Take a look around and read through our posts for the latest on insurance, workers' compensation, and Safety and Loss Control.
8/31/2017 2:49:50 PM
On the Fly – Must know info, upcoming events, and observances.
Work Comp – When to Submit a Workers' Compensation Incident
Safety – Governor's Workplace Safety Awards and Taking Personal Responsibility for Your Own Safety
Property and Casualty – REMINDER: New Claim Mailbox and FY2016 Policy Renewals
We encourage employees to report all workplace incidents that could result in a work-related injury. All incidents should be reported through your regular agency procedures and entered in SEMA4 Self-Service and the into iRISK. Only certain incidents need to be reported to the Workers' Compensation Program as workers' compensation claims.
Once an incident is in iRISK, you have three options:
You can always make changes in iRISK when an incident is in a Pending or an Incident Only status. Once you choose Submit to Work Comp, the incident becomes a workers' compensation claim that we investigate to make a determination regarding benefits. When employees have not missed time from work or have not sought medical treatment, a claim investigation by us is unnecessary. It can be confusing for employees as they often times are not sure why we are contacting them when their incident did not cause them to miss time from work or to seek medical treatment.
To help us provide better claim service to your agency and your employees, we ask that you choose Submit to Work Comp only when the incident requires you to do so as described above.
If you encounter a situation and you are not sure if you should choose Submit to Work Comp, please contact Gary Westman at (651) 201-3030 or gary.westman@state.mn.us.
Numerous state entities received Governor's Safety Awards at the recent Minnesota State Safety and Health Conference. Of special note, the following received the Award of Honor in Occupational Safety, which is the highest award:
See all the winners recognized at three levels: Meritorious Achievement, Outstanding Achievement, and Award of Honor. Congratulations to all the winners!
Application for a 2018 Governor's Safety Award begins in January. Plan now to apply!
The responsibility for our personal safety lies on our own hands; yet we often rely on others to protect us. This is evident in the workplace, but evidence of these behaviors can also be found in each individual life. Risk at work is identified by safety professionals, managers, supervisors, and sometimes by the employees themselves – There are many risks that each of us encounter daily in our personal lives that are not identified and are not taken seriously. These situations can lead to serious injuries, and sometimes even the loss of life.
Performing basic tasks, such as cutting the lawn, repairing an electrical outlet, getting the grill ready to prepare dinner, and driving daily to and from work present serious risks. These activities are often seen as routine, so proper precautions are not taken when performed.
Be aware of each risk that you encounter in your job. Take personal responsibility, use situational awareness at all times, and ensure that the work area is free of all recognizable hazards. It is your life that will be affected if you get hurt, so take the time to eliminate all hazards from your the work area, and stop work if a condition seems unsafe.
People are often reluctant to address safety issues at work and at home for several reasons:
The list of reasons goes on, and individuals both at work and at home always find reasons to eliminate safety from their daily tasks.
One important area that is overlooked is grill safety. Between 2009 and 2013, United States fire departments responded to an average of 8,900 fires involving grills. These fires caused an average of 10 civilian deaths and 160 civilian injuries. It is imperative that instructions for equipment use be followed both at home and at work. The number of injuries or deaths caused by grill fires may be low, but do we want to take the chance. It could be you or a loved one that suffers severe burns, loss of life, or in some cases loss of your home, because of failure to take responsibility for your own safety by following the manufacturer’s instructions. This risk is not worth taking, and it makes it even more important to take your personal safety in your own hands. Do not wait on your wife, husband, a friend, or co-worker to provide the safety equipment needed in your work area, and do not be afraid to speak up when you see a co-worker not following safety procedures or not wearing his/her PPE. It is your responsibility to protect yourself and ensure that safety is your first priority both at home and at work.
Is the cost of ignoring your safety worth the pain or suffering that you may encounter or, even worse, the pain or suffering that you may place on your family?
A wise man once said, “It is better to be safe a hundred times than to be killed once.”
Make safety a priority by taking personal responsibility for safety at work and at home.
As part of the new claim reporting process, remember that RMD has new claim forms and a dedicated mailbox for reporting new claims: claims.rmd@state.mn.us.
This mailbox is intended only for new claims. Once the claim is reported and you receive the acknowledgment with the claim number, you can forward any additional documents to the adjuster via email. Please be sure to include the claim number in the subject line of your email.
Please submit all claims as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after you have become aware of a claim.
RMD is currently processing FY2018 package and auto-renewals, so if we haven’t heard from you regarding your agency’s renewals, please contact us.
What's in Store for FY2018?General liability rates will decrease by 15 percent in FY2018 for most policyholders. Rates for the other lines of business – property, auto liability, auto physical damage – will remain the same as expiring.
Insurance is available for cyber attacks and data breaches. If interested, contact Risk Management.
Our package policy provides the following nominal limits for cyber-related losses.
For larger cyber limits, we purchase the coverage from the conventional insurance market.
Is Your Agency Self-Insured?If your agency is not currently insured through RMD because the agency “self-insures,” you should know that a “self-insured” state agency simply means that judgments, as well as defense costs and other claim expenses, are borne by your agency. If this is not your intent, and you would rather stabilize your budget by transferring the risk of loss to us, we would be happy to meet with you to discuss our low-cost comprehensive insurance options.
