and healthy business practices, every type of business has inherent dangers. Anywhere that hires employees must face the threat of employee theft, and your Lodge is no different. Mitigating this risk, however, can be a relatively easy process if you examine common employee theft occurrences and prepare accordingly.

Employee theft incidents to prepare against

While you may trust all Lodge members and employees, employee theft does occur. Often, employees can successfully steal money from their employer by going after small amounts over a long period of time. Whenever cash is involved, the strength of your controls weaken further.

How you can defend your Lodge against employee theft

To combat employee theft and member theft, try the following tactics:

1. Consider using tests and software marketed under the label “profile […]
   

Heat exhaustion is one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe. While heat exhaustion is in the middle, this syndrome must be taken seriously.

Heat Exhaustion Causes

According to the Mayo Clinic, your body needs to maintain a normal core temperature around 98.6 F. In hot weather, your body cools itself by sweating. However, when you overexert in hot, humid weather, your body cannot cool itself efficiently.

This syndrome can also be caused by dehydration, alcohol use and overdressing.

Certain factors can increase your sensitivity to heat, including:

• Young or old age— Infants and children younger than four and adults older than 65 are at higher risk of heat exhaustion.
• Certain medication—Some medications affect your body’s ability to stay hydrated and respond appropriately to […]
  

Despite how successful your Lodge’s risk management program is, Lodge employees can still get injured at your Lodge.

Workers’ Compensation insurance provides coverage for “on-the-job” injuries, including medical expenses and lost wages. This coverage applies regardless of fault and is written to follow individual state laws. Some states require this coverage, while others highly encourage it.

Because workers’ compensation claims are different from case to case, there is often confusion surrounding how to handle a claim.

When to Report an Injury

Report lag, or the number of calendar days between when an injury occurs and when it is reported to the insurance carrier, is a major issue in workers’ compensation claims. Measure your Lodge’s report lag, and make adjustments, if possible.

Generally, the shorter the length of report lag, the better. Timely claim reporting […]