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Ridgemark Insurance Services
How to Prepare for Blackouts During Wildfire Season
During wildfire season, utilities with equipment in at-risk areas will often cut power during high-wind events to reduce the risk of ignition from downed power lines. While the practice can prevent a fire from starting, it can put businesses in a bind by hampering...
Supply-Chain Volatility Threatens Businesses
As the Trump administration returns to aggressive tariff strategies, business owners across the country are once again bracing for impact. On-again, off-again tariffs aimed at key trade partners like China, Mexico and Canada are creating a volatile environment where...
Business Growth Can Lead to Increased Risk
Growing companies often overlook the importance of properly managing their risk. Increased activity can result in additional losses. For example, more trucks driving more miles may result in more accidents. However, other kinds of risk can increase more than the jump...
Managing Higher Commercial Property Insurance Deductibles
As commercial property insurance rates have climbed steadily in the last five years, insurers have been increasing deductibles, sometimes for all risks, but sometimes for specific perils, such as hail. Often, business owners fail to notice these increased deductibles...
DOL Won’t Enforce Biden-Era Independent Contractor Rule
The Department of Labor on May 1, 2025, announced it would no longer enforce a Biden-era rule on independent contractors, setting the stage for a drastic overhaul that will likely result in a more employer-friendly regulation. While the DOL reviews the rule, which has...
Cal/OSHA Making Changes to Heat Illness Prevention Rules
Cal/OSHA has released draft language that would require employers of outside workers to take additional steps to ensure their safety when working in high heat conditions. The proposed rules were written to implement legislation — AB 2243 — signed into law in 2022 to...
How Tariffs Are Affecting Construction and Insurance Costs
President Trump's far-reaching tariffs are starting to bleed into building costs as many of the main materials used in construction are now subject to import taxes. And as construction costs increase due to tariffs, so does the cost of repairing or replacing materials...
10 Tips for Dealing with OSHA
When OSHA shows up, it's not the time to figure things out on the fly. Whether you're in construction, manufacturing or any other field with safety exposure, knowing the ground rules can make all the difference between a successful visit or one where you leave...
A Reminder of Your Workplace Violence Prevention Annual Obligations
As the one-year anniversary of California's workplace violence prevention law approaches, employers will need to take steps to ensure their continued compliance. The law requires all California employers with 10 or more staff to have a workplace violence prevention...
As Mobile Threat Booms Revisit Your BYOD Policies
As new malware and ransomware that specifically targets mobile devices grows exponentially, if you have not set rules for employees who use their own smart phones for company business, you should do so now. While implementing a bring your own device (BYOD) program can...