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by Bob Lauzonis, Loss Control Specialist

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Nearly any worker could encounter blood borne pathogens. Whether they are bandaging a co-worker's cut, stepping on a used hypodermic needle in the alley or helping an accident victim on the way home, they could be at risk.

WHAT'S THE DANGER

The viruses that cause diseases are spread by contact with blood and some other bodily fluids. Bloodborne diseases include: 

•     HIV, which causes AIDS, an immune system failure
•     HBV, which causes Hepatitis B, a liver disease
•     HCV, which causes Hepatitis C, also a liver disease

EXAMPLES

You could be exposed by being pricked by a used needle or other medical sharp instrument or exposed while giving first aid if infected blood enters your body through your eyes, mouth or skin cut.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Find out if your employer has a written safety plan. An important part of such a plan is known as "standard" or "universal" precautions. This means dealing with all human blood and other fluids as if they contain viruses, even if they don't. Methods of isolating hazards may be part of a safety plan, such as safe disposal containers for sharps, such as needles. Use tongs, or brushes to clean debris containing sharp items, even if you are wearing gloves. Never pick up broken glass with your hands. Wear the personal protective equipment (PPE) you are instructed to use, if your job exposes you to bodily fluids. This could include gloves, gowns or lab coats, goggles with side-shields, face-shields and respiratory protection. Clean and decontaminate any PPE equipment and surfaces that may have contact with infectious materials. If someone's blood gets on your clothes, try to handle that laundry as little as possible and wear gloves.

•     Wash needle-stick sites or cuts with soap and water
•     Flush with water any bodily fluid splashes to nose, mouth or skin
•     Irrigate your eyes with clean water, saline or sterile solutions

Report the exposure to your supervisor immediately so treatment can be started without delay.

WHO IS OR MAY BE AT RISK

Anyone who handles blood, blood components, blood products or body fluids. But there are other departments in county operations that are included and could be at risk. Some of these departments include: prisons, children and youth, probation and health care.

FINAL WORD

You can't see the viruses that cause AIDS and hepatitis. You just have to assume they are present in blood and protect yourself from contact.

If you would like a survey to review your current blood borne safety precautions, program and procedures, give our Loss Control department a call and arrange for a survey consultation.

Please call or contact:

Gary Nicholson, Loss Control Services Manager, at (800) 895-9039

Maureen McMahon, Loss Control Specialist, at (800) 895-9039

Andrew Smith, Loss Control Specialist, at (800) 895-9039

Bob Lauzonis, Loss Control Specialist, at (412) 276-2722

By Dave Harman, Claims Manager

By John Sallade, Managing Director

Governor Corbett has signed SB 834 into law, and the new Act 106 of 2011 makes significant changes to the way counties provide security to protect themselves, their taxpayers and other entities for which they collect money from embezzlement or other loss of monies at the county level. Although the Act amends the County Code, it applies to counties of all classes, and includes home rule counties as well.

In general, the Act simplifies the process of providing bonding or crime insurance coverage for newly elected county officials. Outdated provisions and coverage requirements which were scattered throughout the County Codes are repealed and provisions are consolidated. Instead of setting fixed amounts for bond or crime coverage in the law, the Act allows each county to determine the security needed to meet its obligations based on its liability exposure for losses.

The Act specifies official security must be provided for county officials and employees. The Act allows counties to choose individual bonds, blanket bonds, or crime insurance to provide security for public officials who are required to obtain official security. CCAP advises counties to consider that bonds will reimburse the county for a loss due to embezzlement, but the amounts paid by the bond will need to be repaid to the bonding company. Bonds are not insurance. Crime insurance will pay a covered loss, up to the limit of liability in the crime insurance policy, without requiring reimbursement of the payment (although losses will certainly impact future premiums).

The Act requires counties to "obtain security coverage for county officers and employees acting as agents of a Commonwealth agency or governing authority" but specifies that the crime insurance or bonds purchased by the county are sufficient for this coverage. In others words, the separate bonds required previously, whether in the County Code or elsewhere, are no longer required. There are three exceptions:

• The Act does not apply to bonds for Magisterial District Judges, so the process and need to have them in place for MDJ's remains the same as in prior years.
• The Act does not apply to tax collector bonds as they are required by a separate law, not the County Code. 
• The Act does not apply to County Treasurers acting as tax collectors as provided in section 4 of the Local Tax Collection Law. They will still need a separate bond payable to the commonwealth.

NOTE: On November 28 CCAP emailed all counties a detailed memo about these changes, including a copy of Act 106, and a sample resolution for adoption by the commissioners or county council. This article is a summary of the memo, and counties should consult the entire memo for more details. The information is available on the "What's New" section of the CCAP website.

The 2012 rates for workers' compensation insurance for members of CCAP's PComp insurance pool will remain the same as 2011. Approval from the Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) was received on November 22, 2011.

The PComp Board of Directors met September 16 and reviewed the pool's finances and the recommendations from the actuary. While a small rate increase was called for if the board wished to remain at an 85% confidence level, the board felt the pool had sufficient surplus to remain at the 2011 rates, saving the members the cost of increased rates.

Rate indications were sent to all members and their local insurance producers in early November, with a note that these were subject to approval by L&I. There were no changes made by L&I and the premium information sent to the members is now confirmed. Renewal packets will be sent to all members and their local insurance producers in early December.

It is important to note that while rates for each class of payroll will be the same in 2012 as in 2011, each member's costs will vary based on their individual payroll and experience modification changes compared to 2011.

For more information about PComp, contact Karen Cohen at CCAP.

By Bob Lauzonis, Loss Control Specialist

SAFETY SLOGANS 

•     Safety rules are there for a reason, protecting people season to season.
•     Sort it out...Don't stress it out!
•     Safety...Do it for family.
•     Lift your thoughts to believe and there are no limits to what you can achieve.
•     Giving credit where credit is due, builds a team that's a credit to you.
•     By thinking positive and following through, there's no job that you can't do.
•     Tell me - I forget, Show me - I remember, Involve me - I'm committed.
•     Santa likes a clean chimney, so do we.
•     A spill, a slip, a hospital trip.
•     Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors save lives.
•     Light your Christmas tree not your home; use approved decorations and lights. 
•     Black ice may lurk where you don't expect. Prepare for a skid to avoid a wreck.

NATIONAL SAFETY, AWARENESS AND WELLNESS OBSERVANCES FOR DECEMBER

•     National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention
•     Safe Toys and Gifts
•     Older Driver Safety Awareness                                               
•     National Hand Washing Awareness

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Now that the election results are in, we are beginning planning for 2012. There are several vacancies on the boards which are responsible for CCAP's insurance programs. We will be publicizing these in more detail with a letter to all counties in January, listing all the vacancies and information about the programs and the frequency of board meetings.

There are openings on the following boards:

          Health Alliance - 1 member

          COMCARE - 1 member

          Deferred Compensation Advisory Committee - 1 member

          PComp Board - 3 members

          PCoRP Board - 2 members

          PIMCC Board - 1 member

          UC Trustees - 3 members

Coverage Corner 

Reminders and Pointers about Insurance Coverage and Risk Management 

Functional Replacement Cost

Did you know that values for old or historic buildings can be insured on a functional replacement cost basis rather than full replacement cost? To replace historical buildings with like kind and quality materials can be very expensive, being that many of the materials and techniques are no longer readily available. Also, many times, if an older building would need to be replaced, the owner chooses to replace it with a modern and/or smaller facility. Functional replacement cost allows the building to be insured for values determined by what you actually would replace the building with, rather that full replacement value that contemplates full replacement with expensive and obsolete items. For example, a 200 year old courthouse with a full replacement value of $25,000,000 might be insured at functional replacement cost of $8,000,000. We realize that some historical buildings need to be insured at replacement cost due to codes, etc. But if it is decided that functional replacement cost will do, this will also save premium dollars!

CCAP Insurance Programs
 PO Box 60769, Harrisburg, PA 17106-0769
Phone (800) 895-9039 - FAX (717) 526-1020
Claims Fax (888) 692-2368

 Click here to go the Insurance Section of the CCAP Website.

email: jsallade@pacounties.org 

Insurance Matters is published monthly by CCAP's Insurance Programs for the use of members of CCAP's UC Trust, PCoRP, PComp, PIMCC, COMCARE, COMCARE PRO, PELICAN, Health Alliance and other insurance programs, and insurance producers of these members.

Advice contained in this publication is not legal advice and members are encouraged to seek the opinion of their solicitor.

The information provided in this publication is not intended to take the place of professional advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with competent legal, financial, or other appropriate professionals. Statements of facts and opinions expressed in this publication, by authors other than Association staff and officers, are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent an opinion or philosophy of the officers, members and staff of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP). No endorsement of advertised products or services is implied by CCAP unless those products or services are expressly endorsed, or are owned or managed by the Association programs, or our affiliates. This publication may not be reproduced, modified, distributed, or displayed in part or in whole, by any means, without advance written permission of CCAP. Please direct your requests to John Sallade, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs, jsallade@pacounties.org

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