New Requirement for Workers’ Compensation Safety Discount

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Safety is a win-win for counties, their employees and citizens, reducing the potential for injuries and property damage. An added bonus for those counties that are members of the ACCG Insurance Programs is that they can earn a 7.5 percent safety discount and save money on their renewal premiums.

The ACCG Safety Discount Program workbook was recently mailed to all members of the ACCG Workers’ Compensation and Property & Liability Insurance Programs. The workbook and electronic forms are also available online.

This year, in an effort to help county leaders focus loss-control efforts where they matter most, the Safety Action Plan has been added as a requirement for the ACCG Workers’ Compensation Safety Discount. ACCG and LGRMS will assist in this effort, beginning with two webinars in March to outline this requirement and answer questions. Sign up today to learn more about how to create the Safety Action Plan and qualify to receive the safety discount. The session will also be recorded and available at a later date, if needed.


March 22, 2016 10 a.m.
Register for 3/22/16

March 29, 2016 10 a.m.
Register for 3/29/16

"Planning is a critical element of any successful safety program," said Dan Beck, the director of LGRMS, also known as ACCG’s Risk Control services. He has offered these steps to assist your county’s Safety Coordinator in this process.

1. Determine the organization’s safety vision – Start by getting the leaders engaged in the process, so they will be more likely to participate in the implementation process. Leaders can be at all levels within the organization: elected officials, directors, managers, supervisors and front-line employees. Ask them, "Are you committed to providing a safe working environment and culture for the employees and citizens?" Decide together what the vision is for safety.

2. Assess the current safety program – Conduct an internal culture safety assessment. The ACCG loss control representative can provide a template or assist with this process. Review safety system elements such as: Leadership Commitment, Employee Engagement, Programs/ Policies, Training, Incident Investigation, Audits/Inspection, Emergency Procedures, etc.

3. Identify gaps between the vision and the current program – Once the assessment is complete, the gaps in process and culture will be clear.

4. Prioritize gaps – Most organizations do not have unlimited resources. In order to be successful, identify those issues that will have the biggest impact on improving the culture. Keep in mind the amount of resources needed for implementation, including time, money maintenance. It is better to do one thing very well than to attempt five things ineffectively.

5. Conduct root cause analysis – Identify the root cause of the claims instead of trying to fix a symptom. Continue to ask "why?" until the root of the issue is identified.

6. Develop the Safety Action Plan – Educate the leaders with the findings of the assessment and the prioritized list of gaps and root causes. Get their feedback and make adjustments based on the group discussion. Agree on the areas to attack. Document the selected corrective actions, assign owners, and dates of completion. Ownership should be distributed throughout the organization.

7. Communicate the safety vision and Safety Action Plan – Let everyone in the organization know the safety vision and action plan that will be used to fulfill the vision. Assign activities to all levels of the organization to ensure better ownership. There are several ways to communicate the plans, including posting on bulletin boards, discussing in meetings and sending out via email.

8. Review monthly and communicate status – Within the safety committee and/or leadership meetings, review the progress on the Safety Action Plan.

9. Celebrate successes and investigate failures – Recognize those individuals that have been successful implementing their action items and investigate where implementation has failed.

10. Revisit this process annually and adjust as needed.

Taking the time to evaluate the organization’s workers’ compensation losses and identify areas to target for loss control is well worth the effort. Learn from the past and help avoid similar accidents in the future by focusing resources where they matter the most.

If you have any questions regarding the new guidelines for the safety discount or on registration for the webinars, please email Dan Beck, director of LGRMS, or ACCG's Ashley Abercrombie.