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 all volunteers and inmate laborers.
- Review classification codes to ensure that the city is classifying and accounting for payroll expenses properly. Insurance companies use classification codes to determine workers’ compensation contribution amounts.
- Conduct payroll audits annually.
Encourage employees to participate in safety training to help prevent workplace accidents and illnesses.
- Conduct training either online or in person.
- Use training topics that are relevant to the employee’s job responsibilities, so that they are able to complete their job efficiently and safely.
August
Review auto, property, contents and inland marine schedules, which are the lists of items for which the city has coverage.
- Classify assets correctly to make sure that insurance contributions are calculated appropriately.
- Schedule properties needing insurance to make sure that coverage will apply in the event of a loss.
Review and update the city’s mutual aid agreements.
- Establish a review program to evaluate all mutual aid agreements to make sure the agreements follow the relevant laws.
- Be sure that either the city council has voted to approve all agreements, or that the person who is entering an agreement has proper authorization by a vote of council. There must be a properly executed mutual aid agreement in place for an agency to have jurisdiction when operating outside of its ordinary boundaries.
September
Establish a return-to-work program as a short-term accommodation for injured employees with flexible time frames and schedules.
- Appoint a return-to-work coordinator to administer the program. The coordinator should have a working knowledge of the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act.
- Establish written procedures to outline the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved in the return-to-work process. The procedures should include the process for reporting the injury or illness, the medical treatment process and the return-to-work process.