The following are tips on ladder safety and their proper use: 

 

Load Limits - Select a ladder designed to hold the necessary load, including worker and equipment. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) requires that a duty rating sticker be placed on the side of every ladder so users can determine if they have the correct type ladder for each task/job. 

 

Type IAA: Special-duty -- 375 lbs.
Type IA: Extra heavy-duty -- 300 lbs.
Type I: Heavy-duty -- 250 lbs.
Type II: Medium-Duty -- 225 lbs.
Type III: Light-Duty -- 200 lbs. 

Inspect your Ladders - Make sure the feet are not broken or malfunctioning and that the slip-resistant pads are secure. Inspect for cracks, bends and splits on the side rails, rungs and steps. Make sure both rung locks are working properly. Test the rope & pulley. Examine the rope for any signs of fraying and make sure the pulley is operating smoothly. Ensure all bolts and rivets are secure. Be sure the ladder is free of foreign materials such as oil & grease. Make sure the spreader braces are secure and working properly. Lastly, aluminum or steel ladders should be inspected for rough burrs and sharp edges. Immediately remove the ladder from service if an inspection finds any of these references as faulty.

Ladder Safety Tips

• Always maintain a 3-point (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand) contact on the ladder when climbing. Keep your body near the middle of the step and always face the ladder while climbing.
• All ladders are weight rated. Do not exceed the weight capacity rating as this will only weaken the ladder and cause potential injury.
• Ladders must be free of any slippery material on the rungs, steps or feet.
• Do not use a self-supporting ladder (e.g., step ladder) as a single ladder or in a partially closed position.
• Do not use the top step/rung of a ladder as a step/rung unless it was designed for that purpose.
• Use a ladder only on a stable and level surface, unless it has been secured (top or bottom) to prevent displacement.
• Do not place a ladder on boxes, barrels or other unstable bases to obtain additional height.
• Do not move or shift a ladder while a person or equipment is on the ladder.
• When ascending or descending, caution needs to be exercised in carrying tools, equipment, material or anything heavy. It is much safer to carry items in a tool belt, in your pockets or handed up to you by a co-worker.
• Be sure your shoe laces are tied! You do not want to step on them when ascending or descending a ladder.
• Safety in the workplace involves a team effort. The unsafe use of ladders can be more easily seen in others than in oneself. For everyone's safety, if you see someone using a ladder incorrectly or in an unsafe manner, kindly inform the worker.
• When ascending or descending from a ladder, remember to take it one step at a time! 

The CCAP Loss Control Online Training provided by LocalGovU includes an informative Ladder Safety course that demonstrates the importance of using the proper equipment to work safely above the floor/ground. CCAP's insurance programs have recently partnered with LocalGovU, to offer quality employee training online on a variety of topics including Risk Management, Safety, Law Enforcement, Corrections, Human Resources, Fire, Productivity, Customer Service, Health, Wellness and Management. 

For more detailed information regarding ladder safety, contact the CCAP Loss Control Department at (800)895-9039; or email us at: 

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

Dennis Cutler, Loss Control Specialist, at (412) 600-6189

 

For purposes of the loss prevention grant program the PCoRP membership is split into two groups; 49 PCoRP county members and four PCoRP county related entity members. The monetary amount is different for each group as well as the type of grant is different for each group. The following will explain the differences.  

1. Each PCoRP county member can apply for up to a total of $12,500 in loss prevention grants during the 2014-2015 policy year. The awarded grant cannot be more than 50 percent of the cost of the project(s). Therefore, the PCoRP county member must contribute at least half of the cost of the grant project(s). However, the match can come from the county member's funds, other grants and/or in-kind work done by county employees. 
   
2. Each of the four PCoRP county related entities can apply for up to a total of $6,000 in non-matching loss prevention grants. This can be for one or more projects, but the total awarded to a county related entity member for all loss prevention grants cannot exceed $6,000 in the 2014-2015 policy year. This is considered as an outright grant not requiring any matching funds, but all the other loss prevention grant guidelines must be met.

Remember that the PCoRP Loss Prevention Grant Program is not intended to be used as the primary source for paying for routine maintenance expenses that a member normally encounters annually. This is not the intent of the loss prevention grant program.

Again as a reminder, PCoRP members have until May 31, 2015 to apply for the loss prevention grants for the 2014-2015 policy year. This applies to both the $12,500 matching grant for the PCoRP county members and the $6,000 non-matching grant for the PCoRP county related entity members.

 

If you need a PCoRP Loss Prevention Grant Program application or for more information about the loss prevention program email Gary Nicholson, Loss Control Services Manager or call (800) 895-9039.

 

U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance has announced a dual award for the new Utility, Transportation and Golf Vehicles and Related Accessories, Equipment, Parts and Services contract. This contract was awarded to Club Car and Columbia ParCar through a competitive solicitation process conducted by lead public agency, City of Kansas City, Missouri. The contract term is for three years with a start date of January 1, 2015, and the option to extend the contract for two additional periods of one year each.

 

To learn more about this new contract and the solutions available, webinars will be conducted and the recorded versions are posted on the U.S. Communities webinars page. Learn about our webinars or contact U.S. Communities for additional information.

 

This contract delivers work vehicles that will help you improve safety, move people and transport loads while lowering your cost of ownership. Not only will counties be able to save on the direct cost of vehicles, this contract provides a solution for counties looking to lessen their environmental impact.

 

Unique Solutions and Features
  

Club Car:

• Gas and diesel with two-and automatic four-wheel drive  
• Golf cars and turf utility vehicles
• Custom solutions for all your needs, such as trash units or hospitality van boxes 

Columbia ParCar:

• Electric vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions
• Ability to haul up to 5200 lbs. or tow up to 7 tons
• People Movers can move up to 26 people to move large groups quietly and efficiently 

More than 70 percent of counties in the United States are registered to use the U.S. Communities program, including 60 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties and several of those counties' related entities. Since the program's inception, U.S. Communities has provided significant hard dollar savings on commodities and services, as well as soft dollar savings on avoided administrative costs, to public agencies nationwide.

 

For more information, contact Julia Jackson, CCAP Health and Cooperative Programs Manager, or log on to www.uscommunities.org.

APRIL
1	Controlling B20:B39Workers Compensation Costs
2	KEYS: What Were They Thinking?
7	Prioritize, Organize and Simplify
7	KEYS: What Were They Thinking?
10	PCoRP Loss Control Workshop
15	KEYS: Engaging Your Staff and Improving Morale
16	Defensive Driving Course
16	Prioritize, Organize and Simplify
21	Defensive Driving Course
23	Prioritize, Organize and Simplify
23	Polish Your Skills as a Spokesman
28	Applying Incident Command System and the "All Hazards" Approach to Emergency Management
30	KEYS: HR Boot Camp
MAY
5	Prioritize, Organize and Simplify
5	KEYS: What Were They Thinking?
12	KEYS: Engaging Your Staff and Improving Morale
13	KEYS: What Were They Thinking?
20	Maintenance Workshop
21	Prison Risk Management Workshop
29	County Risk Managers Council
JUNE
3	County Risk Managers Council

    

If you would like additional copies of the spring Glimpse, please contact us. Inside the Glimpse there are descriptions, locations, dates and times of all our training programs for the spring.

 

Please keep in mind that most of our training sessions are free (if sponsored by an insurance program in which your employer is a member) AND for PCoRP, PComp and UC Trust members you can SAVE MONEY off your insurance costs by attending training sessions. If you aren't sure if your county is a member of these programs please refer to the Member Listing.

 

We continue our partnership with the Academy for Excellence in County Government and are offering several opportunities for both required course as well as electives. For additional information please refer to Upcoming Academy Events.

 

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Linda Rosito or Jenn James at (800) 895-9039.

 

Thank you for your continued support of the CCAP Insurance Programs trainings. We hope to see you this spring!

PCoRP Board Meeting
Friday, April 10, 2015, 12 noon
The Penn Stater, State College, PA

Health Alliance Board Meeting
Friday, April 17, 2015, 10 a.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg

CCAP Deferred Comp Advisory Committee
Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 10 a.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg

UC Trust Board Meeting
Friday, May 8, 2015, 10 a.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg

PIMCC Board Meeting
Friday, May 22, 2015, 10:30 a.m.
CCAP Office, Harrisburg

We are getting questions more frequently about proposed waivers of subrogation. This is happening when the county is leasing something or is signing a contract with a vendor. The county is being asked to waive subrogation. This means that if the person or entity creates a problem, or some other involved party does, the county cannot try to obtain liability coverage and damages from that person or entity. For example, if the county leases office space in a building, and another renter causes a loss, the county would not be able to seek damages from that renter. This can be a problem if the owner does not have enough insurance to cover the county's losses. Under Pennsylvania law, if the county waives subrogation, the county's insurer cannot subrogate on their behalf.

 

Our view of waiver of subrogation provisions is that these clauses for most types of contracts are not in a county's best interest. Essentially, a waiver of subrogation stipulates that one of the parties gives up their right to recover from the other party, regardless of who is negligent. In essence, this makes the county's insurance pay for a claim that occurred due to someone else's negligence (the contractor) because of the waiver in the contract. The county could end up paying for a claim under their policy that they were not responsible for, and because of the waiver, the insurance carrier would not be able to go to the contractor for reimbursement of the damages paid. This would mean that the county would have a claim added to their loss experience that was not due to their own negligence, which in turn could negatively affect the costs of their insurance.

 

For members of PCoRP, CCAP's property and liability insurance pool, the PCoRP Coverage Document states that should a claim occur that involves a waiver of subrogation, the deductible that the county would be responsible for would be equal to the policy's self-insured retention amount in effect at the time of the loss. We added this provision several years ago to raise awareness and protect PCoRP, should the county decide to waive subrogation.

 

That means that the county's deductible would be $250,000 for a property loss and $450,000 for a liability loss. The county would be responsible for those amounts in lieu of their standard deductible amounts should the claim include a waiver of subrogation issue. Because of these high amounts, it is most likely that the county would end up self-insuring a loss involving a waiver of subrogation, meaning that the costs of the claim would need to be paid directly by the county. We always recommend, if possible, that the entire waiver of subrogation section be eliminated from a contract and in its place mutual indemnification/hold harmless wording be included.

 

Please note that this is not a legal opinion, but are comments from an insurance and risk management standpoint.

 

For more information, contact Karen Cohen at CCAP.