Our primary goal as an association of pest control professionals is to protect the pest control industry in California. You have heard me say this before but it bears repeating: we live in one of the most highly taxed and regulated states in the nation and the industry is constantly under attack.

That is why what we are doing next month is so important. PCOC's Leg Day, March 25-25, is YOUR opportunity to influence how elected officials feel about pest control. This is so critical because they will be voting on issues that affect our industry. The power of seeing a constituent walking in to a legislator's capital office is huge. Legislators respect the fact that you have taken the time from your business to come to Sacramento.

Therefore, it is important that you show up! Next, I often get asked how do I make appointments with my legislators?

First, call the legislator's office in Sacramento. You can find out who your Assembly member(s) and Senator(s) are by searching on Google. Ask to speak to the legislator's scheduler. Tell the scheduler your name, your business, and that your business is in the district, or that you live in the district. Either one.

Let the scheduler know that you're coming to Sacramento on Wednesday, March 26 for PCOC's Legislative Day and that you would like to schedule a meeting with the legislator to update them on pest control issues. Also, invite them to attend our legislative reception on Tuesday March 25, 5.30 – 7:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. [They will be receiving a proper invite from us, but this just helps reinforce it.]

The best time to meet with the legislator is in the morning, after 9:00 a.m. Be flexible.

You may be told that you can meet with a staff person rather than the legislator. Definitely take that meeting. In California, just as in Congress, staff wield a great deal of influence. Some offices prefer that a faxed appointment request be sent to the scheduler.

Some of our districts coordinate their members their visits to local legislators. Check with your district chair. In any event, if you know some other colleagues who are coming to Leg Day, it's a good idea to touch base with them also.

So much for the instructions. What remains is the most important function that a citizen can perform in a democracy: educating elected officials. See you at the capital!

IN MEMORIAM

Rick Alan Portz 1955-2013

Visit his obituary here

The 2013-2014 Legislative Session of the California Legislature is in progress. Click here for PCOC's Legislative Agenda.

Welcome to a new section of Newsbriefs! Here, we will give news from our members: new hires, retirements, etc. If you have some news you would like to share, please send a short sentence or two to jenai@pcoc.org.

Click here for more details.

In 2012, back problems topped the causes of occupational illnesses and injuries requiring days away from work. Sprains, strains, tears and soreness of the back accounted for more than one-fifth (20.5 percent) of all lost-time illnesses and injuries. And while national statistics don't exist, these injuries account for more than a quarter of workers' compensation costs in California.

Back injuries can also be costly. Recent data specifically for back injury costs were not available, but Centers for Disease Control data indicate that during 2005, lost work time due to sprains, strains and fractures of the torso cost U.S. employers nearly $7.3 billion. The medical treatment costs for these conditions for people ages 18 to 65 reached nearly $2 billion that year. Since work can cause or contribute to many of these injuries, no doubt workers' compensation bore many of these costs.

TYPES OF BACK INJURIES

Muscle strains are the least serious but most common source of back pain, resulting from stretched or torn muscles. When a person does a sudden or unfamiliar movement, the muscles are more likely to suffer damage than ligaments or tendons. Straining becomes even more likely if the muscle:

- lacks strength

- is tight and tense

- is fatigued from repetitive motion or from holding a position too long, such as sitting all day.

PREVENTING BACK INJURIES

Back injuries are painful, disruptive to work and life and can lead to costly surgery. Employers should try to avoid back injuries whenever possible. Strategies include:

1. Examine ergonomic factors. If back injuries occur frequently at your workplace, maybe it's time look at ergonomics, or the science of fitting a job to a person, rather than the other way around. Ergonomics helps lessen muscle fatigue, increases productivity and reduces the number and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. It involves looking at the entire job environment, particularly the interaction of human body and equipment used to perform a job's essential tasks. Sometimes simple ergonomic improvements, such as adjusting a workstation's height, can yield dramatic results. At other times, avoiding injuries will require a dramatic redesign of a workspace, equipment or task. An ergonomist or industrial hygienist can help you look at problem areas in your workplace.

2. Reconsider back braces. If your workers rely on back braces when lifting, you might want to consult with a physician who specializes in occupational injuries, or a physical therapist. Some studies have found that back braces do not prevent injury and may in fact contribute to injuries, by giving workers wearing them a false sense of security.

3. Conduct training. You've no doubt heard it before, but there are proper and improper ways to lift. Monitor your employees whose jobs require lifting and provide regular refresher trainings.

4. Promote fitness. Strengthening the muscles of the abdomen, back and thighs can help prevent back injuries by providing better support to the spine. Overweight and sedentary people have a higher risk of back injury than their fitter counterparts. Fitter employees will not only cost you less in group medical expenses, they could also cost you less in workers' compensation payments.

We can help you evaluate your injury claims and suggest ways to minimize future claims. For more information, please contact the PCOC Insurance Program department of Jenkins Leavitt Insurance Services at (877) 860-7378 or, email us @ ProPest@Leavitt.com.

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PCOC website password for 2013-2014 effective July 1, 2013: "beacon"

For an additional charge, you may access a 24-hour hotline providing consultation by qualified medical doctors on pesticide-related medical emergencies. This service is provided free of charge to Peacock Group insureds.