| Motor vehicle crashes cost US employers
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| | your safety objectives. Obviously, for
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| over $60 billion annually in medical
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| | any program to be a success, it has to be
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| costs, legal expenditure, property
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| | committed to, and supported by company
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| damage, and lost productivity. While
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| | management. Once the commitment is made,
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| costs by state and Industry vary,
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| | consider the following measures as a part
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| on-the-job crash injuries (fatal and
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| | of your complete risk reduction plan:
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| non-fatal) amount to about 6.5 percent of
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| | 1) Setting Goals, Documenting Procedures
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| all crash injuries. As a result, the cost
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| | Consider appointing a program manager
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| of workers' compensation, Social Security
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| | with the task of overseeing the safety
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| benefits, health and disability insurance
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| | initiatives, including vehicle add-on
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| continues to rise. An investment in a
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| | product evaluation and written company
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| comprehensive motor vehicle accident
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| | policies specific to vehicle safety.
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| prevention program can be a winning
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| | Documenting the goals, as well as the
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| approach to reducing these expenses and
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| | results, should be an integral part of
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| an effective tool for helping limit your
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| | the program. To maximize results, share
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| company's liability exposure.
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| | pertinent information with the employees
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| Consider the Savings
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| | that drive either a company owned or
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| According to the National Highway Traffic
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| | personal vehicle used for company-related
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| Safety Administration's report entitled
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| | work. You may wish to instigate both an
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| "The Economic Burden of Traffic Crashes
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| | incentive and a disciplinary action
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| on Employers" (request a free copy of the
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| | program to raise the awareness of
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| 35-page report on the author's web site),
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| | everyone involved. Once you begin to
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| the average crash costs an employer
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| | realize measurable improvements, consider
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| $16,500. An employee that has an
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| | rewarding individuals for their personal
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| on-the-job crash resulting in an injury,
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| | commitment to improving the company's
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| costs their employer $74,000. In the case
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| | safety.
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| of a fatality, costs often go beyond
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| | For those organizations that do not
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| $500,000. Additionally, off-the-job
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| | participate in any formal regulatory
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| crashes not only affect individual
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| | compliance, consider drafting key
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| employees, they are costly to the company
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| | documents of your own, such as a written
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| as well. The aforementioned NHTSA report
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| | driver agreement, a vehicle inspection
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| had this to say about potential financial
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| | and maintenance handbook, along with an
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| benefits, "Traffic safety programs are an
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| | accident reporting and investigation
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| alternative to reduce health care
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| | procedure. Utilizing this documented
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| expenses to employers without reducing
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| | information can help minimize further
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| the benefits offered to employees.
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| | liability; be sure to amend your company
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| Protecting employees from motor vehicle
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| | policy as necessary to help eliminate
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| crash injury can be a profitable
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| | reoccurring incidents.
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| investment of time and resources".
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| | 2) Employing Aftermarket Safety
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| Companies that utilize a crash avoidance
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| | Technology
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| program often realize immediate benefits
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| | Currently there are several aftermarket
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| due to the positive return-on-investment
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| | products available to aid drivers in the
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| (ROI) from a well-designed safety agenda.
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| | safe operation of their vehicles, many of
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| Consider the findings of Liberty Mutual
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| | which are cost-effective and easy to
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| Insurance Company's report entitled
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| | install on most trucks, vans, SUV's and
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| "Executive Survey of Workplace Safety".
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| | cars. While it is beyond the scope of
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| In their study, they found approximately
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| | this article to address the broad array
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| 61 percent of questioned business
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| | of safety solutions available today, you
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| executives think their companies receive
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| | might consider learning more about the
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| an ROI of $3.00 or more for every $1.00
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| | following:a) Sensor Based Obstacle
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| spent on improving worker safety.
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| | Detection: Backing-up sensors utilizing
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| Protecting Valuable Assets
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| | Doppler radar technology are extremely
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| Most well informed employers understand
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| | reliable and impervious to the affects of
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| their employees are critical to the
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| | whether. While these devices can be more
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| success of their business. Showing a
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| | costly than the parking aid sonar-based
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| commitment to protecting the safety and
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| | products, they are far superior in
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| welfare of valuable workers can go a long
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| | performance for safety applications.b)
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| way to help improve employee work
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| | Camera Based Video Systems: Today's
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| satisfaction and retention. If your
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| | camera technology is extremely effective
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| company happens to be a professional
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| | in giving visibility to blind spots that
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| transportation or delivery business, the
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| | are often impossible for the driver to
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| benefit can be even greater. With the
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| | see. A common application is to monitor
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| extreme shortage of qualified truck
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| | the rear of the vehicle via a color LCD
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| drivers, focusing on employee wellbeing
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| | display, helping to prevent reverse
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| can aid in the reduction of a major cost
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| | backing accidents.c) Lane Departure
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| and time encumbrance...truck driver
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| | Warning (LDW): Often camera based, these
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| turnover.
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| | devices are most effective when used on
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| "The costs associated with hiring and
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| | highways and long distance driving. If
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| training new drivers is much better spent
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| | the driver becomes distracted or
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| on furthering the safety and wellness of
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| | fatigued, a warning goes off if they
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| our employees', noted Mark W. Kadlec, VP
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| | begin to drift into another lane.
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| of Human Resources & Safety at
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| | 3) Safety Education & Training
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| Distribution Technologies, Inc. (
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| | Launching your program with an initial
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| Headquartered in Newbury, Ohio this bulk
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| | training is an effective way to get a
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| transport company is an example of a
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| | running start. Take the opportunity to
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| professional carrier benefiting from a
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| | impart your company's safety goals,
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| highly focused vehicle safety regimen.
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| | employee expectations and reasons why
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| Consistently recognized by the National
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| | everyone can benefit through active
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| Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) for operating
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| | participation. Employee drivers should
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| one of the country's safest fleets,
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| | receive ongoing training; also consider
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| DistTech has received the prestigious
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| | offering access to an internet based
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| NTTC Outstanding Performance Trophy six
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| | driver-training course. In addition,
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| times. Kadlec furthers, "Documenting
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| | think about adding vehicle safety content
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| procedures, on-going safety training and
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| | to your company newsletter, furthering
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| the use of advanced technology allowed
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| | education and continuously reminding
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| DistTech to improve its safety record for
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| | employees that safety is not a part time
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| 15 consecutive years. Investing in state
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| | job.
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| of the art driver fatigue monitors and
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| | Understanding the financial burden
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| video camera systems to alert our drivers
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| | associated with motor vehicle crashes
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| of a potential collision, are just two
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| | makes for a compelling case to take
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| examples of how we protect our employees,
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| | action to reduce the impact. It is a
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| our assets and our customers."
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| | known fact that many traffic crashes are
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| Establishing an Accident Prevention
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| | avoidable; investing in a company wide
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| Program
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| | motor vehicle safety program can help
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| Depending on the size and scope of your
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| | save lives and reduce costs, ultimately
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| organization, there are several things to
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| | providing benefits that are hard to
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| think about in order to best accomplish
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| | ignore.
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