R&R Insurance Blog

No one day is the same for Lisa Bergersen, HR Director with the City of Pewaukee. In addition to administering personnel benefits, Lisa also works closely with the common council, mayor and city administrator on unemployment and HR strategy. Many time-sensitive occurrences happen on a day-to-day basis that require quick decisions and Lisa’s immediate action. Through the city of Pewaukee’s partnership with R&R Insurance, Lisa has defined the following 3 factors as important components to the customer service provided by her Knowledge Broker.

1. Quick Answers:

Getting the answers you need in a timely fashion is a customer’s expectation of any service provider. When your question impacts the lives of many and has a financial impact on taxpayers, quick response is an even more critical element to the level of customer service provided. With Lisa Bergersen’s role directing HR efforts for the city of Pewaukee, she leans on the expertise of her R&R Insurance Knowledge Broker for answers to her questions. Everything from personnel issues, group benefits, policies and legal matters; questions should be addressed in a way that makes you feel like you are your agent’s only client.

2. Strategy:

Oftentimes when we receive an answer to our question, we are left with the feeling of ….what now? Co-workers and team members do not always possess all the information or expertise needed to make the best decisions for an organization or business. Having the confidence to rely on a consultant who specializes in municipal insurance matters can provide efficiencies and save money. Lisa finds value in having the opportunity to talk through occurrences and issues with her R&R Knowledge broker so that a recommended strategy is put into place. They work through the overall direction to handle the situation while giving thought to minimizing risk and the appropriate communication to be shared among employees and / or residents.

3. Action Plan:

Her law school experience has helped Lisa understand the importance of asking the right questions and expecting timely response in order to be efficient and effective in her job. Creating an action plan with the help of her agent may be the most crucial factor when human resources and other municipal insurance issues arise. Knowing you have a knowledgeable resource to lend credibility and ensure no details are overlooked can provide incredible peace of mind.

Relying on specialized, service-centric experts to provide municipal insurance consultation and risk management recommendations is key to successful city and village administration. Service focused on timely response, strategy development and action plans will help representatives create efficiencies and keep costs down.

What municipal insurance challenges does your city or village face each day?

WI school administrators’ & teachers’ safety & liability concerns involve carrying the responsibility of ensuring students, faculty and community are covered – especially in high risk environments like laboratory science. Schools are faced with unique risks in regard to keeping their environments a safe place for students to learn and grow. Providing the best education and classroom experience should be an educator’s #1 priority and there are resources that allow you to make that the primary focus. Here are 4 qualities that you should look for when evaluating and choosing a safety & liability coverage consultant for your district, school, group or project.

Experience

School district risk and claims management requires a specialized expertise in all areas of a school’s operations function. Finding the right consultant for your group should include a representative with experience in education coverages as well as provide you with access to valuable resources that will help you make knowledgeable decisions. Your provider representative should have familiarity with your school setting, faculty and educators that are working in situations that may be considered high risk. Are you in a situation where you see your consultant only once a year or at renewal time? If so, it’s likely they do not have a strong understanding of the risks that are facing your individual students, faculty and property on a daily basis. Choose a consultant that has experience working in the same type of district, school or group setting as you will be working in together. They should also come with strong recommendations and be known for their solid relationships with the administrators, teachers and students they serve.

Knowledge

With experience, comes knowledge. Look for a consultant that has the breadth of knowledge to give expert advice, recommendations and lead you to resources that will provide value to the entire administration and staff. Safety and insurance coverages can be intimidating and complex at times. Having a reliable consultant that acts as an approachable extension of your team could save your district, school or group time and money. Working with a provider that goes above and beyond to create educational opportunities for you and your team will be an invaluable addition to the partnership.

Compassion

Look for a provider with a mission that aligns with your district or school’s focus on providing the most successful educational experience for your students and the community. Your partner should be someone you trust to put the lives of the people who fall under your policy first as well as do the right things – even when no one is looking. Here’s an example of how Jeff Gross, Director of Business Services with the school district of Menomonee Falls is working with his insurance provider to put the students and community first.

Extensive Options

Your district, school or group faces special needs and issues day-to-day and you want to align with a provider that has a strong understanding of the risk management needs of academic institutions. These coverage needs are constantly evolving. Consultants should offer flexible and comprehensive coverages that protect your assets so your primary focus can be on education. Competitive pricing is of course, is also a factor along with specifically designed school enhancement coverages.

As an administrator or educator, the safety and security of your students, faculty and school environment are at the forefront of responsibilities faced everyday. Finding a safety and liability consultant you can trust will allow you to focus on what’s most important – education. What risks are of biggest concern for your district or classroom and how are you working with your consultant to minimize these risks?

With all the complex contracts that general contractors have, it was something as simple as field training that determined liability in a recent $1 million injury settlement. The Kenosha-based construction company had all the right risk-transfer controls in place. The risk-transfer part of the contract worked perfectly. It's the lack of training in the field - proper construction of scafolding - that utlimately determined fault.

This goes to show that not only do contractors need to concentrate heavily on contractual risk transfer, they also need to make job-site safety, creating a safe work environment, and proper training a #1 priority as well.

Qualifying subcontractors and certificate review are two of the many ways we help contractors understand their insurance exposures. At R&R Insurance Services, our experience and solid reputation in the construction industry are what our general and sub contractors rely on for understanding the insurance exposures and their contractual risk transfer options. We also assist with every level of training to create a culture of safety for all aspects of their business.

R&R is one of the top writers of construction insurance programs in the State of Wisconsin. For more information on contractual risk transfer, job site safety, workers compensation or creating a culture of safety, please contact knowledgebroker Jamie Vanderveldt.

Safety and chemical storage deficiencies are widespread in American schools. In the wake of recent stories about students across the country becoming injured in laboratory incidents, Milwaukee teachers are taking steps to ensure safety regulations are exceeded, colleagues are kept informed and students are safe.

Many regulations are put into place and resources, checklists and tools available for laboratory science teachers through Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Laboratory safety has been at the forefront in many industries but slower to be put into practice in the school setting. The video below shows how Menomonee Fall’s Chemistry Teacher, Amanda Gilman, is taking steps to protect the students and faculty at their school.

Teachers have a responsibility to lead by example and enforce all safety rules and practices. The need to educate students in the sciences, especially chemistry, presents challenges to educators that include safety concerns for students and faculty. Here are 5 critical factors all laboratory science teachers need to take seriously:

1. Take care of the lab & equipment.

How often are you conducting inspections of safety and first aid equipment? Be sure it aligns with what your administration requires. Record dates of when inspections are performed and include your initials on inspection tags. If you find a hazardous or potentially hazardous condition, notify administration and follow through on the status. This is a given, but defective equipment should never be used.

2. Keep good records & maintain chemicals.

It is important to update the chemical inventory at least annually and provide a copy of the list to local emergency responders (fire dept. etc). Consider the following when performing an inventory inspection:

• Chemicals should not be stored with food or drink
• Keep chemicals in their original containers
• Make sure everything is labeled
• Be sure to dispose of chemicals properly. Check labels and always follow instructions
• Keep records of all staff safety trainings and any laboratory incidents that may occur

3. Know safety & emergency procedures.

Educate students on the location and use of all safety and emergency equipment prior to laboratory activity. Provide students with safety procedure instructions to follow in the event of an emergency / accident. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers in a designated location. Additionally, know the location of and how to use cut-off switches & valves for water, gas and electricity in the laboratory. Practice safety and evacuation drills on a regular basis.

4. Prep for laboratory activities.

Before conducting lab activities, evaluate the educational value vs. the potential risk. Have a strong understanding of the hazards of the materials and equipment being used. Conduct a thorough inspection of all equipment before any activity. Provide instructions to students before performing any work in the lab and follow up with lesson plan notes with details of any occurrences that took place during the experiment.

5. Model good laboratory conduct.

Being a good role model in the laboratory is key to providing an important example for students to follow while preparing for and conducting experiments. Be sure all students wear the necessary protective safety equipment and enforce all safety rules, at all times. Equally as important, never leave students unsupervised or allow unauthorized visitors to enter the lab.

Milwaukee-area middle school and high school science teachers are taking a stand against the upsurge in serious laboratory incidents that have occurred across the country in recent years due to experiments using highly explosive materials. In partnership with R&R Insurance based in Waukesha, area teachers have created a toolkit and on-demand webinar that will help educate other teachers and faculty on safety regulations and practices in schools, classrooms and laboratories.

The toolkit consists of some of the tips mentioned in this post:

• chemical storage and utilization checklists
• disposal tips
• a guide to hazardous experimentation and avoiding accidents,
• video & webinar trainings
• and risk management resources and tools

What steps are you taking to ensure the safety of students and faculty in your school and laboratory?

According to the AAA Foundation, distracted driving causes about 8,000 accidents every single day! And the CDC reports that more than 15 people are killed and 1,200 injured every day in those accidents. Corporate fleets are not immune from those numbers. You expect your employees to multi-task all the time, but never expect that while they are behind the wheel.

There are three main types of distraction:

1. Visual – taking your eyes off the road (i.e.: looking at a map or for a landmark or address if the driver is not sure where they are going before the trip)
2. Manual - taking your hands off the wheel (i.e. reaching for the radio or two way radio while driving)
3. Cognitive - taking your mind off what you are doing (paying more attention to work situations or the next job site)

Fleet drivers should have one goal and one goal only; operating their vehicle safely and efficiently from point A to point B.

While driving, there should be no other tasks, no other distractions, nothing is more important. R&R Insurance offers Distracted Driving window clings to remind your drivers and others on the road to stop the distraction. Wisconsin businesses, if you would like a sample of our Distracted Driving window clings, use our convenient order form and we will send you a sample - or a few - depending on your needs.

Fleet Safety Essentials – It’s About The Driver!

Top 9 Driving While Texting Infographics

For more information about fleet safety and property casualty insurance, contact knowledgebroker Bill Katzfey.

In early January 2014, two New York high school students suffered severe burns from a plume of fire that shot across their high school chemistry lab during an experiment called "The Rainbow Experiment". The dangers of highly explosive materials in high school science labs and this unfortunate recent event is a perfect segway to highlight the efforts of Amanda Gilman, Chemistry Teacher at Menomonee Falls High School in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and Chemical Hygiene Officer for the district.

Amanda's procedures in the classroom, inventory control, and safety precautions have been recognized as some of the best safety precautions used in schools today. Her unique inventory control methods help keep students and faculty safe. In this quick interview, Amanda discusses some of the techniques she uses in her chemistry lab, as well as the knowledge she gains through R&R Insurance - the provider of insurance for the Menomonee Falls School District and dozens of other schools throughout Wisconsin.

R&R offers an online tool to manage all information for MSDS (SDS) - Material Safety Data Sheet (Safety Data Sheet). Schools and businesses looking for an easy-to-use, online resource for the management of chemicals in their facilities should contact a knowledgebroker.

For more information about R&R's Risk Management Center and the extensive online risk management tools we offer through this portal, contact knowledgebroker Andy Scherwinski.

More on the traumatic science experiment that severely burned 2 high school students in New York on January 2, 2014.

Additional Science Lab Resources:
The Laboratory Safety Institute
Lab Safety Guide: 40 Suggestions Poster

Here are five examples of deadly incidents that were caused by dust, and ways businesses can eliminate the risk of a dust explosion happening in their facility.

1. In February 1999, a deadly fire and explosion occurred in a foundry in Massachusetts killing 3 and injuring 9. A fire initiated in a shell molding machine from an unknown source and then extended into the ventilation system ducts by feeding on heavy deposits of phenol formaldehyde resin dust. A small primary deflagration occurred within the ductwork, dislodging dust that had settled on the exterior of the ducts. The ensuing dust cloud provided fuel for a secondary explosion which was powerful enough to lift the roof and cause wall failures.
2. In January 2003, devastating fires and explosions destroyed a North Carolina pharmaceutical plant that manufactured rubber drug-delivery components. Six employees were killed and 38 people injured. An accumulation of a combustible polyethylene dust above the suspended ceilings fueled the explosion. The CSB was unable to determine what ignited the initial fire or how the dust was dispersed to create the explosive cloud in the hidden ceiling space.
3. In February 2003, a Kentucky acoustics insulation manufacturing plant was the site of a dust explosion killing 7 and injuring 37 employees. The likely ignition scenario was a small fire extending from an unattended oven which ignited a dust cloud created by nearby line cleaning. This was followed by a deadly cascade of dust explosions throughout the plant.
4. In October 2003, an Indiana plant where aluminum auto wheels were machined experienced an incident which killed one and injured one employee. Aluminum dust was involved in a primary explosion near a chip melting furnace, followed by a secondary blast in dust collection equipment.
5. February 10, 2008 a deadly explosion ripped through a sugar refinery blast killing at least 6 workers and sent 62 to the hospital. “As far as we know it was a sugar dust explosion,” authorities said the day after the explosion. The blast occurred in a storage silo where refined sugar is stored until it is packaged. Sugar dust is combustible. Static electricity sparks from metal tools, or a cigarette can ignite explosions.

Elements Needed for a Dust Fire (the familiar "Fire Triangle"):

1. Combustible dust (fuel);
2. Ignition source (heat);
3. Oxygen in air (oxidizer);
4. Dispersion of dust particles in sufficient quantity and concentration;
5. Confinement of the dust cloud

There are several ways these explosions can take place. Two primary scenarios are:

1. A dust cloud (diffused fuel) is ignited within a confined or semi-confined vessel, area, or building, and burns very rapidly or explodes. The safety of employees is threatened by the ensuing fires, additional explosions, flying debris, and collapsing building components.
2. An initial explosion in an area were fugitive dust has accumulated may shake loose more accumulated dust, or damage a containment system (such as a duct, vessel, or collector). As a result, if ignited, the additional dust dispersed into the air may cause one or more secondary explosions. These can be far more destructive than a primary explosion due to the increased quantity and concentration of dispersed combustible dust.

What action can employers take to reduce their exposure?

If one of the elements of the explosion pentagon is missing, a catastrophic explosion can not occur. Two of the elements in the explosion pentagon are difficult to eliminate: oxygen (within air), and confinement of the dust cloud (within processes or buildings). However, the other three elements of the pentagon can be controlled to a significant extent.

OSHA Fact Sheet on Combustible Dust Explosions

On Nov. 7, 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a proposed rule to require certain employers to submit injury and illness reports electronically. The proposed rule does not create additional recordkeeping or reporting duties for employers. Rather, it would dictate how this information must be submitted to OSHA. Summary of OSHA's proposal to require electronic submission of injury and illness reports.

Even though this is only in the proposal stage, you can believe that the information will be used to generate inspections in an attempt to “help”, and will create more targeting of "compliance assistance and enforcement"! The importance of completing the 300 log ACCURATELY will never be more important if/when mandatory submissions start. The main point we stress in our OSHA 300 Log webinars is that most companies are actually over-reporting their injuries on the 300. This was bad to do in the past, but would really be problematic if we get to the point where EVERYBODY is submitting their 300 log to OSHA. (currently not the case)

300 Log webinars:
Gain control over your OSHA 300 Log! Basic questions about the OSHA 300 log will be answered along with tips to keep your recordkeeping compliant and accurate. R&R offers free annual webinars - click here to register.

Originally published November 2013; last updated August 2015

Residing in every WASB members’ offices is a pot of gold. Okay, it’s not really gold, and it’s not in a pot. But it is real money, and can pay dividends for many years. Many districts and CESAs believe the cost of their workers’ compensation insurance has no relationship to behavior, the cost is set by the state, and only the size of the district (i.e., total payroll) changes the cost. None of that is true.

Cause and Effect
Districts that R&R Insurance has worked with are educating administrators, buildings and grounds, food service personnel, coaches, and teachers on how workers’ compensation insurance works. Part of the education process is understanding the elements that contribute to the cost of workers’ compensation insurance:

• Workers’ compensation losses: (also referred to as claims) these are incidents resulting in an insurance company paying medical expenses on behalf of, or indemnity (income-replacement) benefits to, employees injured on the job.
• Medical-only claims: workers’ compensation claims that contemplate seeking medical treatment and being absent from work for not more than three days.
• Lost-time claims: workers’ compensation claims where an injured employee is absent from work for a period of four or more days as a result of the injury or disease.
• Rates by duties: (also referred to as classification codes) these are amounts charged employers by insurance companies per $100 of payroll for employees engaged in certain job functions. For example, class code 8868 is applied to professors, administrators, and teachers, etc.
• Experience modification factor: In trainings, districts should learn how each of these elements impacts their workers’ compensation premium. Through this educational process, employees quickly see how their actions impact the cost of the district’s workers’ compensation insurance.

“One for Three”
The slogan, “One for Three” has a special, but not favorable, meaning relative to a district’s experience modification factor. It refers to the fact that any workers’ compensation claim that flows into the pipeline of information used to calculate your experience modification factor remains in the formula for three years. Claims drive up your experience modification factor and workers’ compensation insurance premium — for three years!

In calculating an experience modification factor, the Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau develops expected losses (from workers’ compensation claims) for different types of jobs. Examples showing expected workers’ compensation losses for teachers and other employees versus actual losses incurred are available for local districts.

It has been interesting — and financially meaningful for districts and CESAs — to observe that understanding how workers’ compensation losses impact premiums creates an awareness of the effect of unsafe work practices. With more information, district personnel often change their behavior and a team mind-set between schools can develop. We have stories of custodians telling each other not to lift heavy items without help. During a staff workshop, a teacher volunteered to hang up a chart and grabbed a chair to stand. In unison, the rest of the participants shouted, “Don’t! Get a ladder!” The participants knew that a fall from the chair could likely impact their experience modification factor.

The Next Phase — Training and Committees
Following education regarding how a district’s experience modification factor is calculated, job-specific safety training should be held. Buildings and grounds training involves hazard recognition, ladder safety, and proper lifting and driver safety. Food service training involves slip and fall hazard recognition, proper footwear, handling sharp instruments, proper lifting and hygiene. Administrator and teacher training focuses on driver safety, proper lifting techniques, ladder safety and hazard recognition. Training is then done with group tabletop exercises, presentations by safety professionals, and via computer-based training.

In addition to training, districts should establish safety committees and bring parties together from individual schools and disciplines to focus on employee and student safety issues. Some districts successful in holding down their workers’ compensation costs have used staff from one school to visit other schools within the district, providing a fresh set of eyes to look for potential loss exposure. When districts share safety committee meeting results with member schools, oftentimes, there are positive safety results.

Successful districts have created a culture where safety is emphasized; a culture that tells employees and students their well-being and health is of paramount concern, and it offers the additional benefit of favorably impacting a district’s bottom line through fewer, and less expensive, workers’ compensation claims.

Examples of Success in Two Districts

SCHOOL DISTRICT #1 had consistently bad losses. No one in the district was truly paying attention to the problem. Their experience modification factor increased for several years in a row. When the administrators realized how much money could be saved regarding workers’ compensation costs, they implemented educational pro- grams. The district saved $54,000 in premium each year by lowering their experience modification factor.

SCHOOL DISTRICT #2 identified a job type within the district that was generating most of their losses. The district focused on the troubled area and let the employees know that the cost from their depar tment was a problem. They used various methods to change behavior, which resulted in increased safety awareness and a $10,745 annual savings. This savings was 17 percent of the workers’ compensation premium.

Hattendorf is a practice leader with R&R Insurance School Practice Group. You can contact him at Bill.Hattendorf@rrins.com or 262-953-7128.

Article as seen in the September 2013 issue of "Wisconsin School News"

Recently, a large tanning insurance provider Thomco (Thompson Insurance Enterprises) chose to exit the tanning salon insurance marketplace. This leaves hundreds of tanning salon owners without insurance coverage for their tanning salon when their policy expires.

R&R Insurance Services, operator of www.InsuranceForTanningSalons.com is accepting applications for tanning salon insurance from any tanning salon in the Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. A simple form gets the quote process started with a Tanning Insurance Specialist.

Customized Tanning Salon Insurance Program is designed with specialty coverages for sun tanning salons, including spray-on and air-brush tanning. Key elements of this insurance coverage for tanning salons includes:

General Liability:

• Limits up to $1 million occurrence/$3 million aggregate
• Automatically includes Professional Liability
• Medical Payments coverage of $10,000 per person
• Cancer/Long Term Skin Damage included at policy limits
• Employees as automatic insureds
• Employment Practices Liability
• Fire Legal Liability - $200,000
• Building Owner as Additional Insured
• BOP Plus Pak
• Personal and Advertising Injury
• Optional coverages:
  • Hired and Non-Owned Vehicle Coverage
  • Employee Benefit Coverage
  • Employment Practices Liability

Umbrella Coverage:

• Umbrella limits up to $10,000,000

Property Coverage:

• Replacement cost of buildings and contents
• Business Income and Extra Expense on an ALS basis
• Crime coverage: Money & Securities $15,000 Inside/$7,000 Outside
• Sign and glass coverage
• Law and Ordinance
• Equipment Breakdown coverage

www.InsuranceForTanningSalons.com offers a quick, easy application process, payment options and additional optional coverages. Call any of our knowledgeable Tanning Salon Insurance Representatives for a no-obligation quote or consultation. 262-953-7200.

Important Note For Tanning Salon Owners: No new business quotes will be accepted by Thomco, and all active policies will remain in effect until the expiration date. At expiration, tanning salon owners will receive a non-renewal notice in the mail. When you receive this notice - please contact R&R Insurance: www.insurancefortanningsalons.com or 262-953-7200.