Happy February! Yesterday, Sun Prairie's Jimmy the Groundhog predicted an early spring, so we'll take his word over six more weeks of winter as predicted by Punxsatawney Phil. In this week's Big I Buzz, we are discussing the new OSHA workplace safety guidelines, the just-released rules for the Tokyo Olympics this summer and the 10 "least reliable" cars on the road in 2021. 

OSHA Issues COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidelines

The new guidance from the OSHA seeks to protect all types of workers, not just the ones who are deemed to be at higher risk of contracting the virus depending on where they work. It also asks employers to shield workers from retaliation if they complain about the conditions and sets up ways for them to voice complaints anonymously. The new OSHA guidance wants employers to give workers a bigger say in developing safety protocols. 

Much of the guidance released on Friday, January 29th are similar to guidelines from the Trump administration. Many workplaces have already adopted the guidelines, like those asking workers to keep at least six feet away from each other and asking workers to wear face masks. Read more of the guidelines here. 

Olympic Officials Unveil Rules on Masks, Singing, Transport for COVID-19 Games

The Tokyo Games are planned for this summer, and Olympic officials have unveiled their new COVID-19 rules. These rules have banned singing and chanting during events, participants are mandated to wear a mask at "all times" unless they are eating, sleeping or outdoors. The new rules have also pushed to barr international federation officials and staff from using public transport without permission, a move that they will hope will ease the Japanese public's concerns about hosting the Olympic games during a pandemic. Read more about the rules and the Summer Olympics here. 

10 Least Reliable Cars on the Road in 2021

Consumer Reports has released its list of newer-model vehicles with the greatest risk of problems. CR surveyed over 300,000 car owners on their vehicle's performance and the study examined 17 different trouble areas from basic nuisances such as squeaky brakes to significant issues like out-of-warranty repairs. Only vehicles with the latest model years of data were considered for this list. Here's what they found: 

1. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 - Consumer Reports gave this car a reliability score of 13. 

2. 2021 Subaru Ascent - CR awarded this vehicle an 18 or reliability. 

3. 2021 Volkswagen Atlas - CR didn't place this one much higher than the Subaru Ascent, sitting at a reliability score of 19. 

4. 2021 Jeep Compass - Slowly moving up on the CR ratings, the Jeep Compass has a reliability score of 21.

5. 2021 Volvo XC90 - CR gave this vehicle a score of 26. 

6. 2021 Chevrolet Colorado - Tied with the Volvo, the Chevy Colorado was given a 26 reliability score. 

7. 2020 Tesla Model S - At a three-way tie, this Tesla also was given a 26.

8. 2021 Jeep Wrangler - Consumer Reports rated this a 27 for reliability. 

9. 2021 Ford EcoSport - 28 reliability score

10. 2021 Volvo XC60 - Tied with the Ford EcoSport, the Volvo XC60 also received a reliability score of 28. 

Read more here: https://www.propertycasualty360.com/2021/02/01/10-least-reliable-cars-on-the-road-in-2021/

For more news, check out the Action News section of our weekly e-newsletter    Big I Buzz.    If you aren't subscribed, click     here    to add your email to our emailing list. Don't forget you can stay up-to-date on other industry news and conversation by joining the IIAW's Online Community, exclusively for IIAW members. You can join the Online Community here. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week!