Volume 26 Issue 1

January 2016


www.pacounties.org

INSURANCE MATTERS
An e-newsletter of the County Commissioners
Association of Pennsylvania Insurance Programs

 

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Now that I am finally accustomed to writing "2015", here it is, 2016! For many of us this means new challenges, opportunities, even newly elected leaders. If the fresh, cold air of January doesn't wake you up, maybe the changes that come to county government every four years will.

Many of us struggle with change. We like the routine, the predictable. Not knowing what is next or how things will turn out concerns us, and it is easy to fixate and worry about what change will bring.

It helps to consider your perspective. If you strive for continuous improvement, change becomes a tool to get you to your goal, instead of something to fear. Allowing others to help you with that continuous improvement eases their anxiety about change and can even excite them about making something better.

Here's an example. Our PCoRP Coverage Document is not an exciting read. But it is a very important document. We change it every year. And stated that way, it would be easy to make it sound scary, or even odd that we do it every year. But we had a team of insurance professionals create this document in 2000. We spent a lot of time on it, and we committed that the effort would not go to waste. We built into our annual planning a way to keep the document fresh. Our review of the document happens each December, and it is truly a continuous improvement process. We seek to clarify wording, add or change coverages and make sure the PCoRP program is improving. So the change is not scary, it is beneficial. We try to avoid change just for sake of change. I am sure the PCoRP board does not look forward each January to the "scintillating" review of the changes we propose, but they know it means we are trying to get better and provide the PCoRP members with better service.

Make sure you contact us when you need help with something,
                           John Sallade       

PCoRP Awards Presented 

 

As announced November 22 at the 2015 annual delegates meeting of the Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool, PCoRP is pleased to recognize the following members for 2015:

 

Paul Corbin, Jefferson County Commissioner: Paul received the Brady Koch PCoRP Award, recognizing an elected official's support of PCoRP and risk management.

Doug Kenwood, Berks County Assistant Director of Facilities: Doug received the Sherm Doebler PCoRP Award, recognizing a staff member's support of PCoRP and risk management.

Gail Kipp, Columbia County Chief Clerk: Gail was presented with the Ron Shearer Award, recognizing a member of the PCoRP Board of Directors to PCoRP.

Lycoming County: The county received the PCoRP Risk Control Award, for outstanding loss control and risk management efforts, particularly for their very active safety committee.

Kelly Kyzer, Wayne County Risk Manager: Risk Control Award, for outstanding loss control and risk management efforts.

Wayne and Columbia County: Both counties received PCoRP Loss Prevention Awards, for exceptional participation in PCoRP training sessions.

 

Krista Davis, Centre County Risk Manager: Krista was presented with the Claims Reporting Award, for outstanding work handling claims and assisting PCoRP staff.

 

Gary Nicholson, retired Loss Control Services Manager, received the PCoRP Special Recognition award for his work on behalf of PCoRP's members.

 

Mifflin County: The County won with Willis Pooling PCoRP Loss Experience Award, for the member with the lowest loss experience in 2015.

 

Congratulations to the 2015 award winners!

 

For more information about PCoRP, or the PCoRP awards program, contact John Sallade.

 


 

  

How to Prevent Workplace Violence
 

Recent acts of violence have caused concerns as people struggle to understand why such events occur. These types of incidents raise questions about workplace safety and security and the need to conduct threat/risk assessments in order to protect employees and the public.

 

There are many factors which may increase the risk of workplace violence. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the following factors increase the chances of such an event occurring:

  • Working with the public
  • Working alone or in isolated areas
  • Handling of money
  • Providing services and care
  • Location of work
  • Scheduled work hours
This list is not all inclusive, but when we think of county operations, most if not all of the above activities involve many county employees.

Workplace violence occurs in many forms from those who wish to commit theft to a criminal act. Violence may also be directed at county employees by clients, patients, inmates or the public at large. Co-workers are also a potential source of workplace violence. Finally, an individual who does not work at a county facility but may have a personal relationship with an employee.

Counties are responsible for the safety and security of its employees and visitors. They are put in a position whereby they are culpable even when workplace violence could be a random event. The potential for workplace violence will remain and counties need to take steps to prevent. Why? The answers are obvious; but in addition to the human cost, there is a financial one as well. In 2011, acts of workplace violence accounted for 121 billion dollars nationwide. Non-fatal assaults resulted in 876,000 lost workdays and 16 million in lost wages. Not to mention lost productivity, increased insurance costs, lawsuits/settlements and more.

Increasing workplace awareness is one important step in preventing workplace violence. Training, creating a safe work environment, creation of emergency actions plans and in the event of an incident, post incident and employee recovery protocols including counseling services are critical.

If not already established, develop a written, comprehensive workplace violence prevention program. At a minimum, document specific procedures and responsibilities in the event of a violent incident in the workplace. Employees need to have a clear understanding of what workplace violence is, warning signs and how to respond.

For more information, contact Keith Wentz at (717) 736-4724. Should you need assistance, do not hesitate to contact your risk control specialist.

Andrew Smith
Risk Control Specialist
(717) 736-4769
Dennis Cutler
Senior Risk Control Specialist
(717) 736-4746
Maureen McMahon
Risk Control Specialist
(717) 736-4706

 

 

Center for Excellence in County Leadership (CEL) Program Accepting Applications for 2016 Program

CCAP is pleased to present the 2016 Center for Excellence in County Leadership (CEL) program to help county officials to develop a professional culture for county government.

Strong leadership is essential to county success and future growth. The CEL Program offers county commissioners or council members, chief clerks, county administrators and solicitors in Pennsylvania's 67 counties the opportunity to be immersed in an intensive leadership curriculum which will enhance personal and professional growth. The program features curriculum including managerial versatility, interpersonal dynamics, crisis communication, media management, problem solving, decision making and more.

The two and a half-day intensive program will be held at the CCAP office in Harrisburg on June 15 - 17, 2016. We invite you to explore this exciting educational opportunity offered exclusively by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP). Participation is available to one eligible person per county per year, with a maximum of 16 participants per year. Application
is required by January 15, 2016 to be considered for participation in the June 2016 session.

More detailed information and an application are available on the CEL homepage or brochure and application (PDF). 

We invite you to be involved in this exciting program!

For more information, contact Mandi Glantz at CCAP.

PCoRP, PComp and the CCAP UC Trust are proud sponsors of the Center for Excellence in County Leadership Program.
Risk Management Listserv

The Risk Management Team at CCAP is pleased to announce that we have started a Listserv for the Risk Management staff within the counties. 

For those of you that may not be familiar a Listserv is a communication tool used for the purpose of distributing messages to members via an electronic mailing list. The Listserv was established to manage the multitude of messages sent between members and to organize those messages for future review.

The Risk Management Team will be hosting a webinar on January 13, 2016, to provide a brief overview of the Listserv. The webinar will start at 1:30 p.m. and last 60 minutes. For those Risk Managers in our database, an initial email has already been sent to you with instructions on how to join the Listserv. A follow up invitation for the webinar will be sent out shortly. If you did not receive the initial email and perform job function(s) related to risk management and have an interest in the Risk Management Listserv please send an email to Andrew Smith. Andrew will provide you with details on how to become a participant.

For more information, contact Keith Wentz
 at (717) 736-4724 or Andrew Smith at (717) 736-4769.
Nationwide Economics
Economic Review and Outlook by Nationwide

As widely anticipated, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) tightened monetary policy for the first time in nearly 10 years last week, raising the benchmark federal funds rate by 25 basis points. While this represents a key turning point in the direction of policy the immediate direction of policy, the immediate impact of such a modest rise in rates is minimal for financial markets and the real economy. As emphasized in the FOMC statement and Chair Yellen's later commentary, monetary policy remains very accommodative even after this rate hike. Furthermore, the effects of policy changes occur with an extended lag and depend upon the cumulative impact of successive rate moves. For example, the Fed launched its last tightening cycle in June 2004 - three and a half years before the end of that expansion. 

The Fed reiterated strongly that future policy tightening would be "gradual" and "data-dependent". The median expectation of Fed members for the rise in the federal funds rate in 2016 remained unchanged at 100 basis points (in line with Nationwide Economics' forecast). This projected pace of rate hikes would be slower than usual in the first year of a Fed tightening cycle, but befitting current modest economic growth and tepid inflation. The median rate expectations for 2017 and 2018 declined slightly from the September meeting, although they are still above what financial markets expect. If economic growth and core inflation both edge higher, and financial markets expect more Fed tightening, then financial market expectations should converge with the Fed's overtime. We expect the Fed to act cautiously and focus on seeing further pickups in wage and core inflation pick-ups in wage and core inflation before tightening again.

While overall inflation remained stagnant in November amid lower energy prices, core inflationary pressures continue to build - with the core Consumer Price Index (CPI) climbing by 0.2 percent for a third consecutive month. The latest increase pushed the 12-month trend rate in the core CPI up to the Fed's stated long-term goal of 2.0 percent. We expect core inflation to edge higher in 2016 as labor/product markets tighten. In other economic news, housing starts (both single-family and multifamily) rose sharply in November as demand for new construction remains strong. A substantial increase in permits suggests more gains for starts ahead.  

CCAP is a proud sponser of the NACo 457 Deferred Compensation Plan provided by Nationwide Retirement Solutions. For more information you can visit NACo's website.  
Watch Your Step Campaign
Watch Your Step is a campaign to raise awareness about the hazards associated with slip, trips and falls. The campaign will include quarterly posters and electronic postcard on how to prevent slip, trips and falls. The materials will be available on request starting January 2016. We invite you to join in this effort by using these resources to drive awareness and training activities. Contact us at [email protected] to request printed materials.

Facts regarding Slips and Falls
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), slips, trips and falls accounted for 15.8% of all fatal occupational injuries in 2013. The BLS reported a preliminary total of 4405 fatal work injuries for calendar year 2013. Of this total, 699 were associated with slips, trips and falls. Falls to a lower level accounted for 574 (82%) and falls on the same level accounted for 106 (15.2%) fatalities.

In addition, of the 1,162,210 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work in 2013, 296,130 of these cases were associated with slips and falls. Falls on the same level resulted in 10 median days away from work and falls to a lower level resulted in 20 median days away from work.

The most disabling workplace injuries and illnesses in 2010 amounted to $51.1 billion in direct workers' compensation costs, according to the 2012 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index (WSI). Overexertion injuries remained the largest contributor to the overall burden, accounting for $13.61 billion, or nearly 27%, of the total cost. Falls on the same level ($8.61 billion) and bodily reaction ($5.78 billion) were the next most costly injury causes, followed by falls to a lower level ($5.12 billion). The cost of the combined fall categories exceeded that for the overexertion category.

Footwear Considerations
Choose footwear to fit the activities performed by your employees. For example: Do they need ankle support, are they exposed to petroleum or food based oils, will they be working in a wet environment, do they need thermal or electrical protection?

Avoid footwear with hard plastic or leather soles and high heels:
  • Plastic or PVC soles such as in a women's high heeled shoe provides little slip resistance on a hard walkway surface. Leather is inconsistent material and changes over time. It can wear, become saturated with water, oil, or grease.  

Choose footwear with an adequate tread pattern and avoid smooth soles:

  • Tread patterns should be random patterns perpendicular to the direction of travel. Tread patterns that run in the direction of travel tend to accentuate forward motion. Softer soles are generally more slip-resistant than harder materials because they grab the surface more effectively. Just like tires, the tread, along with other features on footwear wears down. Footwear should be inspected, maintained, cleaned, alternated, and replaced.
Footwear for Icy Conditions
Good tread and soft soles grips the surface and assists in preventing slips and falls. However, when ice is present, the tread and sole properties only "float" atop the surface. Caution can be exercised while walking on ice, but the risk of slipping and falling is still present. Ice cleats can be built into shoes or placed over the shoes to reduce the risk. The ice cleats "dig" into the surface.

Some of our counties have purchased ice cleats for their employees and have found they help to prevent slip and fall claims. For more information on how to prevent slips, trips and falls you may contact one of our risk control representatives.

For more information, contact Maureen McMahon at (717) 736-4706. Should you need assistance, do not hesitate to contact your risk control specialist.

Andrew Smith
Risk Control Specialist
(717) 736-4769
Dennis Cutler
Senior Risk Control Specialist
(717) 736-4746
Maureen McMahon
Risk Control Specialist
(717) 736-4706
Upcoming Events
 
PCoRP Board Meeting and Retreat
January 20 - 22, 2016
The Hotel Hershey
  
COMCARE PRO SAC Board Meeting
January 25, 2016
CCAP Office, Harrisburg

PELICAN SAC Board Meeting
January 26, 2016
The Hotel Hershey

2016 CCAP Spring Conference
March 13 -15, 2016
Hilton Harrisburg
HOT TOPIC
Winter Weather Issues

Here's a cold hot topic! This time of year we get many questions about weather related matters. "Is it a liability if we don't clear the snow and ice from our pavements and parking lots right away?" The answer is yes. For workers' compensation, if your employees fall on your property it is a very good chance this will result in a workers' compensation claim. For liability, if a member of the public falls, it could be a third party liability claim. Generally the defect which caused the claim needs to be something of the property (a faulty handrail or a broken step for example) rather than a defect on the property (snow and ice). But more slips and falls by the public will certainly lead to more lawsuits, which at the least will occupy your time and cost the county for legal defense.

The other question we receive relates to winter storm damages. Typically this is roof related, and the county wants to know if they need to bid to make repairs from a snow or ice storm. For insurance purposes, the first thing the county needs to do are temporary repairs to protect further damage from happening. If ice rips off part of the roof and exposes the building to the elements, a temporary tarp or other type of protection needs to be put in place as soon as possible. Under the County Code, the county can make emergency repairs without bidding. Consult your solicitor, but don't delay the work. This gives you time to work with your insurer to determine the overall cost of the work for a permanent repair, and to go through any bidding requirements.

For more information, contact Karen Cohen at CCAP.
Quote of the Month
  
"How wonderful it is that nobody need
wait a single moment before starting to
improve the world."
  
- Anne Frank
  
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Contact Us: John Sallade, Managing Director, CCAP Insurance Programs