There are numerous actions for municipal risk management staff to take throughout the year as part of a consistent and proactive effort to reduce liability for the local government.
Here are some key things for risk managers to address in the third quarter of the year:
July
- Review classification codes, estimated payroll and number of employees, including volunteers and inmate laborers.
- Reviewing classification codes allows employers to properly classify and account for payroll expenses.
- Classification codes are used by insurance companies to determine workers' compensation contribution amounts.
- Payroll audits should be conducted annually. - Encourage employees to participate in safety training.
- Training can be conducted online or in person.
- Training topics should be relevant to the employee's job responsibilities so that they are able to complete their job efficiently and safely.
- Safety training can help prevent workplace accidents and illnesses.
August
- Review auto, property, contents and inland marine schedules, which are the lists of items for which the city has coverage.
- Classifying assets correctly allows for insurance contributions to be calculated appropriately.
- Property should be scheduled in order for insurance coverage to apply in the event of a loss. - Review and update mutual aid agreements.
- A review program should be established to evaluate mutual aid agreements to ensure adherence to applicable statutes.
- The municipal council must vote on the agreement or the person entering the agreement must possess the proper authorization by a vote of council.
- There must be a mutual aid agreement in place for an agency to have jurisdiction.
September
- Establish a return-to-work, or RTW, program.
- RTW programs should be designed to be a short-term accommodation for the injured employee with flexible time frames and schedules.
- A RTW coordinator should be appointed to administer the RTW program.
- The coordinator should have a working knowledge of the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Act.
- Written procedures should be established to outline the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved in the RTW process.
- The written procedures should include
- the injury/illness reporting process,
- the medical treatment process, and
- the RTW process.