Safety Pays in Many Ways

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Counties’ safety efforts can - most importantly - prevent and minimize injuries to employees, volunteers and citizens. However, they can pay off in many other ways as well. Preventing a car crash, for example, can reduce costs to repair vehicles. But, members of the ACCG Insurance Programs have two special ways they can benefit financially from having strong safety programs:

2020 Safety Discount Program – Deadline is 9/19/2019!

Members of the ACCG Insurance Programs that have complied with certain safety requirements are eligible to receive discounts on their annual premiums. Counties that participate in the ACCG – Interlocal Risk Management Agency (ACCG-IRMA) can earn a 5% discount for the July 1, 2020-21 coverage period. (There used to be a $10,000 cap on the discount, but that has been removed!)  All members of the ACCG – Group Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Fund (ACCG-GSIWCF) can earn a 7.5% discount for the coverage period beginning January 1, 2020. To apply for the discount(s), the ACCG-IRMA and/or ACCG-GSIWCF Safety Discount Verification Form(s) must be completed and submitted to ACCG by September 19, 2019. Once received, a Local Government Risk Management Services (LGRMS) Field Representative will make an appointment to conduct a safety audit and confirm the discount should be applied to the next renewal. For more information about the Safety Discount Program, visit the ACCG Insurance Programs website.

2019 Employee Safety Grants – First Ever!

The ACCG-GSIWCF Board of Trustees voted in their November 2018 meeting to return for the first time ever $1.5 million in safety grants over the next three years. The grant funds, which ranged from $500 to $10,000, reimburse eligible members for purchases designed to eliminate or reduce future workers’ compensation claims. Seventy-six applications that total approximately $350,000 were submitted this year, for items such as AEDs, firefighter turnout gear and respiratory protection, extractors/washers for firefighter gear, back support belts, and body armor. There will be another opportunity to apply for the Employee Safety Grants beginning in May of 2020. Members can apply for the grant funds in future years even if they applied in 2019.

ACCG-GSIWCF is a member-owned insurance fund that was started in 1982.  The pool provides workers’ compensation coverage for Georgia counties and authorities.  McDuffie County Commissioner Fred Favors serves as Chairman of the ACCG-GSIWCF Board of Trustees.  The Fund currently has 172 members, consisting of 135 counties and 37 authorities.

For information on the ACCG Insurance Programs, please contact Joe Dan Thompson at 404-522-5022.